Fire in the Field!

showcrop · Feb 22, 2018

Bruce's post to the toy tractor thread reminded me of a fire I had. I was mowing with my disc mower, probably in the early 90s on a piece of very dry town owned land, probably mid July. It wasn't going to be very good hay. I was going to give it to an elderly spinster. Well, I was making probably my third pass when I decided to go down this long narrow side shoot from the main field. When I came around to head back towards the main part, there was a huge column of black smoke billowing up. I had started a fire way in the back and it had been probably five minutes that I was headed away from it. Now this was before cell phones were in general use, but fortunately I had my Fire Dept. portable radio with me and was able to radio dispatch. Some of the guys were able to got there pretty quick with a small engine and tanker, and we got it knocked down quick, but it was very close to very dry forest.

farmerwithmutt · Feb 22, 2018

My renter had a combine with only 25 hours
on it and it caught fire. Apparently they
ran a screw through the wiring harness but
the funny part was when the fire department
arrived they came dragging there hoses
someone apparently forgot to lock the reel.

Andy Martin · Feb 22, 2018

I was baling 7 miles from the house but only 3 miles from a small town. Wind had come up, a hot bearing started a fire but I had a cell phone and called the fire department as I jumped off to grab my fire extinguisher, but the fire was growing fast. I couldn't believe the fire department got there so fast and had it out with a grass rig in no time.

Fire chief drove up to me in his personal car and remarked "lucky we were having a meeting at the station".

dpendzic · Feb 22, 2018

one of our guys had the hose come loose in the bed and he layed out 1200 ft of 5 inch hose before he realized it---his crew was not happy!!

37chief · Feb 22, 2018

I have started three fires since I have been mowing. I got them out before they got out of control. I carry a water extinguisher, and a powder extinguisher now. With the right weather conditions it doesn't take much of a spark from a rock strike to start a fire. Stan

W_B · Feb 22, 2018

It was Fall and we'd just harvested a corn field. Weather was very dry and Dad wanted that field plowed so I took the AC WD up to the field and started on it. I made a few rounds but the plow was getting clogged up with stalks in one area. I had the (not so) bright idea to burn that heavy area off then plow it. As you can imagine it got out of hand and started racing down the field. I finally got ahead of it with the plow and made a fire break and it burned itself out. We stopped for that year and plowed it the following spring since I had the field pretty well torn up.

doug in missouri · Feb 22, 2018

I thought I was the only one that happened to. Last spring while the grass was still dry I was mowing the pesty little weeds that were about a foot tall. I don't want them going to seed.

Anyhow, I have a crushed rock driveway and after the little snow we had I scattered some rocks. Didn't give it a second thought until I ended the round and I had a small fire going. Ended up calling the fire dept because it was going to the neighbors property which had never been mowed. Once it hit his property it really took off with all the cedar trees in it. DOUG

Fire in the Field!

showcrop

Well-known Member

farmerwithmutt

Well-known Member

Andy Martin

Well-known Member

dpendzic

Well-known Member

37chief

Well-known Member

W_B

Well-known Member

doug in missouri

Member

Similar threads