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Tuesday, February 9, 2010 |
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Officials issuing warning about hay fires
Published July 23, 2009
SEGUIN — Public safety officials concerned about a recent uptick in hay fires caused by spontaneous combustion have asked local farmers to exercise caution in the way they store and handle hay.
Guadalupe County Emergency Management Coordinator Dan Kinsey and Seguin Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Coordinator Greg Dreiss issued a joint statement Wednesday afternoon in which they suggested those who cut or store hay be cautious when it comes to its moisture level.
The bulletin was released in the wake of four fires in as many days off State Highway 123 and off Koebig and Leissner School roads Saturday through Tuesday.
“We don’t know exactly what’s going on,” Kinsey said. “But we’re starting to have a rash of these fires.”
Dreiss said the precise cause of the fires hasn’t been determined, but he believes they are likely related to bacteriological action that has been exacerbated by hot, dry conditions.
“The burning point of hay is very low,” Dreiss said. “Given the extreme heat we have been experiencing and the lack of other ignition sources, we feel it is probable that at least some of the fires were started by the heat generated by the fermentation or decomposition process.”
The emergency planners recommended that hay be stacked only when sufficiently dry and in such a manner that it promotes ventilation.
“Hay should be stored in several small stacks as opposed to one large stack so that if a fire does start, only a portion of the hay will be lost,” Dreiss said. “In addition, it is strongly recommended that the area surrounding the hay be cleared a sufficient distance to allow firefighting apparatus immediate access to the hay storage area.”
Texas A&M Extension Agronomist Vanessa Corriher said spontaneous combustion is a function of moisture and temperature within the bale itself.
“When you have a lot of moisture in the bales and they’re all stacked in the barn, it can get pretty hot and they’ll combust,” Corriher said.
In cases where a farmer has concerns relative to the moisture level, a simple gauge can be made by inserting a piece of 2-inch PVC pipe about 10 feet long into the middle of a pile of bales, she said.
“Drop a thermometer down into it to determine temperature,” Corriher said. “Between 120 and 140 degrees is the caution zone. If it’s 160 degrees, the hay can combust, and it makes a very good fuel.”
Corriher stopped short of suggesting hay be stacked outside, exposed to the elements.
“We do recommend storing hay in buildings because it decreases weathering, and rain and being stored on the ground decreases its quality and value,” Corriher said. “But we recommend the bales be stored at the correct moisture, and sometimes they need to monitor that temperature.”
Kinsey said he’d go a step further if there was any doubt at all about whether a bale was dry — and stack the hay outside at least temporarily.
“If you have any question, stack them off by themselves or you could lose your barn and your hay,” Kinsey said. “We know that in a drought hay is a pretty valuable commodity, and we want to make sure you get full
use of it.”
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