A recent account from a Scottish Borders farmer provides a sobering reminder that machinery fire precautions should not end when the final field has been cut.
Farmer Annabel Hamilton reported that her team finished combining on Sunday 16 August and left the machines in the field. At approximately 4.30am the following morning, the fire and rescue service was called to a combine that had been destroyed by fire.
Nobody was injured, no crop was damaged and the machine was not parked in the farmyard. The business completed harvest using an older combine.
The cause remains under investigation. It would therefore be wrong to attribute this particular fire to a maintenance fault, crop debris, an electrical issue or any other specific source. Nevertheless, its timing makes it a useful prompt for every farm to review precautions before, during and after machinery operation.
Why combines present a significant fire risk
Combines work in an environment where several risks come together: hot engine and exhaust components, bearings, electrical systems, fuel and large quantities of dry crop material.
The Health and Safety Executive identifies overheating and the accumulation of combustible debris around hot machine components as potential causes of agricultural machinery fires.
Long working days add another consideration. Cleaning or inspection can be rushed when operators are tired, weather is closing in or another field needs to be finished.
A robust system therefore needs to make fire prevention part of the normal operating routine, not something left to an individual driver's judgement at the end of a difficult day.
Six checks farms should review
1. Follow a recorded cleaning routine
Dust and chaff should be removed regularly from the areas identified in the manufacturer's instructions.
Particular attention may be required around the engine bay, exhaust system, bearings, belts, pulleys and other locations where heat or friction can develop. The appropriate locations and cleaning method vary between machines, so generic online advice should not replace the operator's manual.
Before cleaning, use a safe-stop procedure: disengage drives, lower equipment where appropriate, stop the engine, remove the key and wait for moving parts to stop.
Where compressed air is used, operators need suitable eye and respiratory protection. Never direct an airline at clothing or another person.
A signed daily check provides more assurance than an informal assumption that somebody else has completed the job.
2. Investigate heat, smells and smoke immediately
A hot bearing, unusual smell, electrical warning or wisp of smoke should never be ignored to finish another bout.
Stop in a safe location and investigate using the manufacturer's procedure. Thermal cameras or temperature-monitoring equipment may support inspections, but they do not replace maintenance and competent diagnosis.
Defects should be recorded and the machine taken out of service where continued use could be unsafe.
3. Maintain the machine before and during harvest
Planned servicing should follow the manufacturer's schedule, with additional attention during intensive seasonal use.
Checks may include:
- Bearings, belts and moving components
- Wiring, batteries and electrical connections
- Fuel and hydraulic hoses
- Exhaust shielding and heat guards
- Fire-suppression equipment
- Portable extinguishers
- Emergency exits and cab access
Temporary repairs can introduce new hazards. Damaged guards should not be removed permanently, and leaking fuel or hydraulic systems require competent repair.
4. Review extinguishers and suppression systems
NFU and fire-service guidance recommends keeping a suitable, serviced extinguisher on the combine and ensuring relevant workers know how to use it.
The correct number, capacity and type should be selected through a fire risk assessment and professional advice. A small portable extinguisher is not equivalent to an approved automatic fire-suppression system.
Life takes priority over machinery. If a fire is established, spreading or cannot be tackled immediately without risk, move away and call 999. Nobody should remain near a burning machine to protect equipment or crops.
Extinguishers must be inspected and serviced in accordance with their instructions. Operators should know where they are mounted and be able to reach them without moving towards the fire.
5. Plan how emergency services will reach the field
A fire plan should work in the actual fields where harvesting takes place, not only in the main yard.
Before work begins, confirm:
- How the driver will raise the alarm
- The field entrance and access route
- Whether bridges, gates or tracks restrict fire appliances
- The locations of water supplies and hydrants
- Where fuel, fertiliser or chemicals are stored
- Who will meet and direct the fire service
- How livestock or other workers would be moved
- Whether mobile reception is reliable
Keep a charged phone on the operator, rather than leaving it inside a vehicle that may become inaccessible. Location applications can assist, but clear local directions and accessible entrances remain important.
6. Include an end-of-day inspection
The Scottish Borders incident occurred several hours after work had finished, but the cause is not yet known. It should not be presented as evidence that a particular cooling or parking practice would have prevented that fire.
It does, however, justify reviewing what happens when a machine stops for the day.
Establish a formal shutdown inspection based on manufacturer, insurer and fire-service guidance. Consider where the combine is parked in relation to standing crops, straw, buildings, fuel and access routes. Record any overheating, damage or warning signs found during the final check.
Make responsibility clear. “Someone normally looks around it” is not a dependable control.
Where a Farm Packs emergency kit fits
A vehicle emergency pack can help keep practical items such as a torch, high-visibility clothing, first-aid supplies, a power bank and signalling equipment together in a cab or support vehicle.
The FarmPacks Vehicle Safety Emergency Kit also contains a powder extinguisher. Before relying on any included extinguisher for agricultural machinery, confirm its rating, capacity, condition and suitability against the farm's risk assessment and the machinery manufacturer's advice.
A compact kit supports emergency readiness; it does not replace an appropriately specified combine extinguisher, an approved suppression system, operator training or an immediate call to the fire service.
Review the FarmPacks Vehicle Safety Emergency Kit by its individual contents and decide how each item fits into the farm's wider emergency plan.
Turn the incident into a practical review
Before the next machine leaves the yard, ask:
- Is the cleaning schedule documented?
- Does every driver know the hot spots to inspect?
- Are extinguishers suitable, accessible and in service?
- Is an approved suppression system required?
- Can the fire service reach every working field?
- Is the emergency location information readily available?
- Who completes the final shutdown inspection?
- Does everybody understand that personal safety comes first?
The cause of one combine fire may remain unknown. The controls available to every farm are much clearer: maintain the machine, remove combustible debris, investigate warning signs, provide suitable equipment and ensure workers know how to respond.
This article provides general safety information. It does not replace a suitable fire risk assessment, competent training, official guidance or the machinery manufacturer's instructions.
Sources
Farmers Weekly: Farmer Focus — We became part of combine fire statistic — 11 September 2026
NFU: How to prevent farm fires during harvest time — 14 July 2026
HSE: Safe use of combine harvesters — published 2012
HSE: Agricultural machinery thermal hazards — accessed 12 September 2026
