The dual-cab Volkswagen Amarok went up in flames early Sunday morning, at a private property on Neville Road.

"The owner [attempted] to start it, and there was a little puff of smoke and a very strong smell of mice," a spokesperson for the RFS said.

"He decided to leave it and went inside to make a cup of tea, and heard an explosion and then found the car alight."

The Millthorpe and Tallwood Brigades were called to the property, and extinguished the vehicle blaze with no injuries.

Mice are known to nest in vehicle-engine bays during cold snaps, and can cause significant damage chewing through electrical wires.

In extreme cases, a resulting short-circuit can ignite fuel or other combustible materials.

"With increased rodent activity in the cooler weather, we advise people to be vigilant," the RFS said in an online statement.

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