Quick-thinking Saves Shop and Contents

Firefighters from Rice and Farmville Volunteer Fire Departments responded to a fire at a farm in the 3000 block of Poorhouse Road in Rice on Tuesday morning just before 11 a.m. On their arrival, they found a small skid steer loader on fire. A worker was welding on the loader when it caught fire. He managed to chain the loader to a nearby truck and drag the loader away from the shop, saving the shop and its contents in the process. The fire was extinguished without incident and no injuries were reported. Beyond the loader, there was no further damage. Photo by Evan Jones