CFA Advice: How to Prevent Hay-stack Fires this Season

As hay season rolls on across Victoria, the Country Fire Authority (CFA) is urging farmers to heed vital safety measures to reduce the risk of haystack fires - an ever present concern during peak heat and harvest conditions.

Joining Jess Dempster on FlowFM's Country Viewpoint program, CFA Assistant Chief Fire Officer Steve Alcock spoke frankly about the dangers, prevention strategies and what to do when fires occur.

He said, over the past 12 months, the CFA had responded to more than 70 haystack or hayshed fires, with more than half occurring in the western and northwestern regions of the state.

“These fires can ignite quite spontaneously,” Mr Alcock warned. “The most common trigger is spontaneous combustion caused by excess moisture or heating within stored haybales.”

To help prevent such fires, Mr Alcock emphasised the importance of measuring hay moisture before baling and avoiding the storage of wet hay. He recommended leaving the hay to dry on the ground for no more than 7 days before baling to minimize the risk of internal heating.

“Once bales are stacked, store them in smaller, intentional lots—not wall-to-wall or floor-to-ceiling stacking,” he said. This segmented approach ensures that if one stack ignites, it does not immediately spread to others. Additionally, he said that hay sheds should be kept dry, with downpipes cleared and run‑off directed away from stored hay. Machinery, which often finds its way into hay storage sheds, should be kept out entirely. Fires can spread easily from bales to equipment, causing catastrophic losses.

Mr Alcock also reminded listeners of the critical steps to take in the event an emergency arises.

"If a haystack fire breaks out, call Triple Zero immediately," he said.

"If the property the fire is on is remote or difficult to access, or if the fire is located far from a main road, it is vital to have someone meet and guide the fire crews to the site. That gives us the best chance to get to the fire efficiently and safely and start doing what we can to save the structure and its contents."

He also advised maintaining cleared vegetation around hay storage—grass and plants should be kept under 100 millimetres - a simple step that can prevent fire from spreading into other paddocks or nearby crops.

He concluded with a straight-forward message for listeners: vigilance and preventive action remain farmers’ best tools. With proper drying, thoughtful stacking, maintenance of sheds and surroundings, and careful monitoring of bale temperatures, many fires can be avoided.

For more information, farmers are urged to consult their local CFA brigade or visit the CFA website for guidelines.