Farmers should beware of combine fires


Combine fires are usually not talked about much and very rarely make the news. It only takes one close call with a combine fire and people become quick believers in how much damage can be caused so quickly. Still, we very seldom hear about combine fires. We don't hear much about tractors accidentally slipping down into manure storage units either, but it happens! Many times combine fires are caught quickly and put out by a fire extinguisher before help is needed. Fire extinguishers on combines will be one of our points of safety. The history books note that one of the first combines built and used successfully in North America was destroyed by fire in 1856. The fire was caused by an overheated bearing as it was harvesting a field of wheat. Combines are vulnerable to fire just because of their operating conditions. They generally operate in and around dry fodder in dry weather. The combine also has an excellent source of fuel to fuel a flame whenever a fire is ignited. Researchers estimate 695 combine fires occur every year. These fires can total 10.5 million dollars in losses. This figure does not include production time lost, crop loss, or the cost of leasing or replacement machinery. Machinery fires can be caused by a wide variety of agents, including overheated bearings and belts, exhaust components, clutches and brakes, electrical malfunctions and sparks caused by damaged or improperly adjusted components and foreign material entering into the processing path. This would include even crop material wrapped around drive components that heat to the point of combustion. As combines become larger the danger is even greater. They carry much larger quantities of fuel, lubricants and hydraulic oil. Even small leaks in any of these systems that use these flammable liquids can result in a small fire turning to a large one very quickly. Leaking diesel fuel sprayed into an engine compartment on a tractor or a combine can cause compartment temperatures to go from ambient to over 1000 degrees in seconds. Fires of that intensity are almost impossible to put out before the machine is substantially damaged. I know of a couple of combine electrical fires that almost took out not only the combine but the shed it was stored in, and the combine was not in use. Some simple safety precautions can go a long way in preventing a fire on a combine. Regular maintenance is important. Keep the machine clean and free of crop residue (as much as possible) and keep a constant look out for leaks. This not only helps to keep fires from starting but helps them not to spread so quickly and easily. Perform regular inspections of bearings, exhaust systems, wrap points and the like. Servicing equipment at the end of a day instead of in the morning will help detect overheating components and even slowly smoldering fires that might erupt in the night. Maintaining the electrical system is an important step in fire safety. Especially check heavy draw electrical components such as starter motors, remote actuators and heating and cooling systems. Keeping the components in good order eliminates a source of ignition for a fire. Fuses that blow regularly should be considered an important warning sign that a circuit is probably overheating somewhere and should be checked and repaired. Installing portable fire extinguishers on machinery goes a long way to maybe preventing a small fire from turning into a large one. These extinguishers should be suitable for putting out A- , B- & C-type fires and sized for the potential fires that may occur. For example, ag engineers say large harvesting units should have 2-10 pound Type ABC extinguishers on board. These extinguishers should be checked regularly as they are in a rough usage setting. Cell phones or two way radios are handy and can prevent a small fire from becoming a large one since the call for help can go out quickly. There are three elements needed for a fire to start: ignition source, fuel and oxygen. Remove any one or more of these elements and a fire is prevented. Maintenance is the key to prevention.

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