Tractor setting areas on fire?

[UrbannGuerilla]

I ran into someone I know at Walmart recently and he told me that they were roto-tilling an area next to a fenceline a week ago, and when he made one of the passes right next to a property line - when he got to the end of the row to turn around, noticed the neighbors property was smoking badly (in 2 separate places, both about 12 ft from the line the tractor drove, but on the neighbors property) and caught fire about 12 feet from the line he just ran in the direction the wind was blowing. He said both fires were the same distance from the line he just drove the tractor in, and the wind was blowing towards the neighbors property. He was gonna try to find out what was causing it. I was telling him about the Ford we got and he told me this story. I don't recall the exact model of his tractor but its a ford diesel.

So I've been thinking myself, how does this happen? I'm thinking if the fires started in the direction from the tractor that the wind was blowing, and both were equal distances from the fenceline that he just drove, and there were no other "things" in the vicinity that could have started the two fires, it had to be the tractor. He said he didn't see anything leaking or smoking or anything on the tractor & that the tractor showed no signs of any issues while running or sound or vibration or anything abnormal. Soo... that makes me think something had to be coming out of the exhaust stack and the wind took it across the fence.

Does this sound like a reasonable explanation? and also, just for my own curiosity- what could be coming out of a diesel stack that would cause fires? Or what would have to happen in the engine to cause this?

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Who knows how a fire starts? Could be sparks from tiller hitting rocks? Maybe exhaust...maybe run tractor on a dark night looking for sparks. Maybe neighbors side apparently really dry, flammable "something" (dry grass, something dumped there). Tractor operators stogie?

 

[ptsg]

If the vegetation is dry enough, it sure is possible for a tractor to start a fire, either from regen process or an high speed implement like a flail mower or rotary cutter.

Can't see a tiller start a fire due to the low speed operation of it.

We have a lot of fires starting from people mowing brush, even though there are restrictions when there is a high fire risk.

 

[Richard]

I've seen sparks coming out of an exhaust. I never delved into it to find out but I always presumed it might have needed a valve job (ran ok though) or maybe it was buildup on the exhaust side and glowed red hot then released and flew out the pipe.

Don't know. None the less, ever heard of a spark arrestor for a string trimmer, blower or something like that? Now you might know why!

 

[Chewwy]

Diesel engines, particularly railroad (RR) engines, have been know to start fires due to there exhaust spewing hot diesel fuel out. We had about a 6 mile long fire running along a RR line located behind our home when we lived in TN. According to our neighbor, who retired from the RR, it was not an unusual event. He said it was due to their using a “yard” engine instead of a “road” engine.

Don’t see why it would be that different for a diesel tractor.

 

[UrbannGuerilla]

I'm posting about this because I have a ford diesel and I'd like to better understand what might have happened in his situation so I can be more aware of not only my own surroundings, but what potentially causes it, what to look for, how to potentially prevent it, etc.. I surely don't want to start any random uncontrolled fires. Especially not on someone else's property!

 

[5030]

If a tractor was 'spewing' hot diesel fuel out there would be something wrong with it that needed immediate attention. Neither of mine have ever done that.

I'd say it would be more likely that a flake of red hot carbon from the exhaust started the fire. Diesels do make carbon in the exhaust tract at least pre 4 units do. The EPA addressed that with their T4 final mandate sort of involuntarily as the carbon is trapped in the SCR cannister and incinerated.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Why not start/run it on a pitch dark night?
You'll see sparks if any out the exhaust.
If it's like things I've encountered in life over the years, chances of you starting a fire with your tractor are probably 10,000:1 or higher.

 

[Thomas]

Maybe grass hay etc. wrap around attachment shaft and the bearing was hot.

 

[LouNY]

A tractor gas or diesel doing a lot of low load low rpm puttering around and lots of cold starts will build up carbon in the exhaust. Then turn around and make it work for several hours and it will start blowing out hot flakes of burning carbon.

 

[5030]

Lou... Got a question... Have you ever experience the 'wet stacking' people talk about in here? I never have, have you? In the winter I do warm up the tractor prior to plowing or blowing snow but I 'warm it up' at an elevated rpm. Don't ever idle it not even when I'm running hay. I'll let it idle to cool down the turbo for a couple minutes and then shut it down. Back when I drove semi's never had that happen either.

Just curious.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

What type of tractor?
DPF? DEF? non of the above? Diesel or gas tractor? Exhaust through a stack that points up or down? age of tractor? Condition of tractor (hrs would be nice?) Ambient air temp and how hard was the tractor being run?etc.. all important to know.

A leaky exhaust valve on older high hr tractor and this is not uncommon. In a worst case situation a full run-away situation on a diesel will send flames out the exhaust of pre-emisions diesels that would light up the night sky.

Could it happen? absolutely! especially on an older, high hrs, downward pointing exhaust in warm/dry conditions.

 

[5030]

especially on an older, high hrs, downward pointing exhaust

What do you consider high hours? One of mine has 6K on the meter and the other has 4500 on the meter and the 6K unit just happens to have a down exhaust outlet. I cut, rake and bale dry hay all the time and never have had any issues with fires. I actually prefer the down exhaust over a stack in the middle of the hood.

 

[ruffdog]

Sparks out of the exhaust is common....

Sparks out of diesel exhaust?

 

[LHF2019]

Sparks are extremely common but you are not going to notice unless you are driving at night and working it hard. You might see a stray just running around but not as likely.

Staging hay equipment went over one of our steep hills at night. The amount of sparks coming out of the exhaust was impressive. Even my wife following could see it. It had been awhile since it worked that hard.

Another one of our tractors hauling manure over said hill at night would shoot flames from working hard. Really neat to see.

 

[LouNY]

Lou... Got a question... Have you ever experience the 'wet stacking' people talk about in here? I never have, have you? In the winter I do warm up the tractor prior to plowing or blowing snow but I 'warm it up' at an elevated rpm. Don't ever idle it not even when I'm running hay. I'll let it idle to cool down the turbo for a couple minutes and then shut it down. Back when I drove semi's never had that happen either.

Just curious.

Occasionally in a minor form, if a tractor has been just idling for a long time in cold weather then gets opened up and run. Had a 1486 that got left running one night when -30F was forecast, it was left at 900-1000 rpm overnight, the next morning it had fuel dripping down the exhaust, the temp indicator was below the run range even with the radiator covered and running when the throttle got opened up she rained fuel for a bit. And I've seen fuel tracking down from joints in the exhaust systems on several tractors when lightly worked.

 

[oosik]

Several years ago. VERY wet spring. Pond formed around one of my out buildings. 3" diesel trash pump used to pump pond into my lake. Out late at night - fill fuel tank - let pump run til out of fuel again. Upon restart it blew hot sparks for a minute or so. Very easily could have started a grass fire.

 

[RjCorazza]

My tractor isn't big enough to mount a 2.5g water can, but I have staged one nearby when there is a fire risk. A water can will put out a lot of fire if properly used.

 

[jwmorris]

Tilling next to a fence and starting fires, wire beating around inside a bunch of spinning steel, causes sparks…

 

[Rockbadchild]

he was tilling on a flint mine