It was basically just bad luck that he couldn't back out again.Richard Epplett, Carterton volunteer firefighter A Dalefield farmer escaped injury after the tractor he was driving caught fire in a pit of burning rubbish yesterday afternoon.
Carterton volunteer firefighter Richard Epplett said the man, in his early 40s, had a load of rubbish he was depositing on a controlled fire at the Watersons Line farm when the tractor failed to climb back out of the pit at about 3.30pm yesterday.
He said the tractor that caught fire "had a few years under its belt and a few leaks".
"It was basically just bad luck that he couldn't back out again.
"The tractor caught fire and there was nothing else he could do except climb off and call us," Mr Epplett said.
