WHEN Ouyen grain grower Ian Hastings fell into what he describes as a "wall of fire", he thought it was going to be the end of his life.

What started as a benign paddock fire -- a typical event at harvest time -- grew into a two metre-high blaze in a matter of seconds, leaving Mr Hastings with severe burns.

This event took place during the 2019-20 harvest, exposing serious shortcomings in the fi...