I guess it was all the dry weather we have had, but when you pass a field here where a combine is cutting beans, there is a huge dust cloud. We were coming back home yesterday afternoon, and saw what I thought was smoke on the horizon, and I told my wife that it looked like a fire somewhere. Turned out to be the dust made by 4 combines in a bean field. That was a relief.
Several years back we had a REALLY dry fall, it was drought conditions and there were several forest fires burning which is a rare thing to have happen in this area...at least a serious fire that burns for any period. Anyhow....during that time there were also several combine fires. Your post regarding the dust made me think of it.....
It's probably 50/50 on the bean fields that have been harvested locally. The field we rent out to a local farmer...actually his grandson....the farmer passed this year....is still waiting to be harvested. It's ready, but he's still in school and playing ball so time is tight for him....he's a hard working young man.