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.