Scary moments as an SUV catches fire near an Indio car wash

A driver escapes injury Thursday afternoon but his SUV was not so lucky, after a fire erupted in the engine compartment, just moments before entering a car wash.

According to Cal Fire, they got the call around 2:10 Thursday afternoon that a car was on fire, at the Mobil Gas Station on Highway 111 and Jefferson Street in Indio.

A man reportedly was entering his code into the car wash, when he heard a popping noise, moments later his engine compartment erupted in flames. Fire crews were able to douse the blaze before it spread to the car wash and adjoining gas station. The SUV was damaged in the blaze and the car wash sustained some smoke and heat damage and was shut down. The Mobil Gas Station along with the Circle K remain open.

The driver was not hurt. Fire investigators were still trying to determine what caused the engine to catch fire.