Extinguishing a brush fire with a lawn tractor

[hawkeye08]

NO way I would risk my equipment that way. Just too many risk factors for me.

 

[k0ua]

What the photo doesn't show is what happened 10 seconds later when the plastic fuel tank finally started to melt and let out gas fumes that exploded and blew the operator to Mars. I don't know but it could have happened that way. I think running along side of the fire line with the side discharge hitting the flames to blow them out might work, and would sure be a heck of a lot safer.

James K0UA

 

[Gary Fowler]

I usually have a disk on the back of my tractor and would have ran a fire brake but if not, I think running down the middle like he was doing but with my FEL bucket skidding on the ground would have done the trick. If it caught back up, skid pass it again.

 

[tcartwri]

Pretty sure the drive belt on the deck failed about 10 seconds after that shot was taken.

 

[ovrszd]

I think running along side of the fire line with the side discharge hitting the flames to blow them out might work, and would sure be a heck of a lot safer.

James K0UA

That's what I was doing. I had mowed a barrier around the CRP but the fire started creeping across that barrier. I ran along the fire, throwing trash back into the burn area. Not sure how, but eventually I got embers up on top of the trash covered deck. Once it started burning there was no putting it out. I learned my lesson.

 

[k0ua]

That's what I was doing. I had mowed a barrier around the CRP but the fire started creeping across that barrier. I ran along the fire, throwing trash back into the burn area. Not sure how, but eventually I got embers up on top of the trash covered deck. Once it started burning there was no putting it out. I learned my lesson.

Rut-ROE..I am sure that was not a good feeling:ashamed:

 

[JBourquin]

I remember about 7-8yrs ago in my old volley company we used a farmers JD and a set of disc's to put out a larger grass/brush fire we couldn't get to with the trucks..

 

[Gale Hawkins]

On a full size diesel tractor maybe it would be OK. Rubbing it out with a FEL would work on a fire like that I expect.

 

[cqaigy2]

I saw a d9 stall out in a field/brush fire outside of Wenatchee, small town in Eastern Washington state. All the metal looked like it survived, but anything flammable burned. An old timer advised the driver to not to try and put it out because the equipment wasn't equipped with a "snorkel" type air intake and would probably stall. Drive said he felt pretty safe until the engine died. I don't recall what the repair cost was but remembered it wasn't cheap.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I saw a d9 stall out in a field/brush fire outside of Wenatchee, small town in Eastern Washington state. All the metal looked like it survived, but anything flammable burned. An old timer advised the driver to not to try and put it out because the equipment wasn't equipped with a "snorkel" type air intake and would probably stall. Drive said he felt pretty safe until the engine died. I don't recall what the repair cost was but remembered it wasn't cheap.

So the engine starves of oxygen and dies?

 

[Gary Fowler]

That's what I was doing. I had mowed a barrier around the CRP but the fire started creeping across that barrier. I ran along the fire, throwing trash back into the burn area. Not sure how, but eventually I got embers up on top of the trash covered deck. Once it started burning there was no putting it out. I learned my lesson.

Well you should never go into a fire fight wearing a grass suit of armor OR a grass covered machine. Most of us have an FEL and for putting out a fire this would be the best tool next to a water truck. It will cool the fire, smother the air from it and pretty much remove the fuel all in one fast pass. And other than perhaps some paint, there isn't anything on the bottom of the bucket that will burn.

 

[cqaigy2]

So the engine starves of oxygen and dies?

exactly so.

 

[tractchores]

Photo looks faked to me. I wouldn't try it with my lawnmower, way too much flamable stuff on it.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I don't think that was the OP. I'm pretty sure it was photo he found somewhere on the net.

That was NOT me... :laughing:

Found it on Facebook.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

CompactTractorFan, you could do the same with your walk-behind mowers!!:cool2: Just keep those feet movin':drink:

I don't think so. :laughing:

 

[ovrszd]

Well you should never go into a fire fight wearing a grass suit of armor OR a grass covered machine. Most of us have an FEL and for putting out a fire this would be the best tool next to a water truck. It will cool the fire, smother the air from it and pretty much remove the fuel all in one fast pass. And other than perhaps some paint, there isn't anything on the bottom of the bucket that will burn.

The only thing I can imagine worse than burning up my $2000 lawn mower would be to burn up my $43000 tractor.

 

[k0ua]

The only thing I can imagine worse than burning up my $2000 lawn mower would be to burn up my $43000 tractor.

You might be able to push the lawn mower out of the flames after it dies from sucking up the oxygen-less air... but I bet you cant push that big orange tractor worth a darn.

 

[ovrszd]

You might be able to push the lawn mower out of the flames after it dies from sucking up the oxygen-less air... but I bet you cant push that big orange tractor worth a darn.

Gives me shivers just thinking about it.....

 

[Gale Hawkins]

What happened to the wet burlap feed bag that I was given to use as kid? Lack of oxygen was also an issue for me back then.

 

[k0ua]

What happened to the wet burlap feed bag that I was given to use as kid? Lack of oxygen was also an issue for me back then.

I remember one day in High school, the teacher came in and asked all able bodied males above 9the grade to turn out and be hauled to a fire scene. I was given a wet burlap bag, and we fought a grass/brush fire for about an hour. We all thought it was fun, can you imagine what would happen in today's world if the school asked the kids to go to put out a fire?.. times have changed..

James K0UA