No one sustained injuries during the incident
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Firefighters in Manitoba responded to a farm to assist with a combine fire.
The MacGregor Fire Department posted on its Facebook page on Sept. 26 that it recently attended a call for a fully involved combine fire.
A photo attached with the post includes a John Deere 9610 Maximizer combine with evidence of burn damage. The combine also has a John Deere 930 header attached.
MacGregor Fire Department photo.
Mechanical issues caused the fire to start.
Firefighters dealt with the fire quickly.
“It was quickly extinguished, and we saved as much as could from it,” Fire Chief Chris Leckie told PortageOnline. “We do get the odd farm equipment fire. We’re well equipped to deal with any fire within the municipality.”
Farmers can take multiple steps to prevent combine fires during harvest.
This includes having a comprehensive daily maintenance routine to clean up plant materials, ensure proper lubrication and to check electrical connections.
Producers may also want to turn the combine engine off while refueling and attach a chain to the bottom of the machine to drag on the ground, decreasing the buildup of static electricity.
Having a functioning fire extinguisher is also important if a fire does occur.
The Canola Council of Canada recommends having one fire extinguisher in the cab and one accessible from the ground.
Fire extinguishers should be inspected to ensure the pressure needle is in the green zone.
Farms.com recently highlighted the STOP-FYRE High-Capacity Fire Extinguisher from AKE Safety Equipment.
The STOP-FYRE does not require annual service, or even monthly shakes, it should last a farmer’s lifetime.