THOMASTON — A Toro lawnmower tractor that had just been used to cut grass on Bobolink Lane in Thomaston burst into flames July 29, a fire that proceeded to climb onto a nearby deck and melt the vinyl siding of a large home.

The call came at 5:23 p.m. just after Judy Cowan finished mowing her lawn. She noticed smoke rising from the engine compartment, parked the tractor and ran inside to get water to douse the hot mower. When she came back onto the porch, the entire tractor was ablaze.

Thomaston firefighters, meanwhile, had already assembled at the fire station, preparing for an evening of water rescue training in South Thomaston with that town’s fire department. A crew quickly responded to Bobolink Lane with the department's new Engine 3 and extinguished the flaming Toro.

The heat and flames had already set fire to the deck railing, and started to melt the house siding.

“Fortunately, we had crew here and they turned out pretty quickly,” said Thomaston Asst. Fire Chief James Leo, July 31. “Due to the fact that the siding and deck were burning, there was significantly less damage to the house than what could have occurred.”

Because the fire demolished the Toro, there is little chance of determining how it caught on fire in the first place.

Thomaston firefighters responding to the call included Bob Coombs, Frank Brandon, Tony Leo, Eric Harjula, Charlie Ball and Colby Miles.

Editorial Director Lynda Clancy can be reached at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 706-6657.