ELECTRIC APPLIANCES
Radios, clippers, animal vacuum groomers, dryers, heat tape, water heating
coils, heated water buckets, stock tank warmers, fence chargers, extension
cords—did I leave out something? Amazing, isn’t it, how many electrical items
are in our barns or connected to our barn’s electrical supply?
All portable appliances should be disconnected when not in use, and if an
extension cord must be used temporarily, make sure it’s one of the heavy
duty industrial grade cords, not a lightweight extension cord that you would
use in your home.
Electric water heating coils can pose a problem if they are not attended
because once the water has boiled out the coil will continue to heat the
bucket, allowing heat to transfer to adjacent materials. In November of 2000,
twenty Standardbreds lost their lives in a fire whose cause was believed
to be a portable submersible electric water heater. The 1300-watt heater
was placed in a plastic bucket despite the manufacturer’s recommendation
that it should only be used in metal containers. Officials recovered the
remains of the two-foot-long metal coil, with melted plastic stuck to it,
against a wooden wall where the fire started. Thirty-five horses died in
Lebanon, Ohio in 1989 in a fire that was apparently started by an electric
water bucket heater. A disconnected prong that was still warm had been placed
in a bucket near some rags, setting the rags afire when a gust of wind blew
the bucket over.
Don’t take chances with anything that heats up! If you’re using an electric
water bucket heater, stay right with it for the entire length of time you’re
using it and when you’re done with it, hang it from a hook in an open area
and leave it there until it’s completely cooled. If you live in a colder
climate where winter time temperatures are low enough to freeze water in
buckets, there are several types of heaters that are either built into the
bucket or are applied to the outside of a bucket. To be on the safe side,
though, before buying a bucket heater, ask your fire inspector or building
official about the fire safety level of the heater you’re interested in.
You don’t want to install buckets only to see your barn burn down because
a horse (or other animal) chomped on an exposed electric cord.
That takes us to other types of heaters and heat-generating sources. The
problem with heaters of any type is that if they blow or radiate on bedding,
hay, cloth, or even leather, they can quickly create the potential for fire
by drying out the materials, which then makes items more susceptible to reaching
their ignition point. Before you add heat—for whatever reason—please carefully
consider if it’s really necessary. Most healthy horses, even newborns, need
only wind protection.
A number of years ago, research demonstrated that the length of daylight
affected the condition of a horse's hair coat, so some people took to using
sunlamps and extra light sources to keep hair coats in prime condition. It
was an unwise shortcut. In addition to the high heat-generation levels, unguarded
units provided "playthings," and in several instances, horses broke
the bulbs and electrocuted themselves. In 1996 a horse at Belmont Park was
killed in a fire that he started when he reared and toppled a heat lamp,
which then set some hay on fire. Hair coats can be kept in good shape by
other methods.
I was recently in a new barn where, according to the proud owners, “everything
electrical had been done right.” From what I could see that was true. Neat
lines of metal conduit traveled the length of the aisle, there were outlets
in front of each stall, small appliances not in use were unplugged, and there
were no extension cords to be seen. But, a hazard was being created by a
clip-on heat lamp near the top corner of a stall. The metal shield was much
too close to the wooden beams. Over time, if the lamp was used often, the
radiant heat would dry out the adjacent beams, quite possibly to a stage
where they would begin to smolder, probably unnoticed. If there was dust
or cobwebs between the lamp shield and the beams, ignition would come easily
with enough radiant heat. The drying-out process wouldn’t happen overnight
but eventually the dry wood might become a hazard.
Any electric appliances permanently installed in the barn, including hot
water tanks, treadmills, and insect-control devices should be routinely inspected
by a qualified electrician. All electrical devices need to be cleaned every
three months. A can of compressed air is usually all that is needed.
Firefighter Jim Schlabach, a member of the Clarence, New York Fire Department,
was at a barn fire in 1991 that was caused by a faulty electric hot water
tank. "We had a horse stable and riding arena burn," he said. "The
alarm was sounded at 1:30 AM. The building was 200'x 160' and fire was showing
throughout the entire length when we arrived. Forty horses perished besides
the building being a total loss. Only three horses were saved.”
Perhaps a routine inspection of that hot water tank might have found a potential
problem and averted the fire, but since there's no way of knowing if an inspection
might have produced a different outcome, why take chances? Inspections are
cheap insurance.
In some parts of the United States we go from the dead of winter into blazing
summer overnight, and we race to put up our box fans. The inexpensive fan
we use in our home is too dangerous to use in our barn. Two fillies died
in Paris Pike, Kentucky in July of 2002 when a box fan overheated and ignited
straw, and that’s just one example of hundreds of similar incidents. When
dust gets into the motors of these light-duty fans, the motors seize up and
burn out. The fans to use are designed for agricultural and industrial settings
and their motors are sealed so no dust can get in. If you look at the back
of the fan and see wires, the motor is not sealed. There are many brands
of agricultural fans that are available with different kinds of mounts so
you can hang the fan from either a beam or a wall. Standard features on almost
all agricultural fans include galvanized construction, enclosed motors with
thermal protection, welded wire guards on the intake and exhaust sides, and
a heavy-duty power cord. You can buy these fans at an agricultural or electrical
supply store or through catalogs.
Here’s something to consider, though. If you are boarding your horse in a
large stable where everyone is using box fans, it doesn’t do you much good
if you have a top-of-the-line agricultural fan and other people are still
using residential fans. If the motor in one of those light duty fans burns
out, your horse is in just as much trouble as if you had a residential box
fan yourself. Every stall has to have the correct type of fan if the barn
is to remain safe. John and Kimberly Linger suffered the loss of 44 horses
when a fire started by a residential type box fan set the barn on fire. Kimberly
and I corresponded about our mutual concerns and our emails follow this article.
