Firefighters tackle a BMW on fire on I-680 in Walnut Creek

The fire sent smoke shooting hundreds of feet into the air before firefighters were able to tackle the blaze

A BMW SUV that went up in flames Saturday afternoon on Interstate 680 in Walnut Creek shot smoke and sparks hundreds of feet up before responding firefighters were able to tackle the blaze.

The incident happened around 1:30 p.m. on the Treat Boulevard off-ramp on northbound I-680. Traffic was slowed down to Highway 24.

The engine appeared to be on fire and shooting sparks into the air, according to one witness. Firefighters arrived quickly and one person put out the fire. Smoke could be seen rising about 300 feet into the air.

Nobody was found inside or around the car, and the incident was turned over to the California Highway Patrol, said a spokesperson for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. The California Highway Patrol did not respond to a message on Saturday afternoon.

That wasn’t the end of traffic woes on this section of highway for this rainy day. About an hour after the BMW fire, a crash near Treat Boulevard blocked two middle lanes on I-680 southbound and backed traffic up to Concord, reported KCBS.