NORFOLK, Neb. -- A vehicle suffered serious damage, but its occupants were able to escape injury, after the vehicle caught fire Thursday afternoon in northeast Nebraska.

The vehicle went up in flames on Highway 81 on the south edge of Norfolk at approximately 4:00 p.m.

The Norfolk Fire Division said that arriving crews saw and encountered heavy smoke and flames coming from the vehicle. 

The driver of the vehicle told News Channel Nebraska that there was a clicking sound in the vehicle and took it into a Norfolk shop to get it looked at.

When no one could identify the problem, the family continued onto the highway, the driver said. The vehicle quickly decelerated and caught fire.

Authorities on scene said no one was injured, but the car was a total loss, with $9,000 worth in damage - the estimated cost of the vehicle.

The cause of the fire was a mechanical failure of the engine. 

NFD said it took about nine firefighters and five rigs about five minutes to control the fire, and another 15 minutes to overhaul the car. 

The NFD was assisted by the Madison County Sheriff's Office.