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Row crop harvest is in full swing across North Dakota, with many crops near harvest completion. Weather conditions have been warm and dry, allowing producers to harvest crops without the pressure to get the grains harvested before winter arrives. However, dry and warm conditions increase the risk of combine fires, especially when harvesting sunflowers.

In 2022, North Dakota saw a huge increase in planted sunflower acres, with the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) stating that oil sunflower acreage increased 48%, while confectionary sunflower acreage increased 62%.

“The increase in planted sunflower acres and warm, dry weather conditions means an increased risk for combine fires,” says Angie Johnson, NDSU Extension farm and ranch safety coordinator. “Mix warm, dry harvest conditions with a high wind speed, and you have a recipe for harvest fires.”

In mid-October, the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network reported wind speeds over 34 miles per hour, which does not include the high wind gusts that were also occurring during that timeframe.

“The high wind speeds we are experiencing and the large amount of extremely dry plant material in our fields and grasslands creates perfect conditions for fire when provided with an ignition source, such as the hot exhaust from the combine’s turbocharger or exhaust manifold, or even from an electrical malfunction in a plastic wiring harness on the combine,” Johnson says.

Combine fires can occur at any time with the right conditions. Sunflowers, however, pose a greater risk because of the large volume of dust and particulate they produce while being harvested, says Johnson. The white portion inside the stalk, known as the pith, breaks down into very small, tiny particulate pieces with large surface areas that easily get sucked into the fan that is pulling air through the machine’s radiator to cool down the engine. That pith dust and particulate easily sticks to engine and exhaust components and can ignite when it comes into contact with the turbocharger and exhaust system of the combine.

“One of my biggest concerns with the large increase in sunflower acres is that we may have new sunflower producers harvesting those fields, or producers who have not raised sunflowers for a number of years that may not be prepared for the increased fire risk that accompanies sunflower harvest,” says Johnson. “Believe it or not, there was a time when producers made the decision to quit raising sunflowers because of the constant fire risk and complete combine losses that took place because of combine fires due to sunflowers. Fortunately, we have improved prevention tools and strategies to help mitigate and reduce the risk of combine fires during sunflower harvest.”

Johnson shares the following tips for reducing the risk of combine fires while harvesting sunflowers:

“Good machine maintenance, cleaning and monitoring can help reduce the incidence of combine fires during crop harvest,” says Johnson. “Make farm safety a priority on your farm this fall. Combines and crops are replaceable – you are not.”

For more information on crop harvest fire prevention, visit  www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/crops/crop-harvest-fire-prevention-checklist.

Source: Angie Johnson, 701-231-1873, angela.b.johnson@ndsu.edu

Editor: Elizabeth Cronin, 701-231-5391, elizabeth.cronin@ndsu.edu

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