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Better Practices for Prevention

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The aftermath of a spontaneous combustion hay fire in Cache Valley, UT.   After researching spontaneous combustion hay fires I have learned a couple things that appear to be game-changers in preventing and handling hay. First, there are the age-old best practices for preventing combustion that most farmers adhere to, raking, spraying, and baling dried hay, mostly motivated by the desire to put up a nutritious crop. Second, there are due diligence efforts that can potentially prevent a fire that are rarely exhausted by farmers and possibly viewed as extreme measures. These next-level steps include manual moisture testing (not just relying on a baler reading) and multiple post-baled temperature checks. Unless a farmer is willing to apply these extra measures a spontaneous combustion hay fire may be unavoidable.  Cache Valley Fire Chief, Rod Hammer, shared some insights on spontaneous combustion that he has seen while fighting agriculture crop fires. Cache Valley Utah typically sees 1-2 s
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Technology for Prevention

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This John Deere baler features a preservative spray tank on the top. Farm Bill money extended by the United States Government has paved the way for several colleges and organizations to develop and test preventative measures against spontaneous combustion hay fire. When hay is stored with too much moisture it provides an environment for bacteria to grow in the bale. This chemical process generates heat, and when oxygen is introduced, it can combust, starting a fire. The technology created has been implemented by tractor and equipment manufacturers and is readily available to consumers. Some inventions and discoveries now available to farmers are moisture sensors, inoculants, preservatives, and moisture testers.  In 2002 Harvest Tec developed the first hay bale sensor. “The design makes use of a pair of star wheels that rotate as material flows over them, and allow for an electrical current to be established between them. The points of two wheels puncture the bale and act as the electro
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I Didn't Start the Fire

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Chicago after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 A hay fire started in a barn on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois in 1871. This fire would sweep through the city over a 24 hour period killing 300 people and leaving one-third of the population homeless. A legend, known as The O’Leary Legend, began about how the Great Chicago Fire started. “Late one night, when we were all in bed, Mrs. O'Leary lit a lantern in the shed. Her cow kicked it over, Then winked her eye and said,  "There'll be a hot time in the      old town tonight!" These song lyrics have been expanded in works of art, poetry, books, plays, and film. This folklore used to explain this disaster has been handed down for generations.  A song written after the Great Chicago Fire A novel about the fire and Mrs. O'Leary's tale One of the films produced about Mrs.O'Leary and her family in Chicago According to research performed on this disaster “Kate O'Leary offered sworn testimony that she was i
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Firefighter Manpower

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Firefighters work to put out a spontaneous combustion hay fire in Cache Valley Utah. When a hay fire spontaneously combusts on the farm, who are you gonna call? The fire department. In Cache County Utah the majority of agricultural fires are routed to the county department which handles rural areas. Cache County Fire Department has 14 stations operating to protect the valley. Nationally, there are an estimated 1.1M firefighters working across the country. Without these heroes, the rage of a spontaneous combustion hay fire would be unstoppable. When a spontaneous combustion hay fire ignites, there is mainly one option, let it burn. Firefighters line the landscape with hoses shooting water to protect the rest of the property. They work tirelessly to calm the flames and watch with as much control as the environment will lend them to keep it from spreading. Depending on the size of the fuel (in this case, the haystack) the firefighters could labor for hours or days.  A great problem and ex
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Fire Safety Alert

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This document provided by Ram Mutual Insurance provides information on best practices to prevent hay fires as well as warnings of hay fire dangers. It is written to farmers or anyone who stores hay. This is written and presented as a credible message appealing to Ethos and Pathos. This "Safety Alert" includes numbers and data about storage and degrees of concern, but there is no mention of the low probability of having a hay fire even if wet hay is stored incorrectly. Instead, fear is used to motivate the reader to buy into this danger as a significant threat invoking a response to acquire insurance for such a threat and take preventative measures. There is also an implication that if a farmer checks hay moisture and temperature and stores hay correctly they will not fall victim to a spontaneous combustion hay fire.  Ram Mutual presents this information with company letterhead on a document formatted consistent with the Ram Mutual brand. The font and colors used match Ram Mut
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What is a spontaneous combustion hay fire?

There is a tragedy that strikes farmers across the United States. It seemingly comes out of nowhere, but once it starts it is impossible to stop. This phenomenon is the spontaneous combustion of hay fire. It occurs when wet hay is put up and is often compounded by stacking. The damp hay generates bacteria and molds. This chemical reaction produces heat raising the temperature of the bale. As this chemical reaction continues and the heat increases, the hay becomes susceptible to inflammation. With the wrong amount of oxygen and high temperatures, the hay will ignite spontaneously combusting.  If a farmer is unsure about the temperature of a hay bale this can be checked with a simple candy thermometer. If the temperature of the bale is above 150 degrees Fahrenheit it is hitting dangerous levels. You may be wondering how common these types of fires are. In the United States in 2021 there were 113 recorded barn fires. Of these fires, less than 14% were categorized as an obscure cause
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