Many members of the Santa Maria community reported hearing an explosion Wednesday afternoon.
Firefighters told KSBY the loud noise came from a tractor backhoe that caught fire.
The explosion happened shortly after 3:30 p.m. in the area of Western and Oakley Road.
The tractor is owned by the Santa Maria Valley Railroad and was near the railroad tracks when it caught fire.
Firefighters say the explosion occurred when tires burst into flames. No injuries were reported.
The president of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad tells KSBY the tractor was about to be moved to another location just before the explosion.
Firefighters are working to determine the cause of the fire.
