A fire that started in the engine of a white company van yesterday in Kilauea destroyed the vehicle, a Kauai County spokeswoman said.

The driver, who was alone in the van, was not hurt, said spokeswoman Mary Daubert.

According to a preliminary report, the company employee was driving north on Kuhio Highway near Wailapa junction about 12:30 p.m. when he smelled something burning and saw smoke from the engine, Daubert said. 

The driver pulled over and got out. When firefighters arrived, flames had already engulfed the van.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control in five minutes and extinguished it at 1:04 p.m. Damage to the van and its contents was estimated at $12,000.