A teenage farmhand became an unintentional hero after helping keep a potentially disastrous scrub fire at bay.

A technician from Downer apparently sparked the blaze on farmland in Mount Gowrie Rd, near Clarks Junction, early yesterday afternoon.

Farmhand Jake Bridson, the farm's stock manager Jason Tisdall and farmer Jim Stevenson hurriedly loaded a spray tank on to a ute and used water from it to keep the fire contained.

Speaking after the fire was extinguished, a sooty and tired Mr Bridson said he was alerted by spotting the flames and a clearly startled technician.

''I just [saw] it and I was like, 'Oh no','' the 17-year-old said.

''He [the technician] was head in his hands.

''We lifted up the spray tank on to the truck and drove down there and were fighting it with the tank.''

Station Officer David Cottle, of Outram, said the fire could have been catastrophic and everyone involved was ''very lucky''.

''If it had been been yesterday [Monday] all hell would have broken loose with the wind, and humidity was low and temperatures were so high,'' he said.

''It's a miracle it didn't get into the trees and set them off.''

Firefighters were alerted about 2.15pm to the fire in scrub along a fence line at the property.

Two helicopters, fire appliances from Outram and Mosgiel, and a tanker from Middlemarch attended the blaze, which burnt through 100sq m of scrub and had begun torching the base of adjacent trees.

Farm owner Robyn Stevenson said she was impressed by the efforts of Mr Bridson, her staff and the firefighters.

''It could have been disastrous,'' she said.

''It was pretty close to the house.''

The technician had been trying to fix her telephone lines - which had been down for some time after a lightning strike - when the fire started.

The farm's staff had managed to hold off the fire until the helicopters arrived and had probably prevented it from being more serious, she said.

''They did an awesome job.''

No fixed phone line and patchy cellphone coverage prevented immediately calling in the fire.

Mr Cottle said the farm's staff and helicopters had extinguished the fire by the time firefighters arrived.

Firefighters remained only to dampen things down.

Approached for comment after the fire, the visibly shaken technician said he was still in shock.

When asked if he had a lucky escape, he held his thumb and forefinger close together and said he came ''that close''.

However, Mr Bridson was all smiles and pleased with his efforts.

When asked if he feared for his safety, he said, ''Nah.''

He conceded he was tired but he had more work to do and was soon off in the ute.

He was refreshed and rewarded with tea at the farmhouse last night.

timothy.brown@odt.co.nz