Passersby help limit damage in tractor, field fire

A Kubota tractor and a small area of a hayfield owned by Tim Perkins of rural Greencastle was destroyed by fire Tuesday afternoon. The actions of farm workers and passersby likely saved a much larger area of the field and beyond from damage.

A local farmer lost a tractor and a small section of hay to fire Tuesday afternoon, but the damage could have been much worse if not for some quick action and timely assistance.

Around 12:30 p.m. Malcolm Burk was raking hay in a field on the southeast corner of U.S. 231 and County Road 200 North when the tractor he was driving caught fire.

The fire quickly spread from the tractor to the field, both of which are owned by Tim Perkins.

With the fire spreading in the field of drying hay, Burk and others began kicking hay away from the fire in order to limit its spread.

Perkins' son Rian credited some farmer friends with helping limit the damage.

Greencastle Fire Chief Bill Newgent also praised the quick thinking of those on the scene, as the wind had picked up in the area.

"Thank goodness they had people out here kicking hay away from it," Newgent said.

Greencastle firefighters Bob Campbell (left) and Jonathan Hawkins look for remaining flames in a fire that destroyed a tractor and part of a hayfield north of Greencastle on Tuesday.

Greencastle firefighters arrived to find the tractor and some hay still on fire, but the scope of the damage largely contained.

Crews had the fire extinguished within minutes of their arrival.

The Kubota tractor was heavily damaged in the accident, as was the area of the field surrounding it. The hay rake appeared to have sustained minimal damage.

No one was injured as a result of the fire.

Firefighters were back on station at 1:15 p.m.