Montana Officials Issue Warning About Haystacks Spontaneously Combusting

As someone who used to play drums regularly and play in bands around my old stomping grounds, one of my favorite movies has to be 'Spinal Tap'; a "mockumentary" about a band named Spinal Tap that pokes fun at all of the cheesy cliches in rock music.

One of the gags in the movie is how the band has to constantly find a new drummer due to regular and unusual circumstances. For example, one their drummers "spontaneously combusted."

While it sounds silly in that type of setting and like something that could even be impossible... something similar is happening right here in Montana.

Spontaneous Combustion in Montana

Teton County is alerting residents about the dangers of spontaneous combustion right here in Montana.

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And no, they're not talking about any drummers or mockumentaries.

The Choteau Acantha Newspaper shared a request from Teton County Fire Warden Ben Rhodes to all county farmers and ranchers "to check their haystacks for signs of heat."

It has been reported that volunteer firefighters from Teton County have responded to six different haystack fires that all started through spontaneous combustion.

How Do Haystacks Spontaneously Combust?

According to Biology Insights, spontaneous combustion begins with moist haystacks creating ideal environments for bacteria and fungi to thrive. With tightly packed haystacks, this creates heat that becomes trapped within the haystacks with temperatures reportedly reaching between 130 to 150-degrees Fahrenheit.

If that heat has nowhere to go as the microorganisms continue to grow, then yup, you guessed it: the darn thing will catch fire.

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Experts say to be on the lookout for smoke coming from haystacks and to keep your nose on guard for a "distinct, sweet, pungent, or tobacco-like odor emanating from hay bales" which they say indicates "internal heating, often as a first noticeable sign of microbial activity."

Make sure to keep those haystacks at risk away from buildings and to bale the hay when you can!