Kansas Drought 2012 - Part 3

Dry conditions make fire a very real threat. This fire started in grass and quickly burned 700+ acres before volunteer fire fighters were able to put it out.
Three farmsteads were affected, burning at least 2 buildings and everything inside them. The houses were spared.
The fire burned very hot, and the wind pushed it very quickly. This is a newspaper delivery box at one home.
Not only was the grass burned, but hay bales that were still in the field burned, and even hay that was piled up ready for feeding to cattle this winter burned. With hay prices skyrocketing due to the scarcity this drought year, the loss of the hay is a major hit to these farmers.
Electrical poles located in the pasture burned area must be replaced. They burned along the bottom, making them unsafe in winds--and Kansas is always windy!
Further north, in an unrelated fire, this farmer was attempting to bale grass late in the season. The danger is that any spark from equipment or even metal hitting a rock can start a fire. This baler probably had a bearing get too hot and it burned, as well as the grass and trees and any bales the farmer had just made.

3 comments:

  1. Wow! We've had some field fires in the past but nothing like this. This post is a good reminder to everyone to be extra careful this fall while harvesting, especially with the dry conditions.

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  2. It seems like here in Nebraska we just get 1 fire under control just to have another one start up... I refuse to mow my lawn... well the few weeds that keep trying to grow the grass gave up months ago... just to not start a fire in our yard. Wouldn't take long for 1 stack of hay, the house and buildings to all be gone...

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  3. Praying you will get rain and us also. Everything has been brown and crispy for months. Not one blade of grass in our pastures. Everything turned to dirt long ago. Thanks goodness no fires close by, but we need rain badly as you do... I try to keep my farm yard a little green to pad house in case of fire although I know that it probably would not work...

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