A combine operated by a Blooming Prairie farmer caught fire Thursday, causing an estimated $18,000 to the machine, according to the Mower County Sheriff’s Department.

Douglas Bruggeman, of 30806 530th Ave., was combining soybeans in his field and getting ready to off-load when he noticed smoke coming from under the cab of his 1980 John Deere 7720 combine.

Bruggeman was able to get out of the machine safely and contacted the fire department, just before 5 p.m.

The Blooming Prairie Fire Department extinguished the blaze, which was confined to the machine.