URBANA, Ill. – With many farmers embarking on an early, hot and dry 2026 harvest, rural fire departments are brushing up on their training to respond to crop field and farm machinery fires. With at least 51 field and combine fires reported in Illinois in 2025, University of Illinois farmdoc educators devoted a Sept. 9 webinar to the origins, prevention and emergency response protocol for field and machinery fires.

“In November of 2025, a fire started in a combine and quickly spread to the field. The farmer was unable to escape and died inside the cab of the combine. The combine fire also burned 15 acres of farmland and the nearby tractor and grain cart,” said Salah Issa, assistant professor and Extension specialist with the U of I. “Also in 2025, a wheat field burst into flames due to high winds and hot temperatures. Firefighters initially arrived to find five acres of harvested wheat burning. In the end 80 acres were burned, and two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion.”

From 2023-2025, combine fires were traced to a number of issues including bad or hot wheel bearings, fuel or hydraulic leaks, static electricity, exhaust or implement sparks, electrical issues and even arson, according to Issa’s research. Most of the 51 instances from 2025 Issa was able to identify were sourced from newspaper and online articles, meaning the total number of field and combine fires in the state was likely much higher.

“Long periods without rain during harvest, hot, dry, windy periods and excessive dirty crop materials are major causes of field and machinery fires at harvest,” Issa said, adding that in 2025 there were 24 barn fires, four machine shed shop fires, 10 field fires, three grain-related fires and 10 vehicle fires reported on farms in Illinois. “With field fires, at least 420 acres were burned. Nine combines were burned, two tractors and one grain cart were also (reported burned).”

The number of combine fires reported in 2025 was almost twice the amount reported during 2024, leading Issa to reach out to Bill Fulton, field staff instructor for the Illinois Fire Service Institute, in order to delve deeper into the causes of on-farm fires and how to best prevent them.

“When we look at combine fires, typically we think of an overheated bearing, a belt or a jam that causes friction or heat. Static electricity has been an issue to the point that I’ve heard some of the implement dealers are asking the producer to drag a chain just like you used to see on old gas delivery trucks to keep static electricity down on the combines,” Fulton said. “Sometimes you’ll have a leaking fuel line or a hydraulic line that starts to leak and it gets on the heated areas of the combine, starting a fire.

“We see a lot of crop residue accumulations, especially in weather like we’ve had here lately where it’s been extremely hot and dry, and then we get a windy day which gives (a fire) plenty of oxygen.”

Fulton, of the Salem, Ill., Fire Department, further cautioned that a combine’s hydraulic pump can exude excessive heat, making accumulations of crop residue or dust a possible source of ignition. Modern combines also contain a lot of electrical wiring that can short out and cause issues, he added.

“The weather is a big contributing factor to field and brush fires at harvest. When we get into a long period without rain at harvest, when it is hot and dry and maybe windy, we are going to see the possibility for more combine fires,” Fulton said. “In southern Illinois we have already battled three field fires this year.”

Fulton said farmers can reduce the chances for a field or combine fire by doing the following:

- Keep equipment clean and free of loose organic debris. Clean combines have less issues.

- Grease and oil bearings, chains, and other parts to manufacturer’s recommendations.

- Check bearings with an infrared thermometer or thermal imaging camera.

He also recommends that farmers consider keeping a water trailer or truck filled and ready during harvests when a high potential exists for fires. In addition, have a disc or other tillage tool hooked up in advance. A fire break can be made well ahead of the fire, according to Fulton.

Farmers can prepare to respond to a fire by: 

- Keeping two ten-pound Dry Chemical Extinguishers and a shovel on their combine.

- Having a cell phone readily available.

- Knowing your exact (GPS and mailing) location including field entrance locations.

If a fire were to break out, farmers should be:

- Immediately calling 911 

- Getting any other equipment in the burned area well out of the way. 

- Not trying to operate tillage or other equipment right next to the fire. Fires move fast and can engulf you and the equipment.

- Having knowledge of a close water supply in case additional water is needed.

Issa pointed out that in the heat of the moment it may prove difficult to describe the exact location of a fire, and to alert the firefighting team of all the hazards and assets on your farm.

“It is important to invite your firefighter department to your farm and get to know them. Get feedback from them, and provide the firefighting team with knowledge of your farm,” he said. 

The webinar, “Field Fires,” was part of farmdoc’s “Cultivating Caution” webinar series, which concludes with additional webinars on Farmer Mental Health (Oct. 14) and Manure Pit Gases (Nov. 11). All past Cultivating Caution webinars are archived at farmdoc.illinois.edu › webinars.

Download the U of I Extension’s Farm Fire Risks fact sheet at https://go.illinois.edu/FarmFireRisks.