Harvest season is here, and according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor the majority of Coles County is “Abnormally Dry.” These abnormally dry conditions could enhance the potential for combine and field fires this fall. Low relative humidity levels and high winds will further increase the risk of fires. Fires cause millions of dollars in property damage, including loss of machinery, crops, and time. Unfortunately, injuries to farm workers and firefighters may also occur.
Modern combines are powerful machines, which means they can produce excessive amounts of heat. All it takes to start a fire is a single high-temperature source in the engine area or an overheated bearing to ignite some dry plant material. While it’s impossible to remove the heat from the engine, hydraulics, and other hard-working systems, you can minimize the risk of fires by taking a few minutes and following these fire prevention steps and safety tips.
· Two ABC-type fire extinguishers are recommended: a smaller 10-pound unit in the cab and a larger 20-pound extinguisher at the ground level attached to the equipment. Invert and shake the extinguishers once or twice a season to ensure machine vibrations don’t compact the powder inside and ensure they are properly charged and not expired. It can also be beneficial to keep a pressurized water extinguisher (class A) on equipment. These can help extinguish fires, but also cool hot surfaces and serve as a water source to clean hands or rinse off after some sort of fuel or chemical spills. Class A water extinguishers need to be kept in a heated area during winter months as they will freeze. Keeping a shovel on the combine to throw dirt on a fire is also a good idea.
· Prior to refueling, turn the combine off and wait 15 minutes to reduce the risk of a spill volatilizing and igniting. Keep machinery clean, particularly around the engine and engine compartment. Check coolant and oil levels daily. Pay close attention to engine and hydrostatic pump parts as well. Use a high pressure washer or compressed air to remove caked-on oil, grease, dirt/dust and crop residue. In the field, using a leaf blower to clear away leaves, chaff and plant material works well. Doing this at the end of the day is better than in the morning when dew or overnight rain can make residue harder to remove.
· Field fires are often ignited by the earlier passing of a piece of equipment – Not just combines, but also trucks, tractors, or UTVs. Be mindful of non-ag equipment vehicles that may be in your fields. UTVs or passenger vehicles often sit closer to the ground and can be more prone to causing field fires. Residue buildup in UTVs engine compartment are an often overlooked source of fire ignition.
· Fires may start from plant materials that have smoldered unnoticed for 15-30 minutes or more. Flames aren’t apparent until additional oxygen is supplied, perhaps by a gust of wind. A fire can double in size in less than a minute. Burning embers blown downwind can easily spread a fire well beyond the control of your fire extinguishers in just seconds. Be aware of possible additional fires.
· During dry, windy periods producers should consider delaying harvest until evening hours when winds decrease or wait for precipitation. Research from South Dakota State University suggests that if we have dry conditions and start experiencing wind speeds close to 30 mph and above, fires may be inevitable. Higher humidity levels may also reduce the potential for field fires to spread.
· In case of fire, turn off the engine, get away from the machine, and call 911 FIRST. Then attack with fire extinguishers only if it is safe to do so. Try to fight from the “black,” the area already burned. Attacking a fire from areas with combustibles (e.g. dry corn stalks) is much riskier. Always stay upwind of a fire to minimize the risk of exposure from smoke, heat, and possible flames.
· Have a list of the “911 addresses” of fields on hand. This can help save time and expedite the response from emergency responders. When a fire is called in with a 911 address, dispatch can more readily identify the incident location and relay this information to the fire department. This can save precious time.
· Harvest crews and neighbors may want to discuss a plan for emergency tillage of a firebreak should that option become advisable. Making a tillage pass along the outside edge of a field (especially a corn field that can provide ample fuel for a fire due to high amounts of residue), has been a proven preemptive strategy to help prevent fires from spreading into a field. If safe to do so, making a firebreak with a tillage pass can help stop an active, out of control fire from spreading. The goal is to create an area that won’t fuel the fire, so the fire will eventually burn itself out.
· A good rule of thumb is to create a fire break that is 2-3 times wider than the nearest surface vegetation or plant residue is tall (example; 8 foot tall corn = 16-24 foot tillage width). Keep in mind that depending on wind speed and gusts, the radiant heat and embers from a fire can “reach out” sometimes twice as far as it normally would be able to. Consequently, a fire break may need to be considerably wider to help ensure proper fire containment.
Remember—Personal safety is ALWAYS far more important than property loss. Attempting to fight a fire should only happen after calling 911 and determining that it’s safe to do so.
Note: Information compiled from Illinois Extension, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Iowa State Extension resources. For more information, visit https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/farm_fire_risks_and_prevention_fact_sheet.pdf