Burning the Stubble

Best seen large.

At this time of year there are many stubble fires. The smoke fills the afternoon sky. I've often hoped to see one close up, but if I chase one I either arrive too late or I'm downwind in the smoke.

Today a local farmer invited me to go with him in his truck while he did the burning. In the first field he explained the process, but I was in the cab and the action was going on out of my sight. In the second field I got out and watched from a distance.

Firebreaks had already been ploughed around the edges. The tractor with the precautionary water sprayer was in position.

Starting the fire was simple. He dropped a match into a heap of straw close to a harrow that he towed behind the truck. Then he slowly dragged the fire along the swath of straw. It didn't take long for a wall of flame to spring up behind him. The downwind side was back burned first, followed by the far side. The upwind side took a while to catch because it was sheltered by a windbreak. With a couple of passes it was away.

It is a very exciting experience to be in a 20 acre field on fire!


I have been much better today. My foot is a bit sore still and I walk with a limp, but that won't last long. I am amazingly tired though.