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From: ijk@hropus.UUCP (Ihor J. Kinal)
Newsgroups: net.misc,net.garden
Subject: Re: Spontaneous combustion and people! (really of HAY; compost)
Message-ID: <224@hropus.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 23-Jan-86 13:23:49 EST
Article-I.D.: hropus.224
Posted: Thu Jan 23 13:23:49 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 24-Jan-86 09:06:38 EST
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Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel, NJ
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Xref: watmath net.misc:9190 net.garden:909

>> is Tracey Baker's article.
>>	It does seem strange that something in the body could (supposedly)
>>	generate that much heat, but I have heard of other examples of
>>	spontaneous combustion that sound just as strange.  The most promenant
>>	in my mind is something that was drilled into my head on horse farms:
>>	When new bales of hay arrived at the barn, a thermometer was inserted
>>	into the middle of each bale.  Apparently, if the hay was not cured
>>	properly, the temperature in the middle of the bale could get
>>	high enough to set the hay on fire.  This sounds pretty strange too,
>>	but it does happen.

Give me a break!!!  The reason 'hay' can burn is that grass continues
to 'live' after it's cut; this process, in accordance with the
2nd law of Thermodynamics, gives off waste heat.  The waste heat gets
trapped in the bales, and the temperature rises!!! Voila - fire.
Normally, spontaneous combustion refers to things like oily rags,
which oxidize very slowly, but if the heat cannot escape easily...

Ihor Kinal
P.S.  Supposedly, pouring water on burning hay only makes the problem
worse, since it just speeds up the grass's natural processes.
But I've never confirmed that.
P.P.S.  While I've never seen hay burn, I typically add grass clippings
to my compost heap to help it keep going.  Last fall, after not
mowing my lawn for several weeks, I had a fairly large pile.  After
two days, I turned the pile over, and found a few red embers glowing.
PPPS - Anyway, spontaneous combustion is one thing; the burning of
hay is something else, as I've tried to make clear; neither 
occurrence  can be related in any way that I can see to people
unless you stack piles and piles of them ...