Fire Safety in Horse Barns

     A recent tragedy has prompted me to write on this topic.  A recent horse barn fire claimed three horses and a heifer.  This happened in a barn that has had no problems before, but, as the news reports stated, it only took a spark from burning some trash nearby to cause the total loss of the barn, equipment, and the horses.

     According to fire experts, fires in horse barns spread very rapidly and cause a great amount of damage in a very short time.  That make sense when one considers what is usually found in a horse barn.  Just about everything is combustible, including the bedding, the hay, the materials that the stalls and barn are made of, down to the dust that tends to collect on most surfaces, including the spider webs in the corners and on light fixtures.

     When a fire starts in a stall, there is very little time to react and get the horse in that stall to safety without sustaining some type of injury.  It only takes two to three minutes for a straw fire to burn an area 10 feet in diameter.  By the time the fire is four feet in diameter, the horse will have suffered injury; by 6 feet, there will be lung damage, and it only gets worse from there.

     The Penn State Cooperative Extension Service has a comprehensive document that reviews fire safety in horse stables and makes specific recommendations that horse barn owners should consider when building a new facility or working in and managing an existing barn.  The web address for that publication is extension.psu.edu/pubs/ub034.  This link will open a pdf document, so wait a bit before navigating away thinking nothing is happening.

     Horse barn owners should do everything possible to prevent fires, and most do a good job of this.  Here is a summary of things to consider in your horse barn:

·      Store hay and bedding in a separate building from the horse stable.

·      Minimize fuel and ignition sources in and around the barn. Be sure to store and dispose of combustible materials properly.

·      Keeping the barn neat and clean has aesthetic appeal, will minimize the risk of fire, and increase the chances of escape during a fire.

·      Post and enforce a No Smoking policy.

·      Be sure that the facility is accessible to emergency vehicles and that the ground around the buildings is sturdy enough to support them.  Fire trucks weigh in excess of 40,000 pounds.

·      An effective tool for preventing fire spread is to separate the buildings.

·      All barns should be outfitted with a lightening protection system and inspected regularly. Only certified professionals should install and inspect the lightning protection system.

·      Having multiple water hydrants around the barn will give more options for early fire suppression.

·      Know where additional water sources (e.g., ponds) can be located.

·      Have at least one charged and mounted ABC-type fire extinguisher every 50 feet.

·      Be sure wiring and all electrical equipment is rated for agricultural use, is in working condition, is free of dust and cobwebs, and is housed in PVC conduit. Wires with UF-B ratings are preferable.

·      Design stalls with two exits that open into a secure, enclosed area and be sure that any swinging doors do not obstruct pathways.

·      Have halters and lead ropes easily accessible on stall doors.

·      Post written emergency information at each phone. This information should include written directions to the facility and a list of commonly kept combustibles.

·      Post and practice evacuation routes.

IN CASE OF FIRE, do these things:

1. Remain calm

2. Survey the scene

3. Call 911 or Fire Department

4. Evacuate.

     There just won’t be much time to get animals and equipment out of the barn in the event of a fire, unless the barn is designed to minimize fire damage and there are not many combustibles in the barn.  A lot of the early warning devices are not designed to work in a horse facility, or other agricultural buildings.  Use the best recommended warning devices in horse barns.  Each type has some drawbacks.

     Again, check out the Penn State publication for a more in-depth review of how barn fires can start and ways to prevent them from happening in the first place.