A dramatic farming equipment fire sent smoke and debris flying Thursday evening after a combine caught fire in a field near the intersection of Samarcand Road and N.C. Highway 211.

The fire broke out just before 4:45 p.m. when the large farming combine ignited shortly after the operator had finished harvesting the field. Fortunately, the operator was not inside the machine at the time.

When firefighters arrived, the combine was fully engulfed in flames, with heavy smoke visible for miles. The intense fire spread to the surrounding field and reached a nearby powerline directly above the combine. The heat from the flames was so extreme that it burned the line in half.

Adding to the chaos, the combine’s tires exploded during the blaze, sending large chunks of rubber flying hundreds of feet through the air. Some pieces landed hundreds of feet outside the fire zone.

The combine was completely destroyed, and no injuries were reported. Crews spent several hours spraying hot spots with foam.

Duke Energy was requested to the scene to repair the power line. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.