A Norfolk firefighter extinguishes a Curran Logging excavator that caught fire on Friday morning. No injuries were reported. NorthCountryNow photo by Andy Gardner.

By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- A Curran Logging heavy machinery operator escaped injury after an excavator he was operating caught fire around 9:15 a.m. Friday morning.

Bryan Crump was running the machine at a logging site on the east side of state Route 420, just south of Brouse Road, when it suddenly burst into flames.

“I heard a loud bang and looked back and it was in on fire,” Crump said.

He quickly exited and tried to put it out, but it was too late. The entire machine quickly became engulfed in flames.

“I used what I had for an extinguisher here … but it wasn’t enough,” according to Crump.

Curran Logging owner Pat Curran was on-scene and said there were no other injuries and the machine is insured.

A large plume of smoke could be seen around 9 a.m. from as far away as the south end of the Village of Massena

Norfolk firefighters quickly got the blaze under control. State troopers also responded, but the highway remained open.