• The storage of wet hay is the most common cause of hay fires.
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• Do not be lulled into a false sense of security because your buildings made of metal roofing and siding, once a fire starts it is often hard to get under control.
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• Faulty electrical wiring and connections are one of the leading causes of barn fires. If you do not know if your facilities were inspected, have a qualified electrician check the wiring.
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  • Are the service boxes in a dry, dust free location and mounted on fire resistant materials?
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  • Are the electrical fixtures free of dust, dirt, cob webs, chaff, hay or combustible materials?
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  • Clean the dust out of electrical appliances such as fans and heaters.
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  • Never use extension cords or multiple plug strips in the barn. If extension cords must be used, buy industrial grade ones.
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  • Disconnect coffee pots, radios, fans, portable heaters and other electrical appliances when not in use.
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  • Do not run electric cords over nails as supports or hangers.
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  • Cage all electric light fixtures to prevent damage.
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  • Electrical wires should be in conduit pipes so horses and rodents cannot chew through the protective insulation for the wire. Put electrical wire through metal conduits, not plastic or PVC pipe. Horses should not have access to the conduit.
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• Feed, hay and bedding areas should be "off limits" to all individuals, except employees.
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• Keep your barn clean and free of dust, cobwebs, trash, oily tack or hoof cleaning rags, soiled paper towels and other easily ignited fire hazards.
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• Do not allow smoking in your barn. Post "No Smoking" signs at all entrances, and provide sand buckets for lighted cigarettes.
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• Hay, gas, oil, scrap wood, etc. should be stored in a separate location.
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• Do not store bedding materials in the horse barn.
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• Quick moving fires, which are difficult to put out are encouraged by stalls made of wood, filled with straw as bedding for the horses. Consider shavings as alternate bedding and any place you can put up a solid, non flammable wall will delay a fire.

First and foremost, when ever possible, store hay in a separate building from the horses.

Storing bedding and hay in the same building as your horses is not desirable, but for many people it is the only option.

There are some things that can be done to lessen fire risks if hay must be stored in the stable:
 

• Put hay on pallets and stack bales loosely to air can circulate though the pile as much as possible.
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• If space allows, have hay in multiple small stacks (or spread out only 1 or 2 bales deep) instead of a single large stack.
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• If you buy hay instead of putting it up yourself, try to store as little as possible (yes, this increases labor and expense, but it's worth the reduced fire risk).
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•  Check stored hay and bedding frequently and carefully to make sure it is not getting wet from a leaky roof (especially in lofts of older barns).  Go up during a pounding rainstorm and look for leaks.
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• Try to use all of one load of hay or bedding before buying another, or move old bales from prior load to the front so that they get used before starting in on the new load.
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• Clean hay and bedding storage area completely and thoroughly as often as possible - at least once a year, preferably twice or more per year.
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Most fires blamed on spontaneous combustion of stored hay usually occur within six weeks of baling but may occur in hay that is several years old. The most common cause is excessive moisture but outside ignitors, such as electrical sparks can spark fires in high levels of hay dust.

When a hay crop is stored wet, microbial action can generate internal bale temperatures well above 150 degrees. Usually, the temperature will peak 3-7 days after baling. The temperature then normally takes 15-60 days to decline to non damaging levels, depending on outdoor humidity, bale density and amount of rainfall soaked up by the bales. New hay that has been stacked in the field or placed in a barn should be checked at least twice a day for abnormal heating. When storing hay inside, check the barn roof and any plumbing for leaks, and be sure surface water cannot run into the barn.

One means to check hay temperature is by using a temperature probe to monitor temperatures inside the bales. A probe can be built using a 3/8 inch diameter pipe with a pointed tip screwed to the end and holes drilled in it. A thermometer can then be inserted into the pipe and retrieved and read after 10-15 minutes. If the hay temperature reaches 130 degrees F, move the hay to allow increased air circulation and cooling. If the temperature climbs above 150 degrees to 175 degrees F, call the fire department, and be prepared to inject water to cool any hot spots before moving the hay. If at all possible, don't open the barn door if hay is smoking; the added oxygen could cause the hay to burst into flames.

In general, hay is considered too wet for storage if moisture levels are higher than 20 percent in small rectangular bales, higher than 18 percent in large round bales, and higher than 16 percent in large square bales. To determine moisture levels you can use a microwave oven to determine moisture content in just a few minutes. A small kitchen, dietary or postage scale is also necessary, preferably one which weighs in grams.

A proper fire prevention strategy is 95% of the solution!

By the time your FireTracker system detects a fire and you become aware of it, you will already most likely have a fire underway.

The reality is that you will sustain property damage and perhaps loss of life. Your main concern at that point is saving your livestock and horses.

The obvious truth is that you are better off not to have a fire in the first place and this is why fire prevention is so important.