Watch: Dad's car bursts into flames as he gets ready to take young son to football

A dad and two young children narrowly avoided being killed after his car exploded into a fireball.

Dave Warwick has told of the terrifying moment his son and young friend were force to flee just before his Vauxhall Zafira burst into flames.

The red people carrier was destroyed after becoming engulfed in a blaze in Brookfield, Middlesbrough, which saw flames of more than 10 feet.

Dave, who captured the moment on video, believes he, son Adam, 10 and pal Alfie Dadd, 11, could’ve died in the inferno.

VIEW GALLERY

The fire happened shortly before he was due to take the two youngsters to play in a junior football match on Sunday morning.

The 52-year-old, from The Grove, said: “I had only drove a very short distance to pick up some football boots when Alfie said he’d forgotten his jacket.

“When we got back to my house five minutes later I could smell fumes.

“I wasn’t happy taking the kids in a car filled with fumes so I turned the engine off and got into my wife’s car to take the kids to the football match.

“But as we were about to set off I could see smoke inside the Zafira. The car was on fire. I told the kids to run down the street away from it.

“My wife rang the fire brigade as the car windows seemed to explode as it burst into flames.

“The fire brigade were there in minutes and they put it out really quickly. I was left with a burning wreck and two very shocked kids.

“That could have been three innocent people in the car, we could easily have been killed.”

Dave Warwick and his son Adam (right), and Adams team mate Alfie Dadd (left) and Dave's burned out car

Dave, a senior business analyst, said he had been having trouble starting his car for some time.

“My Vauxhall Zafira had been turning over upon ignition but struggling to start for some weeks,” he added.

“I had been to a garage with the problem and they had tried to fix it.

"When I picked the car up, I was told there had been something wrong with the immobiliser.

"But the next night I had the exact same problem.

“I took it back and was told that I could pull the oil dipstick out upon ignition to release pressure from the engine and that might help start the car.

“I didn’t lift the dipstick as I thought this was too dangerous and I drove the car a mile at most.”

But Dave said the day had a happy ending - as his son’s Acklam FC’s side beat Kader 6-1.