A huge fire that charred hundreds of acres of pasture in Caldwell County started when a mechanical shredder caught fire and ignited the drought-parched vegetation.

A farmer was pulling the device behind a tractor and didn’t notice when the clutch caught fire.

The blaze, first reported Thursday south and west of Braymer, burned about 1,280 acres.

Captain Bob Gaffey of the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office tells us the fire was put out Thursday night, but members of the Braymer Fire Department remained on the scene to monitor any possible flare-ups. At least 18 fire departments helped put the fire out.

Captain Gaffey says no structures caught fire, and there were no injuries.