Amber Tice just wanted to pick up her last paycheck from a downtown Lawrence clothing store where she used to work.

But she ran into some bad luck after getting it the car she borrowed caught fire.

As smoke and flames erupt from a car's engine, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical firefighters, from left, Frank Angelone and Gary Gutsch, work to bring a fire under control Wednesday afternoon in downtown Lawrence. The fire began in the car's engine compartment about 3 p.m. The car had been parked in a railway alley just east of Sixth and Massachusetts streets, next to Waxman Candles Inc., 606 Mass.

“When I came around the corner, I saw smoke,” Tice said Wednesday afternoon, staring at the smoldering 1990 Ford Taurus.

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical firefighters were called to put out the fire, which occurred about 3 p.m. in the railway alley just north of Waxman Candles at Sixth and Massachusetts streets.

Fire Capt. Pat Karlin said there was heavy smoke showing when firefighters arrived. Karlin said the fire originated in the engine compartment.

Tice, of Perry, said the car belonged to her grandmother and she didn’t know how much it was worth.

“Not very much,” she said, watching a wrecker service tow it away.