Fire in a barn is unimaginable, yet I have seen a few and the results afterward, and it scares me.  The best thing is to prevent fire while having a fire suppressant system is the next best thing.

Fires are usually accidental, but someone with a deranged mind has intentionally caused some. Unfortunately, there is no natural prevention for that.  For the others, there is diligence in examining and repairing anything amiss with your electrical systems.  Also, never store flammable things in the barn – goes without saying.

What kills horses and people first is carbon monoxide – the smoke.  Passing out is the only saving grace because the next step is burning.  Smoke detectors in the barn are helpful if they work. However, dirt and fly excrement on the sensor may cause a malfunction.  Any system like this needs testing regularly. 

Having doors from the stalls to the outside is a lifesaver as it may be impossible to enter a smoke-filled building, let alone one on fire.  Rumors say that horses have frozen in their stalls in a fire.  There is no proof that this rumor is true.  They aren’t that stupid, but they might go the wrong way in confusion.  Having an outdoor door will work,

Water dispensed through overhead pipes is the best insurance against losing life and building in a fire. But unfortunately, it is usually beyond the means of most horse owners.  In an ideal world, I would have them in my barn and outside doors in the stalls that automatically open when the fire alarm goes off.  I haven’t seen that one yet, but I would create it in my ideal barn.

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