This message is from: Mike May <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: only you can prevent hay fires Hay fires are a danger anytime small bales are stacked at 20% moisture or higher, or big bales at more than 16% moisture, warn Cornell University safety experts. They say the quickest way to detect hot hay is to drive a long pipe or rod into the center of the stack. Leave it in for 20 minutes and pull it out. If it's too hot to hold in your hand, the hot hay should be removed immediately. If you think you have a problem, monitor the stack temperature with a homemade probe. Take a 10' piece of ¾"-diameter steel pipe and drill eight holes about 3" from one end. Hammer that end together to form a sharp edge, drive the pipe into the stack and lower a thermometer to the end. Retrieve it after 10-15 minutes. Check the temperature daily if it's above 120 degrees; twice a day if it's 140-150 degrees, say the experts. At 150 degrees, the hay is entering the danger zone; check the temperature every two hours. If its between 150 and 160 degrees, start moving hay out of the stack. At 160 degrees or higher, call the fire department. Have firemen on site before moving any hay.
