Fires are hazards that affect the lives of many, but they’re also often preventable. A report on farm animals by The Poultry Site notes more than 1.4 million farm animals, including nearly 1.3 million cage-free hens, have perished in preventable barn fires in 2020. Some of these were caused by electrical malfunctions, such as improperly placed or faulty heating devices, which is why more than two-thirds of barn fires occurred during the cold winter and spring months. If left unchecked, these small cases of negligence may spark future fires and greater farm damage — which can imperil agriculture production across the country.
As Maryville University’s feature on agriculture notes, this industry brings in $7 trillion to the US economy — providing raw materials, creating a strong supply chain, and encouraging job growth, to name a few. Whether directly or indirectly, its influence on sectors like farm production to apparel and food and beverage sales makes it all the more critical to other industries. It’s a farm owner’s responsibility to safeguard their farm from fires, to ensure its growth and profitability.
In this article, we’ll cover how you can prepare your farm and prevent fires from occurring. Here are some things to consider on how you can proactively protect your crops, livestock, and equipment:
Building Construction
Safety can start with the farm building itself. If you’re looking to construct a new building for housing livestock, horses, or equipment, make sure to check your local building codes for requirements and permits. You can also go beyond standards and set extra measures for your buildings such as:
- Installing smoke detectors, fire alarms, and sprinkler systems
- Using fire retardant latex paint
- Placing a firewall between hay/bedding storage and stable area
Although farms rely mainly on traditional/non-technology methods of fire prevention, additional emerging tech may help with fire prevention. A study on AI by the Agricultural University of Athens found that artificial intelligence (AI) can optimize the design of materials and fire retardants. Through simulation models, AI is capable of mapping out fire risks and hazards around farm buildings, as well as testing the effectiveness of safety measures like sprinklers. Through the use of advanced technologies, farm owners can maximize their fire safety investments.
Preventative Measures
One crucial fire prevention measure is identifying key ignition sources around the farm or ranch. As mentioned earlier, electrical and heating sources are often the main culprits of starting fires. Here are some other ignition sources you should be wary of in your livestock housing:
- Cigarettes and matches
- Sparks from machinery (trucks, tractors)
- Heaters and motors
- Electrical fixtures, wires, and Lithium ion Batteries
- Chemicals that react with each other, water or dampness
After identifying these threats, it’s important to remove ignition sources or move them away from highly flammable materials such as horse blankets, bedding material, pesticides and herbicides, and hay and straw. Having designated areas for storage can help with organization and monitoring. For actively-used equipment such as a heater or machinery, make sure to do routine maintenance and inspection on the wiring.
Purchase Fire-Fighting Equipment
As shared in our post on “Rethinking Fire Suppression Strategy in the Wildland Urban Interface”, more than 45 million homes reside within the wildland urban interface (WUI), putting them at high risk for any fires that are either preventable or unpreventable, due to weather. These numbers can make it difficult for wildland firefighters to reach your farm to put out fires, especially when homes and farms are far apart.
By having fire-fighting equipment on your farm, you can mitigate the damage caused by smaller fires. Tools such as our Macaw® Backpack is a compact and ergonomic portable Compressed Air Foam Systems, which can both put out fires directly or limit their spread via wet lines. Make sure to keep these systems easily accessible by placing them near exterior doorways or in the middle of long aisles. By taking these safety precautions, you can slow down and minimize major damages.
Intelagard also offer units to fit on your ATV/UTV, golf cart, or in the back of a pickup truck. These mid-size units are perfect for covering large area of land and travel for a rapid response.
For more information on man-portable fire suppression systems for your farm or ranch, email info@intelagard.com.
Guest writer, Athena Lee
