West Country farmers arew being reminded to carry fire extinguishers on all their vehicles, after one saw his tractor go up in flames then saved another.

John Down of Park Farm, near Taunton, fitted extinguishers throughout his fleet after his first tractor blaze, and was quickly rewarded when a second machine caught fire this summer.

John, 56 lost the first tractor after it caught fire at the remote end of the 900-acre mixed holding he farms with his wife Sally and youngest son James.

"You could see the smoke from miles away. We tried to put it out with water, but five gallons doesn't go far. That's when we decided to put two proper, powder extinguishers on everything.." he said.

The move paid off in July, when baling hay became wrapped around another tractor's prop shaft, as James was working some two miles away.

Smelling burning, quick-thinking James took action as the vehicle's cab began to fill with smoke.

Using the new fire extinguishers, the 25-year-old was quickly able to get the situation under control, limiting damage to the prop shaft bearings, rather than the whole machine.

The cautionary tale will now be relayed to thousands of farmers throughout the South West, through Cornish Mutual's Member newsletter.

Development manager Chris Ridgers said: "Fire extinguishers are an important, common-sense measure for all vulnerable pieces of farm machinery. We hope the happy ending to the Down's story will make a real difference to any farmers who have yet to take this important, but very simple, precaution."

John Down said: "Before the first fire, I pooh-poohed fire extinguishers as an unnecessary expense, but now I wouldn't be without them. For ten or fifteen quid, they can save a lot of time and hassle."

4:54pm Monday 10th November 2008

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