The best way to avoid the worst kind of emergency for your barn is to prevent a fire from starting. At MilMar Post Buildings, we build customized post-frame structures for commercial, agricultural and residential uses. We understand the proper codes it takes to construct your barn, but we can only get you halfway there as far as fire prevention. It’s up to the barn owner to ensure that your post frame structure remains safe and clear of all fire hazards.
Here’s how you can put your best foot forward in staying in the clear.
Prevention
Diagram your barn and determine where these sources are. Your fuel sources can include hay, bedding, gasoline, wood, and textile materials (blankets, cloth, etc.). Ignition sources include poorly wired electrical cords, fire starters, motors (from sparks) and other appliances such as heat lamps and fans to maintain compliant temperatures. Ensure you’re doing the best you can to separate these.
Detection
To reiterate, prevention is the best way to stop a fire from starting. But the next best thing you can do is to properly detect a fire and react. A great way to detect this is to use a detector. Fire detection is not a substitute for fire prevention.
The three main types of fire detection are smoke, thermal and flame. Each of the three has different levels of detection, and all should be hardwired to technology that sends a message to you local fire department.
Smoke Detectors are a poor choice for barns, as the debris from dust and particles might trigger the alarm to go off regularly without actual incidence. Smoke detectors are well-suited for cleaner areas of a barn, but not in the main structure. Thermal detectors are able to sense a quick increase in temperature or elevated temperatures in general, and can be a good option. But the best choice you can make for your barn is a flame detector. Flame detectors are the most expensive, but also the most accurate as they can spot the tiniest light wavelengths and alert authorities quickly. The quicker authorities are reached, the better chance of saving your barn.
Containment
To best contain a fire, be sure to install firewalls and curtains, have extinguishers handy and install a sprinkler system to exhaust the flames. These checkpoints can be the difference in your barn burning down and only minor damage.
Be sure to contact us at MilMar if you have any questions about your current barn or plan on building a new one this spring.