2020 has been a pretty crazy year, and it just got even crazier. Now rats are setting fire to our cars.

Ok, that’s a bit of an exaggeration but they did cause a fire in Victoria over the weekend.

The Sassafras-Ferny Creek Fire Brigade responded to a car engine fire on Sunday afternoon. After opening the bonnet it was clear what had caused the fire.

The car had been sitting idle through the owners isolation. During this time a rat, or possibly rats, had made a nest under the hood of the car. When the cars owner decided to go to the shops, the heat was enough to ignite the nest.

Sassafras-Ferny Creek Fire Brigade serves the townships of Sassafras, Ferny Creek, Tremont and parts of Sherbrooke in the Dandenong Ranges, about 40km east of Melbourne, Australia. They have recommended that anyone that has left their car sit unused over isolation check under the hood before driving.