"Only You Can Prevent Barn Fires"

[Wicky]

@clanter

So, changing ones mind about a box fan really just is not going to happen

The trainer has agreed that box fans are not wise. The barn owner has agreed to have the ones there taken down. I will install the ones I have, and another owner will bring one. It turns out that my small area is the only one with box fans, so I am set. And clanter, sometimes the pig will sing.

Thanks, everyone, for your help!

[PaddockWood]

@clanter

So, changing ones mind about a box fan really just is not going to happen

Hold my beer. :winkgrin:

[PaddockWood]

@clanter

well I have seen more barns burn due to lightning strikes, so our metal barn is fully grounded but I would think most people would not go that trouble

Clanter, what is involved in grounding a barn? It sounds important to do too.

[pony_baloney]

My pony is pasture boarded but the barn, like every other where I’ve boarded, uses old, filthy clogged box fans on the stalls that run all day. When I full-boarded, it took about an hour to take the entire thing apart, blow out the dirt/dust, vacuum, wash and reassemble to almost new.

Years ago another BO and I were standing outside my horse’s stall where my fan was running. While we were talking, a spark shot out of the fan—we unplugged it right away and threw it out. Luckily the spark didn’t start a fire, but what if we weren’t there and the fan continued to run…

The current barn’s fans scare me, and I mentioned the potential danger to the BO. She said she’s been using fans for years and never had a problem. It only takes just one little spark and nine horses, barn, indoor and possibly human lives are lost.

[Zu_Zu]

A visit from the Fire Dept. would help ”¢ to point out fire hazards: wiring … dangerous fans … check out the fire extinguishers … and other helpful tips to ensure barn safety. They will perform barn checks free of charge.

• generally the barn fire extinguishers should be checked and tagged annually for horse barns.

Better Safe than Sorry Ӣ

[clanter]

@Zu Zu

A visit from the Fire Dept. would help ”¢ to point out fire hazards: wiring … dangerous fans … check out the fire extinguishers … and other helpful tips to ensure barn safety. They will perform barn checks free of charge.

• generally the barn fire extinguishers should be checked and tagged annually for horse barns.

Better Safe than Sorry Ӣ

also a Fire Marshal review to make note of the location of hydrants or water supplies and access to the barn(s), most barns/farms have obstructions that keep fire fighters away from the structures or have limited road access. The large structures need complete 360 degree access …but often the needed roadways are not there.

A fully load pumper tucker can weigh over 80,000 pounds

In rural areas without city water or hydrants, check with your insurance carrier to see if adding a swimming pool would reduce your insurance cost as swimming pools are an excellent source for secondary water by fire fighters

[clanter]

@PaddockWood

Clanter, what is involved in grounding a barn? It sounds important to do too.

if the structure is metal, a bonded ground to the frame that run to an independent field ground that is at least ten feet away from any electrical panel ground. The “bond” of the ground the the structure fuses the attachment to the structure rather using a clamped connection which can be problematic . If the structure is wooden, add lightning rods which are then connected to field ground.

My company used to do work for the FAA, on airports we had to independently ground everything. A lightning strike on a fence line could travel GREAT distances …we were required to ground the fence lines every 500 feet or if the fence line made a turn or had a gate. If a gate the fence line had to grounded on both sides of the cut.

I was at a friends ranch when an electrical storm hit, we were watching the horses in the paddocks and field when lightning hit the pipe fence line about a quarter mile from the paddocks…then we see one of the horses in the paddock fall to the ground. It was standing about three feet from the fence line but the electrical charge traveled the quarter mile then jumped to the horse knocking to the ground. Horse was not killed but dazed… after about ten minutes it did get up and could only make left-hand turns … it took about week to “recover” , but I am pretty sure it had a back headache for a long time.

[trubandloki]

@clanter

In rural areas without city water or hydrants, check with your insurance carrier to see if adding a swimming pool would reduce your insurance cost as swimming pools are an excellent source for secondary water by fire fighters

In my part of the world adding a swimming pool increases your insurance premium - they are an attractive nuisance.

[PaddockWood]

@clanter

if the structure is metal, a bonded ground to the frame that run to an independent field ground that is at least ten feet away from any electrical panel ground. The “bond” of the ground the the structure fuses the attachment to the structure rather using a clamped connection which can be problematic . If the structure is wooden, add lightning rods which are then connected to field ground.

My company used to do work for the FAA, on airports we had to independently ground everything. A lightning strike on a fence line could travel GREAT distances …we were required to ground the fence lines every 500 feet or if the fence line made a turn or had a gate. If a gate the fence line had to grounded on both sides of the cut.

I was at a friends ranch when an electrical storm hit, we were watching the horses in the paddocks and field when lightning hit the pipe fence line about a quarter mile from the paddocks…then we see one of the horses in the paddock fall to the ground. It was standing about three feet from the fence line but the electrical charge traveled the quarter mile then jumped to the horse knocking to the ground. Horse was not killed but dazed… after about ten minutes it did get up and could only make left-hand turns … it took about week to “recover” , but I am pretty sure it had a back headache for a long time.

Thank you for this thoughtful reply. We brought up lightening protection with our barn builder and he said no one has ever asked him to install. Can we install without lightning rods on the building? Does that make sense?

[Simkie]

@Wicky

The trainer has agreed that box fans are not wise. The barn owner has agreed to have the ones there taken down. I will install the ones I have, and another owner will bring one. It turns out that my small area is the only one with box fans, so I am set. And clanter, sometimes the pig will sing.

Thanks, everyone, for your help!

Congrats, Wicky, that’s awesome!

[candyappy]

@FitToBeTied

There are a lot of issues that contribute to barn fires can be mitigated by following some common sense and safe electrical practices.

(1) Overhead hay storage in the barn. We store hay in a separate building.
(2) Dust and cobwebs that are not cleaned. I power wash the inside of the barn at the beginning of summer and beginning of fall. Essentially fan season.
(3) Poorly/badly wired barns. A circuit that is going to be running electric motors should be AFCI (arc fault protected). Electric motors will not trip a GFCI breaker even when the motor is going bad.
(4) Any mounted fan should be securely mounted and out of reach of the horses. They should not be able to reach electric cord.
(5) All other outlets should be GFCI protected.
(6) Any electrical wiring within reach of horses should be in metal conduit. Plastic conduit gets brittle over time and can break if grabbed by a horse.
(7) Wires not in conduit should be metal shielded wiring to prevent rodent damage.

I would also add to this the fact that every stall has a fan going? Has anyone made sure that the existing electric can handle that?

Instead of individual fans the barn should put up big fans at the end of the barn to give air circulation. The horses don’t need the fans blowing on them directly, do they?