WATCH: Police Chase Ends in Explosion as Elderly Suspect Uses Blowtorch to Light His Car on Fire

A high-speed chase in Arizona erupted into an inferno Wednesday when a 70-year-old suspect used a blowtorch to ignite a propane tank inside his car, police said.

Authorities began pursuing James Crespo around 4:15 p.m. after Yavapai County sheriff's deputies and Prescott police attempted to arrest him on a felony warrant. Officers believed he was armed as he'd threatened to blow people up before, including law enforcement.

Crespo refused to stop and started the pursuit. Officers deployed stop sticks to slow him down, but instead of surrendering, he grabbed a blowtorch and began releasing propane from inside his vehicle as he continued driving, the sheriff's office reported.

As police boxed him in, an officer rammed Crespo's car, triggering a massive explosion. Flames engulfed his vehicle as multiple propane tanks continued to detonate.

"After, several other tanks continued to blow up, and the fire began to spread," said the sheriff's office per KPHO-TV. "Deputies began to use verbal de-escalation techniques to get the suspect to crawl to the edge of the flames."

Badly burned, Crespo crawled from the wreckage while still clutching the blowtorch and propane tank. Officers arrested him and airlifted him to a Phoenix hospital.

The fire spread to a deputy's cruiser and nearby properties, though no officers or bystanders were injured.

"Great teamwork between YCSO and Prescott PD, to get a possibly very dangerous situation under control, without any law enforcement or members of the public getting hurt," the sheriff's office stated.

Along with his existing felony warrant, Crespo now faces multiple charges related to the chase.