Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] MSAR - Barn Fires versus wildfires

msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Mounted search and rescue

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>
  • To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] MSAR - Barn Fires versus wildfires
  • Date: Sat, 05 Aug 2006 00:37:19 -0400

When we run horses out of a barn they go to a fenced paddock or corral area
with a locking gate. If they are in their usual turnout they will remain
there unless something breaks the fences. Yes, as I stated the barn and the
stall are safety to a domestic horse and they will go there if they can't
run away.

I have been fighting structure fires for over 33 years and I know that smoke
kills. I remember when if you had respiratory protection it was an MSA OBA,
where you lit a canister to provide oxygen. I also know that if I get the
stock out most lightweight construction barns are not worth saving if
heavily involved and the old heavy timber barns that are left around here
may stay up, but you don't want pieces falling on you. I can move a lot of
contaminated air with a hose line or a high pressure fan if necessary as
well.

If you can support an engineered automatic fire sprinkler system's water
needs it is the most effective suppression system available. We are not
talking about a roof wetting system but a true suppression system which may
include roof and wall cooling. The problem is most barns are on wells that
cannot support a system or the well is powered by the fire building's
electrical system and the pump dies early. You reportedly need 20 GPM per
head off and hay lofts may need high pressure misting systems as well. In
most cases of a pumped water well supplied system more than 4 heads off will
be too much for the well in my locality. You also have to allow the system
to function until the fire department has fully extinguished and overhauled
the fire. There has not been a loss of life in a building protected by a
properly designed and operating sprinkler system in the US as far as I know.
The key is proper design-- you must get an engineer to cover below the loft
as well as the loft for instance. You must protect the insulation on the
bottom of the roof as well as the structure. And you must not overload the
system by stacking in some extra hay or parking the tractor and fifty
gallons of gas in the aisle.

A local college had a metal hay storage facility go up one day. The stables
and arena about 100 yards away were fully sprinklered. None of the school
horses were injured. The same holds true for wildfires in residential
areas-- the one house left standing was concrete and had all the brush
removed around it in one CA area. We haven't allowed combustible roofs
around here for decades (the cedar shakes are all concrete or treated) and
have only lost one house damaged when a leaf fire got on the roof (it was a
converted barn with a 100 year old real cedar roof) in 33 years. The
Township did outlaw open burning but the Boro hasn't yet.

Irv Lichtenstein





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page