Inspections

[coflyboy1]

A while back IA Gary posted about a fire which destroyed several tractors. In the thread that followed Allan from Nebraska stated that he would not park a tractor in a enclosed building because of the danger of fire.

I decided to do an inspection of the garage where I park my tractor.

I found sawdust behind my radial arm saw 5" from where I weld. Greasy rags that didn"t make it to the metal container where thay are supposed to be stored. Forgotten soaking paint brushes behind paint cans on shelves. An overheated ballast on a florescent light. On the tractor, a loose battery connection on the solenoid, bare wires with voltage on them connected to nothing, and wires running through greasy places.

There are collectors with dozens of tractors in one building. I suspect they have rigid inspection procedures and other protocols to prevent fires.

I suspect that routine inspections by all of us could reduce the risks of fires.

Oh my gosh, I sound like a preacher. Maybe I better hang up.

 

[IaGary]

There have been 5 fires within 10 miles of me this summer where hay has been the cause.

My brothers was one of them.

Two of them had the big round bales of hay stored outside.

4th one was little square bales of hay that was 1 year old. "Leaky roof"???

5th one was new hay stored inside, same as my brothers was.

I'm thinking we had a lot of humidity this year and guys were trying to bale a little to soon to beat the next rain.

Before this year I can't remember more than one incident a year ever.

Gary

 

[Coloken]

I can see storing tractors in a building, but puting tractors in the same building with wet hay---what are they thinking about. A hay barn shouldn't even be close to any thing else.

 

[havvey]

My father always believed to have several buildings one just for storage one as a welding/repair facility. This would cut down on losses they wern't much for insurance back then.

 

[TripleRange]

You sure the cause was the hay and not someone else? 5 in 10 miles sounds a little fishy to me.

 

[IaGary]

Fire Marshall found the cause to be the hay on 3 of the five. Others wern't checked.

Gary

 

[Chad Franke]

I've actually heard some insurance companies are demanding that, say if your working shop is the same building as your storage area, it will be cheaper to build a new building than insure it as is, and I can see why. Welding in one end of the shop, fire gets out of control, all the tools, project there go up, that's bad enough. Now, if there's a $200,000 combine, $30,000 truck, couple of $75,000 tractors in the same building...

 

[Anonymous-0]

I agree. I haven't heard of hay caused fire in decades. Hay involved yes but not the cause of the fire. I think there is a firebug loose. We had a batch of barn fires thirty years ago and it was a guy who got a kick out of all the excitement it caused. He would be there watching and offering condolences. The cops and neighbors knew it was him but there was no proof. One farmer saw him at his barn fire and went after him with a firearm but the cops wrestled it away from him and talked him out of homocide. It must have made an impression on the firebug because the fires stopped and he moved away.

 

[msb]

Local fire inspector says that in every case where a barn burned new hay was stacked against or on top of old hay. Never investigagted a fire where only new hay was in the barn. FWIW,bob

 

[Anonymous-0]

Certainly not preaching there, that's a good thing, taking a look around ones place, and taking notice of hazards like that. The rags and other combustibles + electrical items are good reminders, and keeping an eye out for these kinds of things does no harm, the consequences are unforgiving.

 

[Leon R]

Unfortunately "financial combustion" is all too common however I store my hay separately and am careful not to put iffy bales in there as well. If you have concerns about the bales heating up shove a long metal rod into the stack and pull it out once in awhile to check to see if it is heating up.

 

[Dairy Farmer in WI]

my dad has a dangerous shed. he has about 10 diesel and gas cans all together NEXT to 5 gallon pails full of waste oil near the welder. But he weld OUTSIDE of the shed since the welder has a door by it. tehn all the light bulbs have no covers so theya re all dusty (not that he uses them that much anywho) A dusty combine Grain drill, Corn planter and Grinder mixer. he knows he has a dangerous shed but don't know what to do about it. i might sneak over there and clean it up
df in wi

 

[Goose]

During all the years I've done body work I've had one unbreakable rule. I will never, EVER, weld on a vehicle within an hour of closing up shop. And still feel the welded area to make sure it's cold before I leave.

 

[Anonymous-0]

There is a lot of good reason to follow that rule, I do the same thing.

The lumber yard where I worked years ago, had a contractor doing some plumbing work on a friday afternoon, maybe a heating repair, was winter time and cold, I remember seeing the guy sweating pipe joints in between old wooden timber joists, the building was over 100 years old. Later that evening, it went up, hardware store, main office, and the old stable converted into a pine lumber shed, we called it the pine shed. I'm sure it was the old timber that was scorched or something not seen smoldering, rumor was it was done intentionally to look that way, who knows, but the raging fire that followed was one of the biggest fires I've ever seen. Years back, many of the old timber and brick breweries burned and were probably the worst fires they ever had to fight, but this was a close 2nd. Old buildings had a lot of character, not exactly the safest, one area where they kept the rough hardwoods for the mill shop kind of escaped, fire went high and fast, that repair should have been started in the morning, the area soaked first and someone on alert, carelessness, those firefighters had a real tough time on that one. Our punch clock was near the store front, I remember pulling my singed time card out of the rack, was the only one who came in the next day and made all the deliveries that could be done.