A refresh as harvest season approaches
As farmers prepare for the 2025 harvest season, safety can be a major part of the season’s success.
And one element of equipment safety is having a working fire extinguisher.
In 2024, for example, C.J. Fleenor, a farmer from Orange County, Ind., used a fire extinguisher when his Case 7120 combine caught fire.
“I looked around the back of the combine and saw a little bit of smoke. It didn’t look very bad and didn’t think anything of it, so I grabbed the fire extinguisher coming down the ladder,” he told Hoosier Ag Today in October 2024. “My dad, who helps me running the auger cart, ran over and saw the smoke and put the fire out and some smoldering embers on top of the hydraulic pump. Then we saw smoke underneath the intake so we used the fire extinguisher in that area. We opened the side door and at that point, the top of the fuel tank was already melted and the fuel tank was on fire.”
A 2003 study found U.S. fire departments respond to about 700 major combine fires each year.
Here are some ways to identify if your fire extinguisher is in good shape or needs to be replaced.
When looking at a fire extinguisher, the gauge is a good place to start.
The gauge should be in the green zone. Or, if the pin indicator pops back when pushed, that’s an indication the tool is in good shape and ready to use, says First Alert, a fire safety product manufacturer.
Users should also inspect hoses, nozzles and handles for signs of damage.
Farmers may also want to look at the fire extinguisher’s manufacturing date.
Fire extinguishers don’t have traditional expiration dates like other products, but their lifespans can be anywhere between five and 15 years.
For rechargeable fire extinguishers, the National Fire Protection Association says professional maintenance and servicing is required every six years.
The fire extinguisher may look like it’s in good shape, but that doesn’t mean issues aren’t lurking.
If a hissing sound can be heard, that could mean the extinguisher is leaking, making it less reliable.