TEIGNBRIDGE firefighters had a busy start to the Bank Holiday weekend when they were called to tackle an agricultural vehicle on fire.

Crews from Newton Abbot, Ashburton and Torquay responded to the incident after fire control received reports of a tractor on fire at Holmbeam Lane near Bickington just before 11am on Saturday (May 25).

‘On arrival we found one tractor that was engulfed in flames,’ said a spokesman for Newton Abbot Fire Station.

Fire crews tackle the tractor blaze near Bickington: Photo: Newton Abbot Fire Station
Fire crews tackle the tractor blaze near Bickington: Photo: Newton Abbot Fire Station (Photo: Newton Abbot Fire Station)

‘The Incident Commander made the decision to commit firefighters wearing breathing apparatus in order to knock down the fire which they did using a main attack jet.’

Due to the fire being in a field and some distance from the road, the crews had to utilise multiple lengths of hose in order to reach the alight vehicle and the water bowser from Torquay was also used to supply crews with a steady water supply throughout the incident.

By 12:41pm  crews confirmed one tractor had sustained 100% fire damage. Crews used three breathing apparatus and one hose reel jet to extinguish the fire which was believed to be accidental in origin.