My Neighbor's Staw Field Caught Fire

[flusher]

You need to protect your property with firebreaks along the fencelines and road ditches. My 10-acre place (perfectly square layout) has 1/2 mile of fenceline and ditch (my place is a corner parcel at the intersection of two roads). Our fire season runs from June thru Sept. Right before Memorial Day I plow 25-ft wide fire breaks using my 7-ft offset disc. Two passes are sufficient to get all the stubble buried. And I mow the grass in my small almond orchard as low as I can as well as all the landscaped areas.

 

[RobertN]

Interesting to see them fight the fire from "in the green". We're taught to stay in the black. They appear to have paddles too; I have not seen those in this region.

My neighbor was bailing his wheat straw this afternoon and something caught the straw on fire. Luckily the fire department was able to get it under control in only a few minutes. We were worried it would start a forest fire and get out of control. There was another straw fire a few miles south of us at the same time.

It's been over a month since we have had any rain so things are very dry.
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[firemanpat2910]

I agree very stange to see them in the green, also wearing full interior structue gear to a field fire? can you say heat stroke? jeans, boots and shirt are all you need for that fire.

 

[madmax12]

I agree very stange to see them in the green, also wearing full interior structue gear to a field fire? can you say heat stroke? jeans, boots and shirt are all you need for that fire.

My guess is they are having to follow some OSHA regulation (or the fire dept equivalent)... and r not permitted to use common sense.

Just a guess.

 

[RobertN]

I guess living out here in dry oak savanna, I just expect all FD to have full structure and wildland PPE; maybe they don't?

We could not wear just jeans and shirt here. Always full PPE, either structure ppe or wildland ppe. I have worn non-duty clothes, ie jean and tshirt when heading to the station from work etc. But alway put PPE on top of that.

Different area's, different SOP's.

I agree very stange to see them in the green, also wearing full interior structue gear to a field fire? can you say heat stroke? jeans, boots and shirt are all you need for that fire.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Makes me want to reconsider keeping my 1965 Pumper/Tanker fire truck w 1000gal tank. G

Are you thinking of getting rid of it?

 

[FredWalter]

My neighbor was bailing his wheat straw this afternoon and something caught the straw on fire.

Did this occur near Markdale, on Grey Rd 30? I was driving home last week,and saw the a field on fire there, before the firetrucks showed up. I called 911 when I got home, and I was told that trucks were already on route. I drove by a few days ago on my way to town, and the farmer was lucky he didn't lose his house - the black burned vegetation stops not that many hundred feet away from it.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I remember a show on RFD TV when a guy talked about how few very old hay balers were still around because they used wood for the bearings and if they didn't keep them greased they would catch fire and burn the hole machine to the ground!
I doubt there were adequate fire departments back then so you lost your machine and probably the crop too.

In the old days, combines and tractors were always throwing sparks and catching the field on fire. We carried milk cans full of water and gunny sacks. It doesn't take much to put out a stubble fire. We typically doused 3 or 4 of them a year during harvest.

 

[Luremaker]

Did this occur near Markdale, on Grey Rd 30? I was driving home last week,and saw the a field on fire there, before the firetrucks showed up. I called 911 when I got home, and I was told that trucks were already on route. I drove by a few days ago on my way to town, and the farmer was lucky he didn't lose his house - the black burned vegetation stops not that many hundred feet away from it.

This fire was west of Owen Sound just off the 11th. The second fire was about a mile south and it burned within 50 feet of the house and barn.

 

[sixdogs]

I'll bet some corn fields will catch fire after this drought.