Bird's nest blaze destroys tractor in Northland

Kaitaia volunteer firefighters John Hartnell (left) and Dani Elliott douse a burning tractor at Takahue on Sunday. Photo / supplied

An avian home-builder is the prime suspect in a fire which destroyed a tractor at Takahue, about 20km south of Kaitaia.

The Kaitaia Fire Brigade was called out just after 1pm on Sunday when the large tractor caught fire as it was being driven on Takahue Rd.

The driver managed to pull the tractor on to the side of the road when smoke started billowing from under the engine cover.

He tried to extinguish the blaze with water from a nearby property but the tractor, which was towing a large mulcher, was quickly engulfed.

''It was fairly going for it when we got there,'' Kaitaia deputy fire chief Ross Beddows said.

The flames had spread to grass and a nearby fence but were extinguished within 15 minutes.

Two appliances and a tanker responded.

The most likely cause was a bird's nest under the engine cover.

Beddows advised tractor owners to check their machines for nests if they hadn't been used for a while, especially if they were stored outside.

A nest is also thought to have caused a fire which destroyed a tractor as it was mowing a hay paddock on Wharau Rd , near Kerikeri, last month.

Agriculture is deemed an essential industry so farm work is allowed to continue under Covid-19 alert level 4.