First responders from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office and the Destin Fire Control District responded to the scene of a car that had caught fire on U.S. Hwy. 98 near Stahlman Avenue shortly after 3 p.m.
When The Log arrived on scene, the fire had been extinguished, but there was still smoke coming from the charred Suburu Outback, which had Michigan tags. The smell of burnt rubber and upholstery filled the air.
One emergency responder said the flames were as "high as the (telephone) poles."
The driver, an older male, was not injured and was walking around the scene talking to deputies. He had said that he rear-ended another car "a few miles" back before his vehicle caught fire.
Deputies had traffic blocked in the area, but it was flowing again shortly after 4 p.m.
