By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A sugarcane harvester was confirmed destroyed after it caught on fire Wednesday afternoon at Hacienda San Lucas in Barangay Hilamonan, Kabankalan City.

Based on an incident report filed with the Kabankalan City Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) by shop supervisor Antonio Pastor, the harvester was being driven by 60-year-old Ismael Basilio when he noticed thick smoke coming from the engine.

Basilio immediately turned off the harvester’s battery, however, the smoke worsened until a fire appeared from the engine, prompting the driver to exit the vehicle and contact the local fire station for assistance.

Firefighters managed to quell the fire within minutes.

The equipment was considered “totally destroyed,” with damaged estimated at P20 million.

Arson investigators are currently probing the incident and are presently looking at the possibility of engine overheat as the cause of the blaze./DGB, WDJ