I WAS DRIVING FROM VIRGINIA BEACH, VA TO MIDLOTHIAN, VA ON STATE 288 NORTH (WWII VETERANS MEMORIAL HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 50-60 MPH FAR LEFT LANE. I WAS USING CRUISE CONTROL. SUDDENLY SMOKE STARTED TO APPEAR FROM WHAT I THOUGHT WAS ANOTHER VEHICLE HOWEVER, I QUICKLY REALIZED IT WAS FROM MY VEHICLE WHAT APPEARED FROM UNDER MY HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN, PUT ON MY HAZARDS AND MOVED TO THE FAR-RIGHT SHOULDER JUST SHORT OF MILE MARKER 10. I WAS TRAVELING WITH A COWORKER AND WE BOTH EXISTED THE VEHICLE AND WHITE SMOKE IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO FILL THE INTERIOR FROM THE SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD. WE CLOSED BOTH DOOR AND STARTED TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE ALONG THE SHOULDER. WE BOTH KNELT DOWN TO SEE WHAT APPEARED TO BE FIRE DRIPPING FROM THE UNDERSIDE TO THE ASPHALT. AT THIS POINT IN TIME WE STARTED TO SEE FLAMES COME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND BEGIN TO ENGULF THE CARE IN LESS THAN 10 MIN. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 FROM MY COWORKERS' PHONE BECAUSE LEFT MINE IN THE VEHICLE AND DARED NOT TO REENTER IT. A PASSERBY WHO HAPPENED TO BE A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN STOPPED AND ATTEMPTED TO USE HIS VEHICLES FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT OUT THE FLAME BUT IT WAS TOO LARGE A FIRE. THE STATE TROOPERS ARRIVED IN ABOUT 10 MIN THEN THE FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED ABOUT 10 MIN AFTER. BY THEN THE ENTIRE CARE WAS IN DARK BLACK SMOKE WITH FLAMES ALL AROUND IT. WE HEARD SEVERAL EXPLOSIONS WHICH THE FIREFIGHTERS SAID WERE MY TIRES AND AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CANISTERS. THE FIREFIGHTERS PUT