Have you ever witnessed a crop fire? It usually takes place in times of extreme heat and the crops flare up and burn spontaneously.
Crop fires are notorious and can take a long time to burn out. One field in Kent, England had a crop fire and it would have completely burned if not for the heroic effort of a man from a neighboring field.
Bill Alexander, a farmer, saw that a crop fire has started in the field next to his.
He probably thought that saving the field completely may not be possible, but he wanted to do something to lessen the damages. He immediately drove a tractor and drove across the neighbor’s field.
Bill plowed a line before the fireline in order to stop the fire from spreading. The flames were heading closer to homes, and this act of Bill helped in stopping them from reaching the residences near the field.
Almost 20 hectares, or about 49 acres, of land in Kent was burned.
The video that was taken by BBC News showed the extent of the damage the fire brought. It was devastating and could have been worse if not for Bill’s efforts to stop the spread of the flames.
Thankfully, there were no injuries in the said incident. Knowing that no life was lost is still good news, even though the fields were burned to the ground.
Andy Barr, the owner of the field saved by Bill, was grateful for the act of kindness that his neighbor did.
Bill Alexander @WHAlexander1 performing heroics in my field this afternoon – you made the national news Bill! #goodneighbour pic.twitter.com/AhUHSm5GY1
— Andy Barr (@EwenMcEwen) July 23, 2022
He shared how grateful he is for posting a tweet online. He admired Bill for his quick thinking and kind heart. He also wrote in a separate post:
“Please tell everyone to be careful what they do along roads and paths, 20ha of spring barley up in flames.”
That same afternoon, firefighters were able to declare fire-out.
The Kent Fire and Rescue Service were prompt in its response to the incident and did its best to stop the fire. Firefighters worked hard and eventually, the fire was stopped that same afternoon.
“The fire has been brought under control and put out. Firefighters escorted persons who were in the vicinity to safety,” the fire service said in a statement at 4:50 p.m.
Had it not been for Bill’s efforts to contain the fire, the damages to the area would have been so much worse. Homes and residents would have suffered more costs, and lives would be endangered.
Andy is thankful to Bill for saving his field, but even more so, people are thankful because Bill minimized the impact of the fire.
Lives were saved and properties were spared. His heroic act inspired people online and commended him for being selfless. Not anybody can have the guts to do what he did for his community.
His act also endangered Bill’s own life, but he braved the fire thinking that he would save more than just himself if he successfully executed his plan. What a brave and kind man, indeed.
Know more about this inspiring story by watching the video below.
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