‘Very high’ crop fire danger for northwest Iowa – Iowa Capital Dispatch

There was virtually no rainfall in Iowa this previous week, and the chance of fires related to harvest are elevated within the western a part of the state, in accordance with the Nationwide Climate Service.

There now are “very excessive” dangers of cropland fires in areas of northwest Iowa, the service says.

“Although parts of northern Iowa acquired its first widespread freeze final week, drier and hotter circumstances are anticipated to persist for the foreseeable future and farmers ought to stay vigilant about mix and area fireplace dangers,” mentioned Mike Naig, the state’s secretary of agriculture.

To date, there have been no less than three fires in northwest and northeast Iowa related to this 12 months’s harvest.

Statewide, the typical rainfall final week was .01 inches, in accordance with a Monday report from State Climatologist Justin Glisan. Usually, about three-quarters of an inch of rain falls in every week this time of 12 months. This previous week was additionally about 4 levels cooler than regular.

About 11% of the state’s corn crop had been harvested as of Sunday, and 26% of soybeans have been harvested, in accordance with a Monday report by the U.S. Division of Agriculture.

Each remaining crops within the area have been rated 61% good to wonderful, a slight drop from final week. Dry circumstances have worsened statewide, with “excessive” drought spreading throughout northwest Iowa. In that area, lower than a fifth of farmland has satisfactory moisture for rising crops.