Tractor catches fire near Wayland

WAYLAND – The Wayland Fire Department and Henry County Sheriff's Office responded to a tractor fire on Franklin Avenue at around 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 22. No one was injured by the fire and at this time, the cause of the fire has not been determined.

A farm tractor being used by a construction business suddenly began spewing flames in the 1400 grid of Franklin Avenue. The tractor operator, who was identified as E. Roth by Richard McNamee, the county sheriff, was the only person on site at the time of the fire. When Roth noticed flames, he shut the vehicle down and immediately contacted the authorities. The fire department was the first to arrive on scene following the call.

Mat Leichty, the Wayland Fire Chief, explained that the tractor was in front of a dirt scraper when it caught on fire unexpectedly, resulting in 'flames shooting” from the engine area and a 'ball of fire,” which caused damages to the engine and cab area of the vehicle. The fire was contained within a matter of 10 minutes and did not cause any further damages.