CAR HAD BEEN PARKED SINCE PREVIOUS NIGHT UNTIL APPROX 2:45 PM ON FEB 16, 2007. DAUGHTER STARTED CAR TO GO TO WORK. CAR STARTED, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY DULL POP ("LIKE OPENING A JAR OF PICKLES"). GRAY/WHITE SMOKE APPEARED FROM UNDER HOOD AND SHE IMMEDIATELY KILLED IGNITION. SMOKE CONTINUED, SHE RAISED HOOD TO FIND TOP OF ENGINE ENGULFED IN FLAMES. UNIVERSITY GROUNDSKEEPERS CREW NEARBY AND ABLE TO PUT WATER ON FIRE UNTIL FIRE DEPT ARRIVED. FIRE CONTAINED TO TOP OF ENGINE AND NEARBY ACCESSORIES. EXTENT OF DAMAGE UNKNOWN AT THIS EARLY DATE. *NM