A man who posted fairly frequently regarding fire safety on a Google newsgroup
took a lot of flak from other newsgroup posters who even accused him of being
an arsonist, to which he responded, “Arsonist? We have enough self-inflicted
accidental arson as it is. . . due to thoughtless good intentions and ignorance.”
Here’s what he said about fans in response to someone who said, “Do you have
anything more to post other than morbid barn fire stuff?”
“You know what, to my way of thinking on my barn fire postings like this
one. . .just maybe someone out there will read this that has those cheap
residential box fans running in their barns (I see them everywhere in all
kinds of barns, the working poor man’s barns to the rich man’s show places).
. .maybe they will reconsider leaving them on unattended (at night), check
them over real good, clean them, etc., hopefully replace them with an industrial
or ag type fan. Just this morning I had an early call at a local farm. Large
main barn . . . walking down the alley way I saw dirty/dusty box fans hanging
on all stall fronts, sloppy extension and power cord arrangements. Barn owner/manager
was whining about our weather, it has been very hot here (Kentucky), even
at night lately. She said last night she just couldn’t turn those fans off,
afraid the horses would get too hot, left them running all night in a barn
full of horses. You know what, if that is all I had to move some air around,
I had rather have hot horses than dead horses. Healthy, well-adjusted horses
in good condition can take the heat—especially, and even more so night temps,
even if unusually high. . .they are idle, and no high, bright sun. A sick
or otherwise compromised horse is a different matter. Yes, there are times
and places a box fan is your only alternative, but they should never be left
on unattended (like overnight). If you must use box fans in your barn, please
clean/check them often . . . and for gawds’ sake pay attention to those power/extension
cords.”
The Bridlewood Stables Fire in Pinch, West Virginia – August, 2007
Around 6:00 on a Sunday morning a neighbor call in the fire, but as is
often the case, by the time the fire crews arrived on the scene, the barn
was already gone and 44 horses had died from smoke inhalation. Kimberly and
John Linger saw their family business and life’s passion wiped out in minutes.
In January of this year, Kimberly wrote to me, “I did want to clarify that
the fire at my stables was started by a fan that was only two months old.
I thought you might want to add to the list of causes as defective products.
I did have all new wiring, 20 fire extinguishers, a fire hydrant 100 feet
from the entrance, the fire department two blocks from the barn, and hay
storage separate from the stables. In addition, there was a strict no smoking
policy that was enforced. We also didn’t allow any green [not well cured]
hay, and all equipment and the manure bins were kept away from the barn.
I had a master electrician do all of the new electrical wiring just like
you would have done in a home or apartment complex. This was more than a
business; it was my family’s entire life. I truly hope this info can help
with your studies.”
My response was, “You did everything right in your barn, there’s no question
of that, but one small ‘slip up’ was all it took. That’s the horrible part
of barn fires—it’s usually something totally preventable if only we were
aware of it. You mentioned the fire was started by a fan, and I’m assuming
the fan was a ‘box type’ like you can buy at K-Mart or Home Depot. They’re
made for residential use and the motors aren’t sealed like the ones designed
for agricultural use. In our barns, dust gets into the motor, heats up, and
catches the plastic housing on fire, which then very often burns up the whole
fan housing and in the process generates smoke and dripping plastic that
ignites the stall bedding. I would like to know what type of fan caused the
fire so you and I can warn others about it.”
Kimberly was quick to reply: “The fan was a box fan, purchased two months
prior to the fire. I would greatly appreciate your help on getting the word
out on this. I have been in the horse world in this area for seven years
and have visited most of the farms, stables, etc. and show grounds. They
all use these types of fans in the summer. The manufacturers do not specify
any of the information that you just gave me on the motors. Maybe this will
be a good place to start. I have been in contact with several of the horse
magazines and would like to include your website in any future articles.
I also plan on eventually rebuilding and have been researching all of the
ways to build a fire proof barn. Thank you and please let me know of any
suggestions you may have.”
In March, Kimberly sent me this email: “I hadn’t thought about this until
I was looking at some recent tack catalogs, but when we were talking about
how box fans were not intended for stable use, they are being marketed for
just that purpose (emphasis mine). There are several companies that sell
and manufacture brackets to hold these fans above your horses. They are specifically
designed to hold 20” box fans purchased at “any retail or hardware store,
regardless of the brand.” If the horse owners across the country are being
sold these convenient brackets, how can they think that it would be dangerous?
The fans don’t say that they can’t be used this way and there are even companies
that make it easier to use them in there stalls. I just thought this may
be something you can add to your website. I know now from personal experience
how dangerous the current models are, but unfortunately there are hundreds
of thousands of these well-meaning horse owners, who see them advertised
for this exact purpose. I even noticed in some of the magazines, pictures
of the box fans being used in stables, including warnings of keeping the
electrical cords up where the horses cannot reach them. So again, no one
knows that they shouldn’t be used because they see the advertisements and
photos of the horse industry using them too.”
Kimberly and John Linger’s sad experience has focused my attention on getting
changes made in the labeling of residential box fans that are not safe for
use in any animal facilities because the motors are not sealed and dust can
create an extreme fire hazard. I have contacted Underwriters Laboratories,
Inc. and the Consumer Products Safety Commission, about requiring warning
labels on product boxes, which is a relatively cheap fix for manufacturers
of residential type fans. The labeling will also help to direct attention
to products that are specifically designed for agricultural use.
By the way, it’s not just the fan motors that can create a problem: the electrical
cords on the residential fans are too light-duty for use in a barn where
one chomp on a wire by a horse or other animal can create a spark that starts
a fire. The cords on agricultural fans that are not hard-wired in place are
heavy duty, well-insulated, and/or encased in flexible conduit.