Fire destroys tractor but research site shed intact
A FIRE this week at the Hermitage Research Station near Warwick has been ruled as non-suspicious, the State Government has advised.
The blaze on Tuesday night destroyed a tractor and damaged the roof and walls of one of the station's large machinery sheds, with multiple fire and emergency crews attending the scene.
A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) said a quick-thinking passer-by noticed the fire and alerted the authorities.
"On Tuesday evening at about 8pm, a passer-by spotted a fire in one of the sheds at Hermitage Research Station and called the fire brigade," the spokesman said.
"Police were at the scene along with the facility manager and farm supervisor."
The spokesman said the tractor was burnt out, but despite the damage to the shed it was still structurally sound.
"There was some minor damage to a truck parked near the tractor," the spokesman said.
"Police remained on site overnight to protect the area pending an investigation of the cause of the fire.
"On Wednesday morning police officers investigated the scene for probable cause.
"The investigation concluded the fire was caused by an electrical fault most likely in the GPS screen, which was located in the cab of the tractor.
"There were no suspicious circumstances."
