Smoke billowing out of a black Rover car on Queen Street, Hamilton yesterday afternoon brought one of the busiest streets in Hamilton to a standstill.

The car was parked across from the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant when the smoke began spilling from the car around 4 p.m.

Karlton Smith, the owner of the car, works in the Gibbons Company Building only twenty feet from the spot and was at work when his daughter called saying his car was on fire.

The dazed owner said: ?I parked the car only ten minutes ago and I was in the office working when my daughter called.?

Mr. Smith could not speculate as to what had caused the fire, but said it was seven years old and had been serviced in November. He said: ?Last week during the cold weather it was hard to get it started, but I thought it was just because of the cold weather.

?It?s never caused me any problems before.?

Witness Malcom Smith was in Casey?s when he saw smoke coming out of the car: ?I looked outside and saw it smoking and then everyone looked out and said fire! The bartender called the Police.?

The Rover was Mr. Smith?s only form of transportation, however his boss agreed he could use the company car to get home last night.

Police received the call at 4.05 p.m. and when they arrived the Fire Service was already working on the vehicle to contain the fire.

Traffic in the area was diverted from Reid Street down Queen Street and onto Front Street by Police as they secured the area.

They were unable to comment on the cause of the fire, but an investigation into the incident will be carried out by the Fire Service.