(Rural Bagley, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Guthrie County report the operator of a tractor east of Bagley suffered burns over 50% of his body, Thursday morning, when a field fire the machine and operator were trying to contain, spread to tractor. Guthrie & Greene County Sheriff’s Deputies, and firefighters from the  Yale, Jamaica, Bagley and Bayard Fire Departments, as well as Panora EMS responded to the fire in the 2800 block of 110th Street. The blaze began in a field of corn stalk residue.

The Bagley Fire Chief said the tractor operator was apparently attempting a controlled burn of the field, which had flooded last year, but the current dry conditions and winds caused the fire to get out of control, engulfing the tractor and operator. The tractor is a total loss. Fire crews were able to control the blaze.

The tractor operator was flown to a hospital in Des Moines and subsequently transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Burn Unit.  The incident remains under investigation by the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office.

A burn ban remains in effect for Guthrie and Adair counties until further notice.