Each hay season a number of hay stacks spontaneously combust throughout Victoria, in single moist bales or in a stack of any dimension.
As soon as the hay has been stacked it’s essential to commonly monitor it for heating and act rapidly. Sadly, even with technological advances in equipment for harvesting conserved fodder, there’s nonetheless nothing price efficient to assist monitor the inner temperatures of haystacks.
So, it’s again to some quite simple methods to control your hay stacks.
Look ahead to indicators of heating
Hold an eye fixed out for indicators that haystack is heating. Steam condensation on the shed roof, mould progress, acrid fumes and sizzling, humid air on the prime of the stack are all good indicators.
When constructing stacks with suspect moist hay, stack the bales loosely to permit air motion and unfold the stack over a wider space, for instance, over a number of bays, thereby decreasing warmth build-up.
Most heating will happen over the primary 1 or 2 weeks however has been identified to achieve ‘flash level’ as much as 8 weeks after baling. Monitor the stack temperature commonly.
Decide the stack temperature?
Stack temperature could be measured utilizing a crowbar inserted as deep as doable into the stack and left for two hours. After 2 hours, the crowbar could be eliminated and felt by hand to present you a tough information of the inner stack temperatures.
The temperature of the bale is as much as about 50 levels celsius in case you can maintain the crowbar with out discomfort. It’s as much as 60 levels if the bar could be held for a short while solely and as much as 70 levels if the bar can solely be touched briefly. If you happen to can’t maintain the bar, temperature is above 70 levels and fireplace is an actual risk.
Deal with the stack with warning.
Up to now it has been steered to push a small pipe into the stack and decrease a small thermometer to the top of the pipe to measure the temperature of warming hay.
Nevertheless, this system shouldn’t be used for severely heating hay as It might oxygenate the internal part of the stack and trigger a fireplace to start out.
What could be performed if the stack heats to hazard ranges?
If a stack begins to get ‘dangerously sizzling’ pull it aside as rapidly as doable.
Bear in mind that because the bales are pulled out of the stack, particularly in a tightly constructed stack, oxygen will now get entry to the new spot and doubtlessly trigger ignition.
Make it possible for water is available and suitably certified individuals in a position to help in fireplace suppression if required.
Security Warning
Keep away from strolling on the stack because the extraordinarily excessive temperatures could have charred the centre of the stack. Any further weight on the stack could trigger the stack to break down into the dangerously sizzling centre and trigger critical damage.
If there’s the slightest danger of a fireplace beginning on account of moist hay, by no means maintain equipment within the hayshed and don’t permit youngsters to play in or close to heating stacks.
- The Nation Fireplace Authority web site has good details about hay fireplace danger. Search ‘hay fires’ at www.cfa.vic.gov.au/
- For extra details about dry seasonal circumstances and drought assist go to agriculture.vic.gov.au
or name 136 186.
Supply: Agriculture Victoria
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