A van burst into flames on route 22 in Union near the Springfield bordershortly after 3 p.m. today.

While a column of smoke was visible from a mile off on the two-lane highway and traffic was backed up into Springfield, no one was hurt in the single car accident. 

An officer for the Union fire department said the driver reported that the van, a late model white Nissan, caught fire for no apparent reason. The driver was not injured in the incident and the accident did not involve other cars. 

Union firefighters made quick work of the fire, dousing it with water while members of the Union Police department directed traffic away from the accident. Springfield police also responded to the scene.