000153639 001__ 153639 000153639 005__ 20251017144555.0 000153639 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.3390/agriculture15080908 000153639 0248_ $$2sideral$$a143804 000153639 037__ $$aART-2025-143804 000153639 041__ $$aeng 000153639 100__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-3630-7931$$aVidegain-Marco, María$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000153639 245__ $$aAssessing Fire Risks in Agricultural Balers: A Comprehensive Study 000153639 260__ $$c2025 000153639 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted 000153639 5203_ $$aAgricultural machinery, particularly balers, plays a crucial role in forage management. These machines are prone to fire incidents caused by mechanical friction, heat buildup, and the accumulation of crop residues, among other contributing factors. Despite their operational importance, fire risks associated with balers remain largely understudied. This research aims to identify critical fire risk factors in large square balers through a combined analysis of survey data, temperature monitoring, and residue characterization. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 144 large square baler users to assess fire incidence and potential risk factors. Contingency table analysis and binary logistic regression were applied to identify variables significantly associated with the fire risk. Additionally, temperature data were recorded in six balers during two harvesting seasons, and residue samples were collected and analyzed to assess their ignition potential. Using a rake for windrowing was the only variable significantly associated with increased fire risk, making balers 3.4 times more likely to experience a fire (p = 0.034). Temperature analysis showed that the feeder fork brake (190.6 °C) and hydraulic pump (128.7 °C) were the hottest components, but none of the recorded temperatures exceeded the 250 °C ignition threshold of fine agricultural residues. Residue analysis showed that particles smaller than 250 µm accounted for 39% of the total material, underscoring their potential to contribute to fire propagation. This study highlights the critical influence of raking equipment on fire risk in balers and emphasizes the importance of preventive measures such as enhanced cleaning, real-time temperature monitoring, and improved mechanical design. These findings provide actionable insights for reducing fire hazards in agricultural operations and optimizing baler safety. 000153639 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby$$uhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es 000153639 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 000153639 700__ $$aAyudán-Ibarz, Carlos 000153639 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0003-0373-8310$$aVidal-Cortés, Mariano$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000153639 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0001-8526-351X$$aBoné-Garasa, Antonio$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000153639 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-0227-1934$$aGarcía-Ramos, Francisco Javier$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000153639 7102_ $$15011$$2500$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. CC.Agrar.y Medio Natural$$cArea Ingeniería Agroforestal 000153639 7102_ $$15004$$2545$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Ingeniería Mecánica$$cÁrea Ingeniería Mecánica 000153639 7102_ $$15002$$2305$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Ingeniería Diseño Fabri.$$cÁrea Expresión Gráfica en Ing. 000153639 773__ $$g15, 8 (2025), 908 [16 pp.]$$pAgriculture (Basel)$$tAgriculture (Basel)$$x2077-0472 000153639 8564_ $$s1582609$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/153639/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada 000153639 8564_ $$s2518500$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/153639/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada 000153639 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:153639$$particulos$$pdriver 000153639 951__ $$a2025-10-17-14:13:03 000153639 980__ $$aARTICLE