Haystack Fire Prevention

The Challenge

Haystack fires happen spontaneously and with little warning. Variables, such as moisture at harvest/storage, sugar levels, aeration, and temperature, can play a factor in the likelihood of a fire occurring.

However, these factors are not quantified or modelled, leaving farmers to rely on decades old approaches such as testing with crowbars.

The Solution

This project identified and reviewed the data essential to understanding haystack degradation as a precursor to fires, and how to process that data so that it can be transmitted through the existing limitations of satellite technologies.

The project aimed to develop an easy and accessible way to monitor haystacks on properties that have low telecommunications coverage.

The Outcomes

• Assist producers and farmers in understanding the health status of haystacks on their properties
• Prevent spontaneous and dangerous fires that, if uncontrolled, can cause widespread damage to the environment and private property

Project Updates:

Final Report - May 2023: Haystack Fire Prevention

News - July 2022: Great Bales of Fire! Haystacks Burn for Data Collection

Video - July 2022: Haystack Fire Prevention, Partner Perspective

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For more information, please contact projects@foodagility.com