one summer, i was about 15, i worked all summer in the hayfields with grandpa in trade for a 1985 ford ltd. it was primer gray, no muffler and was the coolest thing ever, because i earned it. anyway, i was running the tractor that had a fork style rake on it, got to the middle of the field and it ran out of fuel. so i walked back to where grandpa was working and he and i drove the truck up to where it was to put diesel in it. he filled it up, and then tried to start it. would not start. there was some air in the fuel line so he unscrewed it and dumped fuel all over the starter and the hay underneath the tractor. he then reconnected the line and started cranking again. i saw smoke rising form the starter and said, " grandpa, tractor's smoking." he told me that it was just the fuel burning off. then i see flames jumping off the starter i said " grandpa , i think the tractor is on fire " he asked me if it was just smoking or if there was flame. " definitely flame, i said. all the water was frozen, because we put it in the freezer the night before, and this was still early morning. i don't know if water would have helped or not. but will never forget the sight of him blowing on that starter, trying to put the flame out. finally did tho.