The destructive power of fire is an unmatched force that can march across thousands of acres of woodlands in short order, leaving nothing but ash and smoke in its wake. But it doesn’t take a big fire to cause a lot of destruction, as many car guys know all too well. A single unlucky spark or misfire can destroy in a few minutes something you’ve worked on your whole life.

The Arlington Cardinal was on hand when a 1969 Chevy Camaro show car caught fire in the trailer it was being carried in. Within minutes the entire trailer was engulfed in flames, and even though firefighters were able to put the fire out in short order, the Camaro is almost certainly a total loss.

Details are sketchy on what exactly happened. According to a witness following the trailer, the driver stopped to inspect smoke, but apparently decided it was not an issue until he actually smelled the smoke. As the old saying goes, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and once the owner opened the rear hatch to the trailer that fire had all the fuel it could ever want. It quickly grew out of control, consuming the whole trailer.

Firefighters got on the scene quickly, but by then the fire had already engulfed much of the car and the trailer it was in. No details as to the cause of the fire have been released, though the culprit could be something as simple as an oil leak or frayed wire. Whatever the cause, the ‘69 Camaro is without a doubt a total loss.

It’s always sad to see a classic car destroyed, but even an expensive Camaro can be replaced. Human lives? Not so much.