Planting season is just around the corner and some growers have already started their pre-field work. One caution is that when there are heavy winds, a farmer needs to protect against any possible fires that may spread in the fields. Iowa State University Extension Ag Engineer Kris Kohl says it’s not low humidity and heat that are the driving force behind fires, it’s wind.

Kohl says other considerations growers need to take include making sure there’s no residue around vehicles that are in the fields, whether it be tractors, pickups or even automobiles.

Kohl says while it’s a good idea to have a fire extinguisher with you in your tractor cab or in your pickup, having a disc is even more important.

A grass fire in South Dakota this week occurred near Gettysburg after flames spread from a tractor that caught on fire.