Pantagraph.com Weather forecast, local radar and more
NewsTuesday, October 2, 2007 5:39 PM CDT
Comments Comments (11) | E-mail this page E-mail this page | Print this page Print this page | Enlarge type Enlarge type | Reduce type Reduce type | Search archives Search archives | RSS RSS feeds | Add to My Yahoo! Add to My Yahoo!
Trash burns cause field fires in McLean, nearby counties
By Greg Cima
gcima@pantagraph.com
Advertisement

SHIRLEY — Out-of-control trash burns ignited many of the field fires in McLean and neighboring counties over the weekend, causing damage to valuable farmland while keeping rural firefighters busy.

Among those was a field fire near Shirley that jumped fields and burned portions of land of three owners Sunday afternoon and evening. Two of those fields were harvested cornfields and one contained standing soybean plants.

Metcom Director Tony Cannon said firefighters were called to 11 reports of grass, brush and field fires between 10:45 a.m. Saturday and 10 p.m. Sunday on a particularly dry and windy weekend. Fires were reported in areas near Shirley, Gridley, McLean, Arrowsmith, Cropsey, Towanda, Danvers, Cooksville and Ellsworth.

But Cannon said those 11 were only reports, and he didn’t know how many were under control or out when firefighters arrived.

Metcom is the dispatch center for Normal and most of McLean County.

Affected farmers could face a “double whammy” of a loss during a year of above-average yields locally and high prices for commodities, said Kerry Tudor, professor of agricultural economics at Illinois State University.

“From what I’ve heard, the yields have been very good,” Tudor said. “And we’ve also had some very good prices simultaneously.”

Mike Swartz, manager of the McLean County Farm Bureau, said that, using Friday’s prices and estimates of some yields for the area, an acre of standing corn could be worth about $600 and soybeans could be worth about $460 an acre.

The financial impact can be borne either by farmers themselves or split between farmers and landowners who jointly take on the cost of production, he said.

Shane DeVault, assistant fire chief for Bloomington Township, said between 10 and 15 acres of a standing bean field were among the 50 to 75 acres of ground burned during Sunday’s fire near Shirley.

The township’s firefighters were called to the scene about 1:15 p.m., and DeVault said they were there until 6 p.m. putting out hot spots. Only a few embers would be needed for a fire to take off again, he said.

While all signs pointed to an out-of-control trash fire, DeVault said, the official cause of the fire was accidental and undetermined.

Fires throughout the area

Danvers Fire Lt. John Slaughter said a fire that burned 25 acres of a harvested soybean field near his town nearly ignited a standing cornfield about 12:15 p.m. Saturday.

A resident was burning trash in a barrel and thought the fire was out before going into his house, Slaughter said. When he came out a few minutes later, the fire had spread to bean stubble in a nearby field.

Mount Hope-Funks Grove Fire Lt. Eric Fulk said his department’s firefighters were called to a field fire near Atlanta in Logan County shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday. The flames were close to some backyards and were blowing toward at least one local business, he said, adding that it didn’t take long to extinguish the fire.

Fulk said he was told the fire started with a burn barrel. Another small trash fire next to a shed in McLean was extinguished without the shed catching fire about 3:15 p.m. Saturday, he said.

A fairly dry September

Despite Sunday night’s rain, the area was still below average for precipitation in September, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Dan Smith. He said the area was still about 1.6 inches below the average of 3.1 inches of rain for September, according to recordings in Peoria, which likely had the closest indication of what Bloomington experienced.

Smith said the combination of above-average temperatures, relatively low humidity and relatively dry conditions combined with high winds Sunday, increasing the risk of fires.



Field fires 101

Though many of the field fires over the weekend were caused by out-of-control trash burns, overheated farm equipment during the harvest season can also spark blazes.

Here are some safety tips many farmers follow:

-- Keep harvest equipment clean and remove dust, plant debris and trash from each machine daily.

-- Check engine fluid levels at the start of each day.

-- Keep a two-way radio or cell phone in your pocket to call for help if a fire breaks out.

-- Talk to your neighbors about the dangers of burning road ditches or trash piles under windy conditions.

-- Planting 20-30 feet cover crop buffer zones near the edge of the field next to the road ditch. The cover crop raises the relative humidity in the crop residue canopy, making it harder to ignite.

-- Only burn brush piles under the right circumstances (others nearby who can help, when water is available, when the fire department has been notified, etc.)

