VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON A TWO WAY HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. VEHICLE LOST ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING AND THE GAS PEDAL LOST RESISTANCE AND WENT TO THE FLOOR. VEHICLE WAS STEERED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STEERED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, CHECK ENGINE AND OTHER DASH LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING CHAOTICALLY. WHITE SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WITHIN A SHORT TIME, WHITE SMOKE TURNED INTO BLACK SMOKE AND THEN FLAMES STARTED TO APPEARS. THE FIRE UNDER THE HOOD EVENTUALLY CONTINUED TO GROW UNTIL IT COMPLETELY BURNED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT MOST OF THE FIRST TWO ROWS OF THE INTERIOR BEFORE THE FIREMEN ARRIVED AND WERE ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE.