A combine was destroyed by fire Thursday afternoon in a soybean field north of Lexington.
Lexington Volunteer Fire Chief Bo Berry said firefighters were called at approximately 2:15 p.m. to a field near Roads 433 and 762, about seven miles north of Lexington. The combine, owned by Hillside Farms, caught fire while harvesting soybeans. By the time firefighters arrived, Berry said the machine was a total loss.
Berry said the fire appears to have been caused by a fuel leak, and diesel fuel contributed to the intensity of the blaze. Hillside Farms employees were able to move the combine away from unharvested soybeans and use a tractor and disc to create a firebreak around the machine, preventing the fire from spreading into the field.
The Lexington Volunteer Fire Department responded with five firefighters and six trucks. Berry credited both farm employees and firefighters for helping contain the incident and preventing additional losses. The fire marks the second combine fire in the Lexington area in recent weeks.
