Tractor a Total Loss After Catching Fire in Monitor

No injuries have been reported in a Chelan County tractor fire, but the vehicle itself is a mere ruin.

Minutes after 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a column of dense black smoke was observed near Lure Ln. in unincorporated Monitor. (Initial reports pegged Mylius Rd. as the approximate site of the fire.) Crews were quick to respond, says District 6 Fire Chief Andy Lee.

"When units arrived, the fire had gotten into" some adjacent grass, Lee says. "They took care of the grass, then extinguished the tractor."

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As for personnel count, Lee says there were five from District 6, five from Wenatchee Valley Fire and two from Cashmere. He breaks it down further: "Three brush trucks, two Type 1 engines and three command rigs."

While it's too soon for definitive diagnostics, Lee knows from experience how these blazes often ignite.

"What we've seen in the past is - these tractors have skid plates on them to keep the brush from getting in there. What happens is, leaves and stuff get into the skid plates while they're mowing. It then "gets in the exhaust, and that's what catches fire."

"We're not sure what caused this one, but we're guessing it's the same thing. We've seem it before - the debris gets up against the exhaust and they catch on fire."

No one was hurt, and though the tractor is a "total loss," the mower is still in working condition, according to Lee.