Fire

37 chief · Jul 28, 2020

Mowing today. I get to the bottom of the area. Start back up and see a fire going. It was about 10 ft. in dia. by the time I got there. It was mowed weeds, , and almost flat, but it was sure burning. I tried to run over it, but no luck. I grabbed my water extinguisher, by that time the fire was spreading fast. I got it almost out, and ran out of water. Now the fun begins. It was heading to a heavy brush area 10 ft away. I couldn't put it out by stomping. I jumped on my tractor and slid the rear wheel over the fire several rounds. I was a doing fairly good job. but a little help would have been nice. Then help showed up. two gardeners showed up with two five gallon pales of water each, and put the rest out. Then one points to my tractor. The mower is in flames from the chaff that had built up on top burning like crazy, like wise the rear of my tractor. The last five gal of water took care of that. If the fire would have reached the tall brush it wouldn't have been good, may have made the five o'clock news. The fire was from a rock strike. Stan

DoubleO7 · Jul 28, 2020

Wow, sounds like a close call, to close for comfort.
Was it breezy as well, helping the spark get the smoke out?I

Of the weeds.

:shock:

Patsdeere · Jul 28, 2020

Glad backup came quick. If it had got the tall stuff, news would have been the least of the problems. Sounds like the mower would have been crunchy too.

Have room for 2 water cannons? Maybe time for a mirror? At least you could keep somewhat of an eye on what you have already mowed.

MARK ROBKE · Jul 28, 2020

Is the rock like flint out there? Around here in KY, we just have bluestone and shale mostly. Mark

showcrop · Jul 28, 2020

Nearly the same thing happened to me once. It was going way faster than 2.5 gallons by the time I got to the end and turned around. Fortunately I had my Fire Department portable radio with me and was able to call it in to dispatch and got help. I was mowing on town property.

wjytexas · Jul 28, 2020

I had a pasture to mow last week and it had been real dry. I was hesitant but they got a shower the day before so I went. Then it came a brief shower while I was mowing so I got out without an problem. i don't like mowing damp grass/weeds but when it's been over 100 for a couple of weeks damp is good.

Russ from MN · Jul 28, 2020

Sounds like a good time for you to retire!

47fivewindow · Jul 28, 2020

That was scary just reading it. I'm glad it turned out OK.

ss55 · Jul 28, 2020

When the water runs out a sand shovel or spade can be handy for throwing dirt on a fire, scraping it down or beating it out. Is there a handy place to carry a shovel on the tractor or mower?

37 chief · Jul 28, 2020

I attached a rake, a shovel, another extinguisher, and a mirror to see behind me. I forgot, if the fire wasn't enough, I saw a large rattle snake. I don't know where he will be tomorrow. The first rattle snake in a long time. Stan

JMOR · Jul 28, 2020

(quoted from post at 23:47:02 07/28/20) I attached a rake, a shovel, another extinguisher, and a mirror to see behind me. I forgot, if the fire wasn't enough, I saw a large rattle snake. I don't know where he will be tomorrow. The first rattle snake in a long time. Stan

riving thru fire to try to put it out was almost deadly! The fire took away so much oxygen that it killed the engine! The wind that the fire made was the only thing that save my dumb butt......it blew past fast enough that I wasn't burned alive. It sure was hot & hard to breath for a bit though! I guess the engine needed more oxygen than I did?

paul · Jul 28, 2020

It has only been that dry a few times in my life. We have so much humidity it would be hard to start a fire that way.

Glad it worked out for you.

Paul

caterpillar guy · Jul 29, 2020

It is amazing what a gunny sack tie to a broom with do with a pail of water and use much less water. Flop the bag over the edge of the fire and re soak in pail after a few times. Covers about 3 feet at a time.

MarkB_MI · Jul 29, 2020

You dodged a bullet on that one, Stan! Glad to see it turned out OK with a little help.

miangus · Jul 29, 2020

I have found a cheap snow shovel to work pretty good, a metal one and put a screw in it. Years ago my first wife was burning a little pile of yard debris she had racked up in the backyard. I was leaving to play in a softball tournament. I commented when I left that is was pretty dry and she should be careful. She informed me that all would be ok. When I came home in the evening it looked like the driveway had been used to park cars for a rock concert. Standing in the backyard it was black as far as you could see, at least 1/2 mile in all directions. The house and garage were ok because it was all mowed around them. I went in the house and she was setting at the table exhausted and covered in black soot. She looked up at me and said "don't say a word". She was only a little over five foot tall, but just the same.

Tom in Ga · Jul 29, 2020

You need to make a fire flap and kep it on your tractor or mower. Use an old mud flap and bolt it to a pice of angle iron and put a handle on it. On a small fire just drag it back and forth across the fire and smother it out. Start on the leading edge if any wind is blowing to head it off. Just drag and push it back and forth. Don't fan it. We carried them on our fire trucks and they probably still do.

dr sportster · Jul 29, 2020

Time to stock up on more extinguishers !

DoubleO7 · Jul 29, 2020

(quoted from post at 00:47:02 07/29/20) I attached a rake, a shovel, another extinguisher, and a mirror to see behind me. I forgot, if the fire wasn't enough, I saw a large rattle snake. I don't know where he will be tomorrow. The first rattle snake in a long time. Stan

That rattler will not be in the short grass, lol.

miangus · Jul 29, 2020

How large is large? That would keep me on the tractor, a row crop. They don't get that big in Michigan.

37 chief · Jul 29, 2020

I would guess 2 1/2, 3 ft. The snake had plenty of food, lots of mice in the field. Stan

mudcreek183 · Jul 29, 2020

Years ago I went to up to a field to get some soil samples,when I got home the area where I have my garden was on fire.Had to call the fire dept. to put it out it was headed for the neighbors woods.If the wind was blowing the other way it would have stop at the drive without any issues.It turned out that the electric Co. had some issue with some older transformers the one by the garden sparked and set the dead grass on fire.

Fire

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Similar threads