Seed cotton fires have become a major concern in all areas of the cotton industry including the producer, ginner, dealer, manufacturer and insurance carrier. Surveys of cotton fires across Texas in 1995 indicated that 21% of the fires were found in pickers, 20% in strippers with no field cleaners, and 59% in strippers with field cleaners. Seed cotton is insured from the time the cotton is in the harvester basket until it goes into the gin. The coverage starts again as the lint bale exits the gin and continues until it reaches the warehouse. Industry reports indicate that 90% of all cotton seed fires from 1993 to 1995 occurred prior to ginning. The number of fires reported in baskets also increased during this period where 8%, 45% and 53% of the fires prior to the gin were found in the harvester basket for the years 1993, 1994 and 1995 respectively. The rest of the fires were found after the module was built. One of the major concerns of the industry is the trend in fires from 1993 to 1995 where the number of claims were 72% more in 1994 and 164% more in 1995 when compared to the claims in 1993. One gin reported a loss to premium ratio of 2.8 to 1 for 1995.