A large tractor caught fire and caused a brush fire near Bunker Hill Road and Island Road in unincorporated Harvard Thursday evening. | Photo: HFPD

Multiple fire departments were called after a fire engulfed a tractor, destroying the $300,000 piece of equipment, and starting a large brush fire in a field near Harvard.

The Harvard Fire Protection District responded around 9:13 p.m. Thursday to the area of Bunker Hill Road and Island Road in unincorporated Harvard.

Harvard Fire Protection District spokesman Alex Vucha said a call was made for a report of farm machinery on fire in a field.

Firefighters arrived and located a large tractor that was fully engulfed in flames approximately 500 meters off the roadway in an agricultural field.

A large tractor caught fire and caused a brush fire near Bunker Hill Road and Island Road in unincorporated Harvard Thursday evening. | Photo: HFPD

The farmer was in the process of tilling the field when the fire began.

Vucha said the location limited access to the fire and several fire department brush trucks were immediately called to the scene.

While battling the vehicle fire, firefighters simultaneously worked to extinguish a large brush fire.

[Suggested Article]  Woman arrested for allegedly falsely claiming employee battered her at restaurant in Crystal Lake

The brush fire had spread across the northern portion of the field.

A large tractor caught fire and caused a brush fire near Bunker Hill Road and Island Road in unincorporated Harvard Thursday evening. | Photo: HFPD

The fires were extinguished within 45 minutes. The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time.

The tractor, a Case IH Steiger 550 QUADTRAC, was destroyed in the fire.

Initial damage estimates for the tractor are approximately $300,000.

“We appreciated the assistance of our neighboring fire agencies at the scene and backfilling our station while we were at the fire,” Vucha said.