A large field of wheat ready to be harvested went up in flames, costing a local farmer well over $12,000 according to Dawn-Euphemia’s fire chief.

Dave Williams says the department was called to the field on Edys Mills Line near Esterville Road Monday after a hot tailpipe in the extremely dry field started a fire that quickly ate up about 30 to 35 acres of perfectly ripened wheat.

“It went across pretty quick,” says Williams. “Luckily, there was a tractor and set of disc in the neighbourhood and a neighbour kind enough to come out and disc it to stop it from going any further.” There are two other wheat fields and a woodlot near by and Williams was concerned it could get out of hand.

“That’s why we chose to call in Oil Springs to knock it down quick,” says Williams adding it took the two departments an hour and a half to control the blaze.“That’s why mutual aid is so very important in Lambton County.”