Dry weather across Central Illinois in the past 40 days is making field fires a real concern, according to farmers and firefighters. The hot weather combined with no rain is not only creating fire-conducive conditions, but also impacting yields for some farmers.
โWe thought we had a bumper crop going into the beginning of August, because we had timely rains, the heat kind of hurt and then it turned off dry,โ Lucas Roney said. Duane Hopkins has been a firefighter in Arthur for 40 years, and has sold seed with Prairie Green Seed for 30. He helped nearby farmers with the harvest this past weekend โ and noticed the impact of the recent weather.
“The crop has dried down exceptionally fast, and creates a tinder box per se, it doesnโt take much to get a fire started,โ Hopkins said. Hopkins added that once field fires get started, theyโre hard to put out in these conditions. The experienced firefighter said he responded to a fire in the past two years that started small, but ended up spanning six miles; itโs exactly why prevention is key.
