A farmer has spoken of the benefit of working with Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS), following a tractor fire on a farm south of Sittingbourne.

Following the 999 call by a Kemsley Farms worker, two KFRS fire engines quickly arrived on Vigo Lane, Borden, shortly after 3pm on Monday 11 August 2025 and began preventing fire spread.

The fire, believed to be caused accidentally by a mechanical fault, posed a risk to a nearby grain dryer – a silo filled with grain harvested over the summer.

Surrounded by crop fields, crews contained the fire to the tractor and extinguished the flames using hose reel jets and firefighting foam.

Farm owner Ian Kemsley, Kemsley Farms, said:

“This fire could easily have turned into something worse if the fire service hadn’t arrived so quickly. The tractor is a loss, but if the grain dryer had gone up – that would have been a huge fire, at a serious financial cost to the farm and all the grain lost.

“We were able to advise the crews about that hazard over the phone, and they took that on board when firefighting, so the damage to the dryer is actually very little.”

The tractor was destroyed by the fire, and there were no injuries.

Station Leader Neil Ryder at KFRS, who led the firefighting response at the scene, said:

“The information from Ian and his staff was extremely helpful in keeping us in the loop on the safety hazards for both farm staff and firefighters. We’re a team when keeping Kent safe from fire in rural areas, and the essential information we received made a massive difference in tackling this one.”

Ian continued:

“Rural businesses like ours are always at risk of fire and the consequences at times can be terrible, so it was brilliant to be able to work together with Kent Fire and Rescue and prevent further damage during this exceptionally busy harvest.”

KFRS is inviting Kent and Medway residents to have their say on new plans to protect rural residents and agricultural businesses from the risk of fire or other emergencies. Take part in our short survey here and have your say before 1 October. You can find out more here.