Lincoln Fire and Rescue responded to a call of an explosion and car fire at 2001 Donald Court, near 62nd and Leighton Streets shortly after 2:00 a.m. Thursday. When they arrived, a 2005 Isuzu Rodeo was fully engulfed in flames.

The owner of the car, Mamo Khalaf, says his father heard a boom and woke him up. When he came outside and saw the fire, he called 911.

Captain Randy Bohaty from Engine 5 said adding to the firefighter's challenge was the fact that the straps which hold the gas tank up melted. This placed the tank on the ground with leaking fuel - feeding the fire with jets of flame shooting up from the underside of the SUV. Bohaty says there was also a large amount of pooled gas around the car which was also on fire.

Bohaty said that the magnesium in the vehicle also caught on fire.

"It reacts when water hits it and creates more problems for us," Bohaty said.

Firefighters reportedly applied a foam to the area which slowed down the fire. Bohaty says they had to ricochet the foam off the ground - hoping it would cover the fuel tank. When that didn't work firefighters used a hydraulic tool to raise the car so they could get at the fire better.

Bohaty says this is one of the toughest car fires he has had to fight in his 33-year career.

Lincoln Fire and Rescue Fire Inspector Robbins says the cause of the fire is still under investigation.