Harvest has begun in West Central Illinois and Monmouth Fire Chief Casey Rexroat has a few reminders to ensure safety for everyone:. “A lot of times that is what happens. A piece of equipment gets hot, or it sparks, or a heat shield is missing, and the crops catch on fire, which in turn catches the piece of equipment that they are driving on fire. So, equipment checks are a huge thing to make sure that everything is working the way that it should, and all the parts are where they should be. Make sure fire extinguishers are there too. I recommend putting a fire extinguisher on all the equipment you are driving and don’t just put it there and leave it for ten years, put it there and check it each year to make sure that it is charged and ready to go.”