The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1909-07-29
Spontaneous Combustion and
Barn Fires.

danger of barn fires as the result
of spontaneous combustion in i'm
perfectly cured hoy. The average
number of barn firts in this state
annually, due to this cause, is 81
and the average loss is ~ ,0S0 pei
fire, and these constitute about
one fifth of all the fires due t.
spontaneous combustion.
These, like the great majority
of fires, are preventab!e by the ex
ercise of intelligence and proper
caie.
James Kinniburgh Brown OF
Edinburgh, Scotland, in an ad-
dress some years ago, discussed
tins question and quoted from the
Scientific American as fnl'ows:
cit is noticeable that large
number of the burnings of barns is
mentioned by the periodic Il press
in the summer than of any other
time. Some of the fires are un.
doubtedly caused by lightning, the
moist vapor from the un-cured hay
making II favorable conductor of
the electric fluid. But there are
barn fires which can not be attri-
buted to lightning, to lighting of
matches, to light from lanterns,
nor to the invasion of careless
tramps. 1t may be that the spon
taneous combustion of hay is as
possible as the spontaneous firing
of cotton waste. All fibrous ma.
terial when moist and compressed,
and defended from the cooling in
tluences of the outward air, is
subjected to heating similar to
that of fermentation, and in some
instances the degree of heat is suf-
ficient to cause actual, visible
combustion. In the case of re.
Gently cured hay this danger is as
great as, in similar circumstances
other materials may be. Ere
quently the grass is cut in the
early morning, while wet with
dew; is turned twice during the
day, and gathered and packed in
the "mow" or ebay" before night
fall, with perhaps a sparse sprink-
ling of salt. Such a compressed
mass of fibrous, moist matter will
heat"
Everybody conversant with
farm life, where hay is perma.
nent and important crop, knows
that for weeks after getting in the
hay the barn Is warm when the
doors are opened in the morning
There is an amount of heat that is
absolutely unpleasant when the
thermometer outside registers 60
degrees, but which is quite wei.
come with the outside temperature
at 40 degrees. This barn heat is
undoubtedly from the moist hay,
and enclosed. The cure
for the possible danger Of possible
spontaneous barn burning would
seem to be the thorough curing
drying-of the hay before it is
housed. We dry all our herbs and
some of our vegetables without in
iuring their peculiar and lndivid-
ual qualities. There ls no reason
why hay as other fodder material
standing in large masses should
not be rendered not susceptible to
the influences of heat by thorough
drying"
The foregoing but mildly states
the danger of fire from this source.
A writer in the publication above
quoted bears personal witness to
the truth of the following:
A field of hay had been cut in
the morning and a storm coming
up it was hastily raked together
in piles and covered to project it
from the rain. The following day
the workmen on passing through
the field noticed that the hay was
hot and one of them suggested
that it might be hot enough to
Ignlte match. Another dropped
a match in one of the piles and
they passed on. In five minutes
from the time they left it, the hay
was ablaze.
And this occurred III an open
field. How much more liable there
fore, is spontaneous combustion to
take place where the hay is packed |
in large quantities in barn where
little air can circulate.
The simple remedy suggested
above is easy applied. And if the
farmers of the state will take heed,
and give this matter the attention
it deserves, spontaneous combus-
tion as n cause Of barn fires should |
cease to figure in the fire statistics
Of the Ohio Fire Marshaps De-
partment, JoHN W. ZUgER,
State Fire Marshal.