Horse Health
Preventing Barn Fires
By
May 13, 2009, 11:33

There's a high probability that a barn could catch fire because of its contents. Barns are generally stocked full of potential fire hazards, such as hay, blocked doorways, cobwebs and fans.

If you use fans in your barn to keep animals cool, know that inexpensive box fans are not heavy duty enough for a barn and can pose several hazards. Motors in boxed fans are not sealed, allowing dust and dirt to get into them. The dust and dirt makes them seize and heat up, causing them to melt the plastic house, catch fire and spread.

Instead, a larger industrial fan with a larger power cord would be best suited. Most animals could easily chew through the thin power cord of a box fan. Even with a motor-sealed industrial fan, precautions should be taken.

Barn fires can be prevented with some tidy housekeeping. Keeping loose hay swept and doorways clear can help prevent fire from spreading and causing blockage if a fire occurs. Even a small cluster of cobwebs can spread a barn fire. It is imperative that you keep your barn clean in order to prevent future problems. Generally when a barn catches fire in a rural area, there is small chance that a fire department will be able to arrive in time to salvage anything.

The contents of a barn are valuable, and losing animals, equipment and the building itself can be prevented.



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