A red Subaru caught fire as it was coming off Portage Lake Lift Bridge Friday evening. First responders quickly arrived on the scene after the fire started. There were no injuries, officials say. (Photo from Frank Barnes of Colorado)

HOUGHTON — The Yooper Loop experienced an unusual delay in traffic Friday evening, when a red Subaru pulled off onto the side road heading towards West Lakeshore Drive and caught on fire. According to local police scanners, Houghton VFD arrived on scene around 7:45 p.m. and quickly sprang into action. 

Houghton Fire Chief Eric James said the fire department got to the scene as quickly as they could and dealt with the situation. There were no reported injuries.

“The car randomly caught fire as the owner was trying to get off the bridge,” he said. “We showed up, put it out.” 

Multiple police departments responded before the fire department arrived, temporarily blocking off traffic until the scene was under control. Michigan State Police, Houghton PD, Hancock PD and Michigan Tech Police were among the departments present attempting to control the situation. 

The early stages of the blaze saw the car fully engulfed in flames on the left side of the chassis near the engine. Once white smoke started seeping from the fire, Houghton VFD stepped onto the scene and quickly took control of the situation. Putting out the fire in a few minutes while the debris of the engine melted through the chassis onto the street. 

After the fire was put out, the department worked with Superior Service Towing to evacuate the destroyed vehicle out of the area. It is unclear at press time how exactly the vehicle caught on fire.