A hay shed imploded near Cann River on Monday morning after the haystacks spontaneously combusted.
Around 200 bales of hay went up in smoke and despite the best efforts of CFA crews from Cann River, Mallacoota and Bemm River they were unable to be salvaged.
Nine firefighters fought the hayshed fire on West Cann Road at Noorinbee, which broke out just before 6am.
It’s the second hay shed fire on the property that the CFA crews have been called to in the past fortnight.
On Australia Day, the same crews attended a fire on a different part of the large property.
Once again the fire was early morning, just before 6.30. The hay shed was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived on the scene.
Because of fire restrictions, an excavator was required to remove about 200 bales, which were then individually extinguished.
It took crews about 14 hours to ensure the fire was suffocated.
Sergeant Stewart Johnson, from Mallacoota Police, says it’ s a timely warning for farmers to be aware that hay stacks can catch fire in hot conditions if they are put away too green.
Green haystacks are more likely to have high moisture content and it’s the excessive moisture that can lead to a haystack fire.
The bacteria in moist hay produces a chemical reaction that builds heat and fuels a fire.
Making sure haystacks aren’t packed too tightly and there’s room for the air to move through will help overcome the problem.
Some farmers insert a crowbar through the centre of the hay so they can ascertain if the bales are becoming too hot.
He says being aware of the problem, particularly in warm conditions, and regularly checking the hay is a good way to ensure an outbreak of fire in a haystack doesn’t occur.
PICTURED: Firefighters from the Mallacoota, Bemm River and Cann River CFA hose down hay bales, which caught fire on Australia Day at a property at Noorinbee. A fire broke out in a second hayshed on Monday.
