THE owner of a Toyota Hilux has had a lucky escape after his vehicle caught fire at the IGA car park in Port Douglas.

A secondary battery connected to a fridge in the tray of the truck caught alight this afternoon, with flames visible and plumes of smoke bellowing out.

Luckily for the driver an off-duty firefighter was one of the first to attend the scene and used a fire extinguisher to control the blaze. The Port Douglas Fire Brigade was also called and attended.

“There was a little bit of concern because there were gas bottles and other flammables in the vicinity,” said Clayton Vladich from Port Douglas Fire Brigade.

“It was only small but it was lucky and the people at the scene did a great job.”

The full extent of damage is still unknown but no injuries were reported from the incident.