Harvest season is quickly approaching, and it’s important to stay safe from field fires. 

Weyburn Fire Chief Trent Lee said while field fires can happen at any time, they are most prevalent during harvest.  

“Basically, for a field fire to start, combustible materials must be ignited under the right conditions,” said Lee. “Ignition source could be from a spark from a harvesting machine, heat from a worn-out bearing, or vehicles parked in the field. Usually, with a car or pickup truck, it’s the result of some kind of combustible materials, such as hay or grass being in contact with a catalytic converter or exhaust manifolds as those pieces of equipment can easily run for 500 degrees.” 

Lee said people should always pay attention to where and how they are parking, especially when driving across a field. 

“It's not just parking on tall grass, it's a concern your vehicle could pick up loose material during the drive, and could easily ignite after you park, even if you're parked back in your in your house on your driveway.”   

He added these fires happen every year during harvest.  

“People get busy, they get delayed or the weather messes things up, and then once they get back to the field they're in a rush to get combining or get processing and things happen really quickly.” 

He said there are several things people should do to be prepared, such as having a fire extinguisher available, being cognizant of their land location, and knowing how to give 911 the proper directions to the fire.