A CAR burst into flames close to the A13, causing smoke to blow across the carriageway.

Two crews from Basildon fire station were sent to the fire at 7pm on Saturday night, in Church Road, which passes under the A13 near to Pitsea Crematorium.

It is unclear whether the car had been deliberately set alight or if it had malfunctioned.

Smoke blew across the carriageway, but luckily did not cause an accident.

Luckily, it appears that no-one was injured in the incident.

The car has been completely destroyed in the blaze.

No details about what type it was have been released.

Demi Heard, 23, of Basildon, witnessed the fire and called the fire service.

She was impressed by the speed at which crews responded.

She said: “I was coming off Canvey onto the A13 I could see a massive cloud of black smoke coming from both sides of the underpass by Pitsea Cemetery.

“I called 999 and by the time I got off the A13 to have a look what was going on police and fire engines where already there.

“They must of dispatched immediately.

“When I got there the smoke was covering the A13 and looked like it had become more aggressive.

“I can’t say for sure what was on fire but it looked like someone had drove under there and set their car on fire.”

A spokesman from the Essex Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they had been called to the incident.

They confirmed that it was a car on fire next to the underpass.

Two fire engines from Basildon were sent to the scene.

It took crews half an hour to extinguish the blaze.

There have been a number of incidents involving fires near to the Crematorium and the A13.

In July, firefighters were called out to a large pile of flytipped waste that had been set on fire deliberately.

It took fire crews 45 minutes to get the fire under control.

A dispute between Essex County Council and Basildon Council had meant rubbish dumped months before had not been cleared.

Arsonists had them set fire to the waste.