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Dry weather may increase risk of field fires; take precautions

 

 

By SUSAN BLOWER

Indiana Correspondent

 

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — While the northern half of Indiana received record rainfall in June and July, the southern half is now experiencing drought-like conditions.

The warm, dry weather has helped the harvest along in many cases; however, southern Indiana is well below normal rainfall for the month of September, up to 1/4-inch of rain fell in some areas as of late last week, said Ken Scheeringa, associate state climatologist.

Some light rain showers were expected last weekend, but not enough to make much difference. The U.S. Drought Monitor has classified almost all of southern Indiana as "abnormally dry" and three counties – Jefferson, Scott and Jennings – as D1, a moderate drought. Warm, sunny days with above-normal temperatures have also contributed to the problem in dry areas.

"The highs have been in the 70s for northern Indiana, and around 75 degrees F. for the southern. That’s Indiana for you. There’s a big variation from the top of the state to the bottom," Scheeringa related.

Storms that swept the state a week-and-a-half ago and provided up to 3 inches of rain entirely missed Southern Indiana, he said. He warned dry conditions, especially those in the southern and southwestern portions of the state, can lead to a greater chance for field fires. One such fire was reported last week.

A trend toward drier conditions in the fall has developed in Indiana in recent years, Scheeringa said. In 2012, a severe drought year, there were many field fires. "We’re just getting to that time of year when we have to watch out for field fires. Late in the season dry conditions have been happening more frequently," he added.

Corn specialist for Purdue University extension, Bob Nielsen, also weighed in on the threat of field fires.

"Every fall there is the risk of field fires, especially dry cornfields. I am not sure this fall is any different," he said. "Mature cornfields that are ready to harvest are always ‘dry’ fuel for fires, regardless of the climatic drought rating. Warm, sunny, windy days increase the risk."

Nielsen, while out harvesting Purdue’s field trials, took a few minutes to offer some practical tips for farmers.

"Nobody intends to light fields on fire. It is usually some chance spark from engines or machinery, an inadvertent flick of a match after lighting up, some five-acre neighbor burning trash on a windy day or lightning strikes. Occasionally a combine catches on fire while harvesting, which then spreads to the field itself. Sometimes these things just happen," he explained.

Nielsen listed the following tips:

•At a minimum, everyone should keep a functional fire extinguisher on board their combines, tractor or grain carts and grain trucks

•Easy access to tillage equipment (e.g., disks, chisels) provides the opportunity to till wide strips around the edges of a burning field to attempt to contain the spread of fire

•Local emergency personnel in rural areas, especially volunteer fire departments, should be on alert during harvest and ready to respond rapidly in the event of a fast-spreading field fire (of course, this is enhanced when the emergency personnel have had training or experience in containing rapidly spreading field fires)

•Public service announcements in local news media prior to and during harvest season help alert everyone about the risks of outdoor burning at that time of year, especially on windy days during extremely dry periods

9/30/2015