A hay fire is imminent if you detect these signs in your hay storage area:
- Temperatures that continue to rise above 150°. Once they hit 170°, a fire may already be present somewhere in the bale. Take every precaution when handling hay at this temperature.
- Visible vapors coming from hay.
- A slight caramel or composting odor. Hay bales produce a particular odor prior to spontaneous combustion. If you detect these warning signs, remove bales to get to the center of the stack and probe the bales there.
- Collapsing pockets within bales.