-- Carry one or two fire extinguishers on the combine in case a blaze breaks out.

SOURCES: Iowa State University Extension; University of Idaho Cooperative Extension; Conservation Technology Information Center

Take a look
A Bloomington Township firefighter stands between a burning harvested corn field and a soybean field as it caight fire during Sunday afternoon field fire near Shirley. Pantagraph/STEVE SMEDLEY
Video
Most commented stories
Browse online archives
Recent issues:
Reader comments on this story - 11 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Hey!!! wrote on Oct 2, 2007 5:23 PM:

" Stop ALREADY, DON'T BURN ANYTHING WHEN IT WINDY OR DRY! USE COMMON SENSE END OF STORY. "

Cardboard wrote on Oct 2, 2007 11:55 AM:

" That is my point. On the farm or in the country you don't have much choice, with the exception of recycling. As far as the small town folks, there is no reason to burn trash. Garbage pick up is provided and billed through means of a surcharge on the water bill. That along with recycling, there is no reason to burn trash. Yet these people (usually older people) still insist on firing up the old 55gal burn barrell or the burn pile that smolders for hours. Either they have no regard for their neighbors or are just plain ignorant. "

hmmm wrote on Oct 2, 2007 11:10 AM:

" how can they use this to raise gas prices...lol "

to..To: Cardboard wrote on Oct 2, 2007 10:24 AM: wrote on Oct 2, 2007 10:48 AM:

" I think the original cardboard msg was refering to people who live in TOWN not in the country or on a farm. JUST TOWN FOLKS....I used to live in the country and burned too I totally understand that. But what I agree with people who live in town not burning. They don't need to. I live in colfax (unfortunately) and there is not a limit on how much they will pick up. I have cleaned out my whole garage and had my whole front yard full of stuff and furniture and they have picked up everything. Even came back to take some more. "

To: Cardboard wrote on Oct 2, 2007 10:24 AM:

" Maybe you don't live in the country and don't understand. We are limited to how much trash our carrier will pick up, they will not pick up old boxes or yard wast so why am I going to pay them to do it or go out of my way when I can just throw the branches, old cardboard, private mail or old wooden junk onto the burn pile in back? BTW, I have never started a field fire and have been holding off on burning until the neighboring fields are completely down. "

LOOK wrote on Oct 2, 2007 10:23 AM:

" COOL "

to cardboard... wrote on Oct 2, 2007 9:40 AM:

" i agree. I live in colfax and we have garage pick up that is on your water bill. People there still burn. I think it is stupid. I can understand yard waste or sticks but not to burn your trash when you PAY for it to be picked up. I get tired of having to close up the house b/c my red neck neighbor wants to burn his/hers smelly trash. They need to learn that they are in town now and don't need to burn. Plus, some people have allergies or just cant breath the stuff that comes out of it. My son as asthma, so people need to be aware of that when they burn. "

WOW wrote on Oct 2, 2007 8:23 AM:

" Hopefully the farmers have crop insurance. "

Coming soon wrote on Oct 2, 2007 7:40 AM:

" Will be an article about a subdivision west of Bloomington where there's a lot of timber and dry grasses. There seems to be people who burn all the time in dry conditions and next to dry timber grass and weeds. The controlling body has been notified about the terrible smell and danger since some of these fires have been burning for days or fired up every weekend and no one watching them(as the law requires). Only difference is if/when this happens there's the potential for people being hurt or killed and may be a huge amount of property loss. Some people just don't get it. "

Cardboard wrote on Oct 2, 2007 7:04 AM:

" I don't understand burning trash especially if you DON'T live on a farm. What is the deal with people and their burn barrells in small towns. There is garbage pick up that we pay for. If you are afraid of filling the landfills, then recycle. "

Okay, Lesson One wrote on Oct 2, 2007 6:02 AM:

" you should not start a fire when it is that windy. I know you feel bad, but where was your common sense? "
Add your own comments

Please read the rules before posting comments.

You must be logged in to leave comments.
If you don't have a member ID, please register.

*Member ID:
*Password:
Remember login?
(requires cookies)
  Forgot Your Password?
 
Lee Enterprises Customer Service | 301 W. Washington St., PO Box 2907, Bloomington, IL 61701-2907 | Ph. 309-829-9000 | 800-747-7323
Copyright © 2008, Pantagraph Publishing Co. and Lee Enterprises. All rights reserved. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy