ARTHUR, Ill. (WCIA) — Farmers and firefighters are raising alarms about the risk of field fires in Central Illinois due to the dry conditions over the past 40 days.

The hot weather combined with no rain is not only creating fire-conducive conditions, but also impacting yields for some farmers.

“Initially, in early August, we were expecting a great harvest because of favorable rains, but the subsequent heat and dryness have been concerning,” shared Lucas Roney. 

Duane Hopkins, a veteran firefighter with four decades of experience in Arthur, who has also been involved in the seed business with Prairie Green Seed for 30 years, assisted farmers with their harvest recently and noticed the effects of the dry spell.

“The crop has dried down exceptionally fast, and creates a tinder box per se, it doesn’t take much to get a fire started,” Hopkins said. 

Hopkins added that once field fires get started, they’re hard to put out in these conditions. 

Hopkins recounted a fire incident from the last two years that started small but expanded over six miles, highlighting the importance of proactive measures.

“Farmers are often more equipped to tackle fires promptly before they spread, unlike us, as our water supply is limited, and once depleted, needs replenishing,” said Hopkins.

Preventive actions, especially maintaining combine bearings and other farm machinery that might break down or create sparks, are crucial, both Hopkins and Roney emphasized, as these issues are the leading causes of field fires.

“We do a lot of preventative maintenance for that reason, make sure we catch those failing bearings before they cause a fire like that,” Roney said.

He said there is one thing that will help with yields and fire risk as farmers approach the harvest.

“If we get a couple inches of rain in the next few weeks that’d really help, we’ve got soybeans that haven’t fully matured yet,” Roney said.