Many people consider farming to be a risky endeavor. Earlier this week one Colorado farmer took it to the next level.
Eric Howard put his life on the line Monday, July 8 to stop a fire that broke out in an 80-acre hayfield in Brighton.
Jumping on his John Deere tractor, Howard raced through the field to dig a fire line to stop the spread of the blaze. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xyRObipka4
Video of the feat was captured by John Fenton and posted on YouTube. It shows Howard amid lots of black smoke, just a few feet away from the scorching line of fire. Not surprisingly, it quickly garnered more than 267,000 views.
The video got someinternational attention too – and lots of pro-con comments on whether or not Howard should have taken a risk like that.
Ultimately Howard was able to contain the blaze, although not before it reportedly burned 20-30 acres. It appears the fire may have been sparked by lightning.
Just another testament to the dry conditions this fire season in Colorado.