NW Victorian farmers urged to prevent spontaneous combustion in hay

Farmers in the north and west of Victoria, be they experienced or trying their hand at baling for hay, are being urged to be very cautious in preventing immediate or future spontaneous combustion fires.

Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan said if hay is baled with high moisture content, it can heat up like compost, potentially leading to spontaneous combustion weeks or months later:

"Farmers who have decided to carry on with hay production need to be extra vigilant this year to make sure conditions are right for making any - and for the future storage and transport of the product as well.

"Whether you're a seasoned hay grower or switching to hay this year, it's really important to take care of your hay and crops this fire season."

The CFA responded to 50 haystack fires in the last reporting year and say overheating hay can produce steam or odours like burning, musty, pipe tobacco or caramel smells.