Winds of over 25 miles per hour along with dry conditions during harvest are a strong recipe for combine fires. Iowa State University Extension Ag Engineer Kris Kohl says they did a survey two years ago and found the major cause of combine fires is due to heavy winds.
Kohl says one of the best fire prevention steps farmers can take is to have a disc with them in the field hooked up to a tractor and ready to go.
He also advises taking a break and make sure bearings and exhaust are not hot.
Kohl says two years ago there were two major combine fires in Northwest Iowa that led to their survey. And Monday’s windy conditions caused several fires in South and North Dakota. A grain elevator was destroyed North of Fargo.