On a recent outing, I began to smell smoke and assumed it was from a nearby brush fire. In less than a minute after I first smelled smoke my vehicle began to shake. Suddenly my warning lights flashed and a puff of smoke came out from my hood near my windshield. I lost power in my vehicle as well as my steering and braking ability. Fortunately I was able to pull to the side of the road, at which point flames began to shoot out from the hood. The vehicle then became engulfed in flames and is now a total loss.