Header fires and lightning strikes add to harvest woes

Lightning strikes and header fires have burnt out thousands of hectares of farming land just as harvest begins. See the latest.

Lightning strikes and header fires have burnt out thousands of hectares of farming land just as harvest begins.

The Rural Fire Service is urging farmers to be vigilant and keep an eye on weather conditions as harvest intensity increases.

A Rural Fire Service spokesman said crews were called to two separate fires at the 52,000-hectare Wyvern Station at Carrathool, west of Griffith, with the larger blaze spanning 6000 hectares last week.

He said there was no threat to individuals or property.

RFS members responded to fires from Hillston to Ivanhoe, Moulamein, Booligal, Coleambally, Jerilderie and Oxley on Wednesday evening.

“There was a lot of storm activity, with lightning, but no rain,” the spokesman said.

On Friday, the RFS attended to an incident at Quirindi after a header caught fire during harvesting. The RFS was supported with waterbombing aircraft.

Lightning strikes blamed for a fire that burns thousands of hectares of farmland in the Riverina. Picture: Rural Fire Service

Junee Shire Rural Fire Brigade group captain Tony Clough urged header operators to blow out machinery to remove dust.

“You need to be blowing out machinery on a regular basis,” he said.

“You must also have a fire unit in your paddock when harvesting.”

Mr Clough said if farmers needed to contact the RFS to check whether there was a harvest warning issued due to the weather, that was likely the best sign that they should be stopping rather than waiting for an alert.

“Harvest is also a good time to give a reminder that as a landholder, you are legally responsible for any fire that escapes from your farm (onto another),” he said.

Western Australian farmer Barry Large of Miling said there had been one stop harvest alert issued last week due to hot and windy weather.

However, despite the conditions, he said harvest was moving along reasonably smoothly.