Traffic slowed to a crawl as fire fighters and police rushed to the scene near Big Hill this afternoon.

Three young women travelling home to Bendigo from Melbourne had to evacuate the car after it caught fire, Bendigo Highway Patrol sergeant Geoff Annand said.

They were unscathed but the car was completely incinerated.

Video below courtesy of Jacob O’Toole

Witness Gary O’Toole said they heard the car in the moments before the fire took hold.

“It was screaming, not from speed, but from maybe running too hot,” Mr O’Toole said.

The car stopped outside their property as the fire took hold.

Several off-duty firefighters used extinguishers to try to stop the fire spreading before CFA units arrived.

Video filmed by witnesses at the scene shows flames spreading towards trees between the Bendigo and Melbourne-bound sides of the highway.

Sergeant Annand said the fire was most likely caused by a mechanical fault.

One lane inbound to Bendigo was blocked as emergency services removed the incinerated car and doused hotspots but was expected to reopen shortly.

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