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An ongoing problem for sunflower producers in the Dakotas is the concern of combine fires during harvest. Numerous farmers have lost both combines and crops to fires started during the harvesting process. The most recent harvest season produced a large outbreak of fires during soybean harvest in the Upper Midwest. Working with equipment dealerships, producers, state fire marshals, and climatologists, data are being aggregated regarding what regions of the Midwest experienced an outbreak of combine fires during the 2011 harvest season. Weather and crop conditions at the time of the fires will be examined. Total numbers of combine fires will be estimated from sample data, as will the total amount of damage sustained due to these fires. This research may help identify mechanisms leading to combine fires and may lead to modifications in both practices and machines with the goal of limiting the risk of fires during harvest