Most people will have commenced harvesting, but with the weather we have had in late July and early August, the conditions are dry in those fields!
Harvest fires result in a financial, emotional, and environmental burden to the farm and risks the lives of farm employees and family, as well as local fire rescue crews and the public. Make sure you are prepared before harvest begins.
Field fires can happen in any crop and at any time, but tend to be more prevalent in mid-summer during cereal harvest. For a field fire to start, combustible materials must be ignited under the right conditions. An ignition source could be a spark from a harvest machine, or heat from a worn bearing, while combustible materials include the crop or residue that is accumulated within the machine or windrows of straw or stubble in the field. Harvest fires are most likely to occur and spread rapidly during dry and hot periods, but they can even occur in damp conditions.
To reduce the likelihood and impact of a harvest fire, develop a plan which includes ‘Avoidance’, ‘Preparation’ and ‘Response’ components. This plan should be written down, shared with staff on an annual basis and revised when a new field or equipment is purchased or leased. The plan needs to be posted where everyone can see it – consider sending it electronically to staff or posting it in rest rooms and vehicle cabs.
Elements of your plan could include:
1. Avoidance – prevent the field fire from occurring
- Have a plan – create a plan, review the plan, practice the procedures of the plan. Doing so makes you more aware of risks around you.
- Keeping equipment well-maintained and working properly.
- Clean out regularly – clear dust and chaff from hot spots in combines and balers and check over machines when work finishes at the end of the day.
- Use an air compressor to blow debris away from the combine – a mobile compressor, or one fitted to the combine can be used:
- Check exit pressure – 30psi/2.21 bar is effective at cleaning
- Wear eye and respiratory protection to protect from dust
- Never point an airline at a person to remove dust from clothing as there is a risk air can be injected under the skin resulting in bubbles in the blood stream
- Always switch off engines and check that moving parts have stopped before clearing blockages or carrying out maintenance.
- Always stop to investigate hot-running engines, bearings, or wisps of smoke.
- Ensure equipment is clean both internally and externally, including the working areas of the equipment, the operator area and the external mirrors (i.e., to increase visibility).
- Avoiding parking equipment, including trucks, on stubble.
- Use caution when pulling equipment into the field with a 4×4 for example, as the underside of the vehicle will be hot. Remove the vehicle from the field quickly and check for any signs of ignition once you have left the field.
2. Preparation – in case a fire occurs
- Know the location of each field / file entrance where you are harvesting and have a What3Words record of that recorded to pass onto the emergency services.
- Alternatively, have the GPS location of field entrances recorded and organised on smartphones, and train people how to use the “drop GPS pin” function on their smartphones.
- Identify multiple exit points from every field.
- Be aware of the seasonal conditions. Is it hot, dry, and windy?
- Be vigilant and check frequently for fires that can start behind your equipment.
- Have a fire extinguisher available in all equipment. Ensure the fire extinguishers are properly charged and inspected regularly.
- Consider having a larger sprayer tank filled with water, with the pump fully fuelled and connected to a tractor sitting in the field. (A full liquid manure spreader / vacuum tank can be substituted).
- Some larger sites may consider having a large tillage implement such as a disc or cultivator hooked up and sitting in the field ready to deploy. This can be used to build a bare soil fire break ahead of a fire.
- Ensure that all fields have ‘ready’ access for any emergency services. If access is impeded by fire, inform the emergency services as soon as possible so they can reroute.
- Identify all nearby sources of water (ponds, hydrants, streams) that fire services can use to fill tankers. Have these mapped and included with your fire response ‘plan’.
- Prepare a binder to be placed in all equipment and office that includes field locations, marks field access points, identifies water sources, includes emergency numbers and response procedures.
- Share the ‘plan’ with your team, including contractors.
3. Response – what to do if a fire occurs
- BEFORE ANY ATTEMPT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE – CALL 999 (if power lines are involved, call 105 to inform the power distribution controller).
- Provide a clear and concise address and / or directions to the field. (What3Words or Grid Reference/Lat/Long).
- Provide the same information for a safe and practical entrance to the field.
- Have a person familiar with the fire location meet the fire service at the farm entrance, especially where the fire location cannot be observed easily from the farm entrance, or on the approach to the fire.
- Follow all directions provided by first responders / emergency services.
- Notify any farm staff on-site before attempting to extinguish the fire.
- DO NOT PUT YOURSELF OR OTHERS AT RISK!
- Only deploy the water tank or tillage implement if you can do so safely and quickly after the fire has started.
- Remember fires spread rapidly and can change direction quickly, particularly under windy and hot conditions. Be observant of conditions and react quickly if required.
For further advice on farm safety, please contact us on 01981 590514 or visit Agricultural Health & Safety Help Service | CXCS
