AMHERST – No one was hurt after a large lawnmower caught fire Monday morning on an athletic field at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
A university employee was mowing grass on the Boyden Athletic Fields off Commonwealth Avenue when the mower caught fire around 8:40 a.m., according to UMass spokesman Larry Rivais.
“The operator noticed it was running poorly,” Rivais said. “He stopped to check, saw a flame and got away.”
Soon after, the mower burst into flames, producing a thick, black smoke, according to a photo posted on public safety website FIREGROUND360. The Amherst Fire Department responded and extinguished the blaze.
Rivais said the mower was destroyed by the fire. He did not have an estimate on the machine’s value.
He said the field was being prepared for a women’s lacrosse tournament this weekend. The fire will not affect the event.
Chris Lindahl can be reached at clindahl@gazettenet.com.