Hay stack fires can be avoided by farmers continually monitoring internal temperatures.
Photo by
Simon Bingham
Farmers are being urged to guard against hay bale combustion after the wet spring and summer in the Goulburn Valley.
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Excess water during baling can lift the moisture content of bales which speeds up decomposition of hay.
Bacteria and fungus which cause the decomposition produce heat which can cause a bale to ignite spontaneously.
AgVic’s dairy program manager Brett Davidson said heavy rain could soak into stacks.
“Intense rainfall could compromise even well-covered stacks,” Mr Davidson said
“Water can pool at the base of a stack, seep into gaps or could be blown under covers.”
Mr Davidson urged farmers to use water meters.
Larger bales should normally have slightly less moisture content than smaller ones.
AgVic provided a table listing the recommended moisture ranges for each bale type.
Mr Davidson said the signs of excess heat were dampness on the bale’s top surface, steam rising from a stack, moisture forming on the roof or tarpaulin above a stack or the stack slumping in places.
Unusual odours such as pipe tobacco, caramel, burning or musty smells are also signs of overheating.
Most of the heating occurs in the stack centre which is difficult to determine.
“To try and get an idea on how hot a stack has become, use a crowbar pushed into the stack as far as possible and after a couple of hours, remove the crowbar and feel how hot it is,” Mr Davidson said.
AgVic provided a rough guideline for determining temperatures and what action to take.
Thermal couplings can also be used as an alternative monitoring method.
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