Orange smoke spewing into air isn’t from fire, but could be deadly, PA experts say
It’s about that time of year where farmers gear up for early-season corn silage, a practice that sometimes occurs out of necessity, like when farmers run out of feed for livestock a little too soon. In Pennsylvania, harvest time usually presents itself around the end of August, when silo gas can get in the air.
And it can be deadly.
RescueTechs, LLC, a Facebook page run by professionals who provide safety warnings to the public, posted about silo gas rising in Lebanon County.
“We suspected we might see gas issues and the photos below are from yesterday morning in Lebanon County. Silo was filled Monday with early season corn silage,” RescueTechs said in a Sept. 3 Facebook post.
Silo gas has a distinct color that is different from other forms of smoke.
“Silo gas is actually nitrogen dioxide, an extremely toxic, yellowish-brown gas with a bleach-like odor,” the National Farm Medicine Center said.
“During the fermentation process, oxygen combines with nitrates in plant materials resulting in the production of nitric oxide gas. This combines with oxygen in the environment to produce nitrogen dioxide.”
Being exposed to the gas can lead to serious health complications.
“Every year in Pennsylvania, we learn of farmers that have either died or become seriously ill as a result of exposure to silo gas. This serves as a reminder of the dangers that farmers and potentially emergency responders can face during harvest time,” RescueTechs said.
The post noted that the smoke was horrible, and that folks shouldn’t confuse it for a fire.
“And I had a separate call from a farm in Berks County that they had issues as well. In so many words he said it’s the worst he has ever seen. For clarification, this silo is NOT on fire,” the post said.
Lebanon County is about a 90-mile drive northwest from Philadelphia.