www.age.co.nz Thursday, October 5, 2023
FEATURE SUPPLEMENT 19
HAY2023 silage
Baling hay too quickly can lead to fire risk People baling hay need to make sure the hay is ready before baling and storing. Fire and Emergency NZ National Wildfire Manager Tim Mitchell says the reminder is to try and head off preventable haystack fires.
“Conditions are not always great for baling if you are getting frequent rain and overcast conditions.
“Sometimes this happens and people lose the shed as well, and everything else in it.”
“It’s really important in baling that the moisture content is right and they’re not rushing the process.”
Every year Fire and Emergency is called out to fires started by hay bales which spontaneously combust.
Hay must be completely dry before it’s baled, stacked and stored for use as winter feed.
Most hay bale fires start between two and seven weeks after storage, so Tim Mitchell says this is when people should be checking their bales.
Any moisture deep inside a bale can decompose and heat up enough to cause a fire. Getting haymaking done early can put pressure on the process, Tim says. “But getting bales into the shed before they’re completely dry is a recipe for all the bales going up in flames.
“Use a steel rod to check the hay is not overheating,” he says. “Hay should be stacked loosely to improve airflow and keep the bales cool. “Ideally store them away from things that could feed a fire after it starts - such as sheds, hedges and trees.”
There are also warning signs to look for if your hay is in a shed, such as steam condensation on the roof, mould growth on or inside bales, and acrid fumes or hot humid air at the top of the stack. “It’s better not to get to that point,” he says. “If everyone takes the extra time to dry the hay out properly, hopefully we’ll see far fewer haystack fires this summer.” Fire and Emergency NZ Principal Rural Fire Officer for Wellington Craig Cottrill believes farmers in the Wairarapa are pretty good at ensuring their haystacks are fully dry, with the service not attending any haystack fires in the last couple of years.
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