Fitting, because the pub was the Blazing Stump and the car was on fire at 3.15am.

At 9.30am, it had cooled and only one item survived inside its scorched remains — a hen’s party game in the shape of male genitalia in the boot of the Holden Astra was only singed.

Blazing Stump manager Pat Williams mused that maybe the night got a little too fiery for the bride-to-be.

He could only scratch his head at why a car caught fire and he was grateful it occurred well after his customers had left the area.

“It was one of our busiest nights — it was chock-a-block,” he said.

Cars don’t often self-combust but a family dispute or drug debt can motivate a person to take a match to one.

This was not your average car fire.

Wodonga Detective Sgt Graeme Simpfendorfer said yesterday it was not a suspicious case — “no signatures that it’s suspicious”.

“Normally, you get a series of other offences leading up to such an incident it, but there’s no evidence to suggest it’s arson.”

Evidence has been sent to the arson squad in Melbourne in a bid to determine how the car caught fire.

“That’s what we need to find out,” Sgt Simpfendorfer said.

He said the owner of the car, who lives in Melbourne but is from the Border, was doing all the right things on a night out.

Contrary to the evidence in the boot, he said the car’s occupants were not on a hen’s party but had gone to the pub for a meal and a few drinks.

“They did the right thing and left their car there and found it like that this morning,” he said.

Sgt Simpfendorfer asked anyone who saw anything before or during the fire to help with the investigation.

Witnesses can speak with investigators by phoning the Wodonga police station on (02) 6049 2600 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.