A helpful resource for horse and barn owners.
DID YOU KNOW? During 2006—2010 an estimated 830 structure fires in barns per year were reported to U.S. fire departments, with associated losses of $28 million in property damage annually.
Leading Cause of Fires in Barns (top 6):
% Fires Per Year 23% = 191 barns
Heating equipment
Heat lamps are the leading equipment involved in the ignition of barn fires, followed by wiring, lamp, light bulb or lighting.
16% = 133 barns
Electrical distribution
8% = 66 barns
Exposure
6% = 50 barns
Intentional
Fires are more common during the colder months of the year (peaking in January), between noon and 9:00 p.m.
% Fires Per Year
An agricultural crop, such as hay, is the leading item first ignited in these fires (15%), followed by a structural member or framing (13%).
Spontaneous combustion
3% = 25 barns
Playing with heat source
3% = 25 barns
0%
5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Source: Structure Fires in Barns, Ben Evarts, NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA, June 2012