News
Iowa farmer concerned about field fire risks
Ten states across the Corn Belt have a risk of field fires today (Thursday) and a farmer in southwestern Iowa says it’s a major concern.
Ray Gaesser tells Brownfield, “If you have a bearing that struggles, has a problem, and it heats up or throws a spark, it could be very dangerous,” he said. “It was very dry here, particularly the last couple of days.”
He says they take extra precautions to limit the risk of combine fires. “We do try to keep our combines cleaned off every day,” Gaesser said. “We have a blower that we blow all of them off and get the bulk of the dust off of them.”
The National Weather Service says a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures could cause any fires that ignite to spread rapidly and exhibit extreme fire behavior.
Your local vulunteer firefighters may be able to help assist you