Every year, the National Fire Protection Association marks Fire Prevention Week in October, spreading information about fire safety. The time is especially apropos for horse owners since Fire Prevention week originated, according to legend, because of a fire in or near a barn. This year Fire Prevention week is underway between October 9-15, 2022.
Fires - A danger to horses and humans
Fire Prevention Week is a good time for horse owners to take make sure their barns and homes are fully protected from the ravages of fire.
As the weather grows colder and days become shorter, the use of electricity and heating devices increase making it important to do a safety check to ensure that electrical shorts or heat from sources such as stall heaters won't lead to a fire.
Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on October 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on October 9, 1871.
According to the popular legend, the fire broke out after a cow belonging to Mrs. Catherine O'Leary kicked over a lamp, setting first the barn, then the whole city on fire. People have been blaming the Great Chicago Fire on the cow and Mrs. O'Leary, for more than 130 years. But recent research by Chicago historian Robert Cromie has helped to debunk this version of events.
Like any good story, the 'case of the cow' has some truth to it. The great fire almost certainly started near the barn where Mrs. O'Leary kept her five milking cows. But there is no proof that O'Leary was in the barn when the fire broke out - or that a jumpy cow sparked the blaze. Mrs. O'Leary herself swore that she'd been in bed early that night, and that the cows were also tucked in for the evening.
According to fire prevention experts, hay stored in a horse barn is often cited as a fire hazard. In fact, rare cases in which moist bales of hay in the middle of a tightly packed storage can lead to spontaneous combustion have been noted. Wet hay allows for growth of microbes, which produce heat as they spread through the bales. The temperature in the middle of the stack can get hot enough to combust, and the surrounding hay will help the fire spread rapidly.
Hay fires can be prevented by storing bales to allow maximum airflow. Instead of pushing an entire winter's worth of hay together in the hay loft, keep as many separate stacks as is practical. Steam rising from the stack or condensation on the ceiling of the storage areas are indications that your hay is damp and may be a combustion risk.)
More often than not in the case of a barn fire, hay combustion isn't the cause, but it is a fast-burning fuel for a barn fire. Because of this, hay and other flammable items like straw or wood shavings should be stored in a separate building from the one in which horses live, if possible.
Faulty wiring, lightning strikes and dropped cigarettes are among the most common causes of barn fires. Prohibiting smoking in and around the barn is an obvious first step to protecting the health and safety of horses and humans at the farm.
Regular inspections of the barn's electrical systems are an important fire-safety precaution. Even if a farm has new wiring, if it is exposed, it can be chewed on by animals and is open to the weather. While you can't change the weather, a lightning rod is still the most reliable form of protection for your barn.
Fire extinguishers should be located at every exterior door and next to the main electrical panel box. It is important to make sure that fire extinguishers are fully charged and in workable order.
If you don't already have easily heard smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide fire detectors installed in your barn and stable areas, now is a good time to get that done. If you do have them in place, now is a good time to change the batteries and make sure all detectors and other equipment works properly.
Note: This updated fire prevention article was previously posted on EquiMed on Friday, October 11, 2013