Motorists driving through Godshill are experiencing delays after a tractor caught fire on the village’s main road this afternoon (Wednesday).
The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service mobilised 2 appliances from Newport and Shanklin to the scene on School Road at around 16:20 after receiving reports of smoke emanating from the engine compartment of the agricultural vehicle.
Thanks to the swift action of the driver of the tractor and a passing van driver, the fire was extinguished before the crews’ arrival using a powder fire extinguisher and a bin full of water from a nearby property.
Upon the arrival of the first fire crew on scene, and content the fire had been extinguished, they were stood down.
An eyewitness who pulled over to assist said:
“He acted fast and someone who owns a property let him take bin full of water from their garden.
“I’m sure he was ok, just in shock, can’t believe how fast he ran with a bin full of water, [we] pulled over to help alongside a van man.”
Traffic remains heavy in the area as work to move the tractor continues. The road remains open under give-and-take, with the tractor driver directing traffic.
It isn’t thought that anyone has sustained injuries in the incident.
UPDATE: The road has now been cleared, fortunately through the quick-thinking tractor driver and those who assisted managed to save the tractor from being engulfed in flames.
The driver was carting freshly cut staw to a farm having been harvested shortly before. Luckily the fire was under control before the fire could spread.
This incident comes just a week after a Claas tractor and round bailer caught alight in a field in Atherfield leaving nothing more than just a shell.
That could have been terrible….
Moral of this story is always have a fire extinguisher ,on board / in your car ..
I have carried 1 for a good few years now and feel a safer .
They are not that expensive and well worth having …
You never know if/when you will need it either for yourself or someone else .
Let’s hope you never do need to use it but for a few pounds worth every penny.
Well done to the two men
IE, you have said quite a few times recently that you almost never remove comments, yet this article states 7 comments but only 2 are showing. They were all there yesterday. (None of which were mine as I’m sure I saw no reason to comment here.) I am merely curious to know why? Is there a glitch on the site that is causing comments to disappear?