How to Keep Your Horse Barn Safe and Fire Proof?

A horse barn is a wonderful way to keep your horses sheltered from the wind, rain and snow during winter weather as well as stabled throughout the year in the evenings in a secure environment. Providing safety and comfort are two of the most important features in any horse barn.

Because a horse barn is an enclosed space filled with plenty of easily combustible materials ranging from hay and feed to fuel for tractors, taking steps to prevent a horse barn fire from occuring is always a top priority for every responsble horse owner.

Place fire extinguishers at every entrance to your horse barn and make sure they are charged annually. Keep flashlights stored within easy access in the event your electrical system fails and you need to see inside the barn to lead animals to safety. Ask an official from your local fire department to tour your barn to make suggestions that would improve the structure’s safety and minimize the risk of a fire even starting.

Many horse barn fires start when rodents chew on electrical wiring and sparks ignite a blaze, so have an efficient rodent extermination plan in place for your barn. If your barn design includes a loft, cover the floor with plywood which will serve as a fire barrier to prevent flames from reaching the loft in the event a fire breaks out on the main floor. Know where your nearest source of water is within reach of the horse barn.

Clean your barn on a regular basis, both inside and out. Make sure any exterior grass, bushes or landscaping is kept trimmed, especially during dry weather. As you sweep out the inside of the barn floors, be on the lookout to remove bird’s nests, cobwebs or any other dry material that might come into contact with the electrical equipment and spark a fire.

Use a separate storage shed for tractors, lawn mowers or other field equipment that store gasoline rather than parking them in the horse barn which could serve as fuel for a fire. Make sure your feed and supplies are properly stored to prevent the formation of mold which could incite combustion, and don’t let rags, newspapers or other combustible materials accummulate in piles anywhere within a horse barn.

Maintain your horse barn using fire retardant paints and varnishes and post no smoking signs in and around the horse barn area and insist that everyone working around the horses follows this policy.