Preventing Barn Fires
By: Dr. Bryan Myers
Its one on the toughest phone calls a pork producer can receive —a call that your hog barn is on fire. Unfortunately, this is a tragedy I had to experience this year. More often than not, barn fires result in extensive loss of both property and animals. I cannot stress enough the importance of developing a fire prevention and emergency response plan for your farm. Not only will you lessen the chance of a fire occurring, but you will reduce your losses if one does occur.
Fire prevention begins with construction of the building. Many barn fires are spread throughout a barn through the attic. Having firewalls in the attic will decrease the draft and subsequent spread of fire through a barn. All electrical work should be installed and maintained by a professional (do not cut corners on this one.) Wiring should not only be protected from the elements, but also from the animals and rodents who can chew on them. Spec-grade electrical equipment should be used throughout the barn with special emphasis on making sure receptacles are spec-grade. Spec-grade receptacles are more resistant to corrosion, which can be caused by gases present in swine buildings. Place fire extinguishers strategically throughout the building and plan for a storage area where combustible materials can be stored safely.
It is very important that all systems and equipment within your barn are maintained on a regular basis. The heating systems in your barn are critical components that could lead to a fire if they are not maintained. Maintenance of their components will benefit you in two ways. First, a properly maintained heating system operates more efficiently thereby saving operating costs. The second benefit is that a properly maintained heating system may lead to a decrease in risk potential for a fire. Some problems that may be seen with heaters include: missing heat shields, combustible materials too close to heaters, very dirty heaters, and damaged gas or propane lines to the heaters. All lights should have protective covers. Feed motors, fan motors and any other electrical equipment should have all wires sufficiently covered. Any exposed wires could potentially cause a spark which could ignite dust, gas, or other flammable materials present in a barn.
Day to day decisions can also decrease the chance of fires. Make sure all heat related tools such as welders and torches are sufficiently off and cooled down before leaving the barn. All electrical equipment not necessary, such as washers, dryers, power washers etc. should be turned off when nobody is present at the barn. These few extra minutes could save you a tragedy!
Unfortunately, methane gas explosions are becoming way too common. Methane gas explosions have most often been seen when barns have been left empty between groups of pigs and when there is a manure foaming issue in deep pitted barns. The first step to prevent an explosion when a barn is empty is to not shut the heat off and close up the building. Leaving the heat on and keeping your fans running prevents the methane from building up. The second thing you can do is to vent the building prior to turning on the heaters after the barn has set idle. Foam on top of liquid manure can contain 60-70% methane. When this foam is broken up through agitation or other means, it releases this stored methane into the air. It can become explosive and a very small spark could ignite it. Manure may be foaming enough that pit ventilation is inadequate or even non-functional. In these cases, wall fan ventilation or curtains may need to be adjusted to compensate for the inadequate pit ventilation. Pits with significant foam present should not be agitated until the level of the manure is at least 2 ft. below the slats and, if possible, only agitate manure intermittently.
It is critical that producers have planned ahead in the unfortunate case of a barn fire. I highly recommend pork producers have at least three types of insurance covering buildings, animals and business interruption to help if a tragedy such as a barn fire hits. Building insurance should be based on replacement cost and animal coverage is based on the value of the animals at the time of the fire, just another reason why accurate animal inventories should always be kept. Business interruption insurance is recommended to ensure the producer can keep operating or resume operation if there is a major loss.
If there is a fire discovered in a barn, quick action can decrease the loss of property and animals. Do not wait to determine how “bad” the fire is. Immediately dial 911 and give the fire department clear directions of the location of the site. Shut off the gas and electricity to the barn. If there is risk of the fire spreading to other buildings, concentrate on isolating the other buildings by cutting hallways between buildings.
As always, if you have any questions about barn design, maintenance, insurance, or fire prevention, feel free to contact someone from Pipestone Veterinary Services. We care for your safety, as well as the safety of your animals, and your operation!
Office Number: 319.332.0260
Email: bmyers@pipevet.com