AgDaily reports that Gavilon Grain in Rock Port, MO, has been letting 650,000 bushels of rotting surplus soybeans burn for nearly two months. Fire officials decided this is the safest way to manage the blaze.
The fire is a stark reminder of the lingering effects of the devastating flooding that impacted so many Midwestern farmers, the report notes. The beans were soaked by the heavy seasonal rains earlier this year, and the summer sun coupled with the heat of decay caused them to spontaneously combust.
