Tractor bursts into flame on SH10

Volunteers from the Kaitaia Fire Brigade douse the burning tractor. Photo / Peter Jackson

Wayne Bruce had no idea what caused the fire that destroyed the tractor he was driving on State Highway 10 but suspected that a nesting bird might have been responsible.

He had been driving the tractor, owned by his employer Joe Leslie, from Kaingaroa to Awanui on Tuesday afternoon when he noticed flames emerging from under the engine cover.

He pulled over and stopped on the Church Rd intersection and tried to smother the flames with a towel, without success.

The Kaitaia Fire Brigade arrived and extinguished the flames, but by then the cab had been destroyed and the right rear tyre was burning. The flames also ignited a small area of roadside vegetation and nearby pine trees but did not take hold.

Bruce, who was not hurt, said more than a dozen motorists had driven past while he was trying to smother the flames but not one of them stopped to assist.

In 2012 AON New Zealand insurance broker Ian Parker warned machinery operators to be wary of the potential for birds' nests causing fires. He cited one case where a client cleared a nest out of a tractor an hour before he used it, and the tractor caught fire.

"Within an hour that bird had rebuilt its nest. They can shift a lot of material in a short space of time," Parker said.

"Often the nests can't be seen with a cursory look because they go right up under the bonnet, so it pays to check thoroughly. And it's not just tractors. All farm vehicles are susceptible."

AMP Walker Mackie's Tim Mackie said he knew of a $180,000 tractor that was destroyed by fire a month after the owner bought it brand new.

He advised leaving the bonnet open at night to deter birds from nesting and as a reminder to check before using the machine next day.