Careful Fieldwork and Fire Prevention Measures Help Safeguard Farmers, Machinery, and Crops
Harvest season can be challenging when changing weather conditions affect fieldwork. After a period of dry weather, cloudy skies, mist, and wet fields may delay harvesting. When conditions finally improve, farmers may feel pressure to get back into the fields quickly. However, operating equipment without proper preparation can increase the risk of fires and put people, crops, and machinery in danger.
Nearly half of the contiguous U.S. experienced drought by late summer during the 2026 planting season. These dry conditions make fire prevention an important part of harvest planning.
Heather Gessner, South Dakota State University Extension Interim Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Director and Livestock Business Management Field Specialist, has emphasized the importance of equipment maintenance, safe harvesting practices, emergency preparation, and insurance planning to help farmers manage these risks.
Maintain Equipment to Reduce Fire Hazards
Farm equipment can catch fire when hot engine components come into contact with dry plant material, dust, or other debris. Fuel leaks, electrical faults, and excessive friction from moving parts can also contribute to fires.
Farmers can take several steps to improve equipment safety:
- Inspect and grease bearings and moving parts to reduce friction and heat buildup.
- Check fire extinguishers regularly to ensure they are charged and ready for use. Keep them in accessible locations.
- Use a leaf blower to remove dust, chaff, and dry plant material several times throughout the workday and after finishing fieldwork.
- Look for leaking fuel or oil, damaged electrical wires, and loose connections before operating machinery.
Routine inspections and cleaning can help identify potential problems before they develop into serious fire hazards.
Follow Safe Practices in the Field
Harvesting quickly is often a priority when crops are ready, but field safety should remain a key consideration. Weather conditions, field surfaces, and nearby vegetation can all affect fire risk.
Raising the combine header when crossing rocky areas can help prevent rocks from striking machinery and creating sparks. Some farmers may use a chain or cable dragged along the ground to reduce static electricity. However, this practice requires caution because contact with rocks could produce sparks.
Farmers should also keep vehicles with hot exhaust systems away from tall, dry grass and other easily ignited vegetation. When temperatures and winds are high and humidity is low, delaying fieldwork may be the safer choice.
Hot, dry, and windy conditions can allow fires to start more easily and spread rapidly. Monitoring conditions before and during harvesting helps farmers make informed decisions about when to operate equipment.
Prepare for Fire Emergencies
Having firefighting supplies available in the field can help farmers respond quickly if a fire starts. A water tank can provide an additional resource for controlling a small fire, while a tractor equipped with a disc or plow may help create a firebreak to slow its spread.
Farmers should develop an emergency response plan before harvest begins. Everyone working in the field should know where firefighting equipment is stored and how to respond if machinery catches fire.
Weather monitoring is another important part of emergency planning. Farmers should watch for local warnings about high temperatures, strong winds, and other conditions that could make harvesting more dangerous.
Quick action and advance preparation may help limit damage, although personal safety must always come first when a fire becomes difficult to control.
Review Farm Insurance Before Harvest
Understanding insurance coverage before harvesting begins can help farmers prepare for potential financial losses. Farmers should contact their insurance agents to review policies covering equipment, crops, property damage, and liability.
Farm property insurance may cover damaged machinery when the equipment is properly listed on the policy. However, coverage may be based on actual cash value rather than the cost of purchasing new equipment. Farmers should understand these terms and consider whether their coverage is sufficient.
Farm property insurance generally does not cover crops lost in a fire. A combine fire is also not an insurable cause of loss under crop insurance. If a fire spreads to a neighboring farm and damages crops or property, liability insurance may help protect the responsible farmer against covered legal claims.
Farmers who provide custom harvesting services should also review their potential responsibilities if their equipment starts a fire while working on another person's property.
Some insurance companies offer Field Grain Fire Coverage that may provide payments for grain lost in an equipment fire. Coverage availability and policy conditions vary, so farmers should discuss the available options with their insurance agents.
Five Ways to Reduce Harvest Fire Risks
Farmers can strengthen their fire prevention plans by taking five important steps:
- Review financial preparedness: Consider whether available resources can cover equipment repairs and crop losses following a fire.
- Check insurance coverage: Discuss policy limits, exclusions, liability protection, and possible coverage gaps with an insurance agent.
- Maintain harvesting equipment: Inspect, clean, and service machinery regularly throughout the season.
- Prepare emergency supplies: Keep fire extinguishers, water, and suitable field equipment available for emergencies.
- Monitor weather conditions: Follow local alerts and consider postponing fieldwork when conditions increase the risk of fire.
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