Recently, there have been several rice straw bale fires and there could be more. CALFIRE suspects the cause is the higher moisture in the straw at the time of baling due to the lack of north winds during harvest and baling. They recomend growers monitor the temperature of the bales that are stacked inside barns or close to building or other improvements.

Below is an article that CALFIRE shared with us and is a good resource on how to monitor the bales and what to do in case a fire occurs:

Preventing Fires in Baled Hay and Straw – Ag Safety and Health - Extension

Picture from KRCR website covering the fires