Episode Notes
Senior Advisor Tara and NonprofitA non-governmental organization whose primary purpose is something other than selling goods or services. Specialist Julia discuss a concerning but critical topic: fire safety at animal sanctuaries, a “stuff of nightmares” scenario we believe is essential for every caregiverSomeone who provides daily care, specifically for animal residents at an animal sanctuary, shelter, or rescue. to confront. We examine the sobering statistics on structure fires and common causes such as electrical issues and spontaneous hay combustion. We also share practical mitigation steps—from removing flammable cobwebs to coordinating with local fire departments—and emphasize the importance of practicing evacuation drills. Stick with us to get informed and protect your residents and caregivers!
This Episode’s Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:
- Fire Safety At Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project
- Creating An Effective Set Of Contingency Plans For Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project
Episode Transcript (Auto-GeneratedThe following content was transcribed through an automated process and may contain transcription errors or misspellings.)
Julia Magnus: Welcome back to the Open Sanctuary Podcast. I’m Julia, the nonprofit specialist here at the Open Sanctuary Project. And today we are tackling a topic that is honestly the stuff of nightmares for anyone in animal care, but it’s honestly one of the most important conversations that we can have. So today we’re talking about fire safety. And joining me is Tara, our senior adviser and co-author of our recently updated comprehensive guide on fire safety at animal sanctuaries. Tara, thank you so much for being here.
Tara Hess: Thanks, Julia. I’m glad we’re carving out time for this. Like you said, it’s a really heavy topic, but being proactive is truly the best way we can protect our residents.
Julia Magnus: Absolutely. I think most folks who care for farmed animalsA species or specific breed of animal that is raised by humans for the use of their bodies or what comes from their bodies. are aware of the issue of barn fires generally, but they may not be clear on the actual risk at sanctuaries, especially if residents are not housed in traditional barns. So, in the resource, you make the point of stressing that the risk of a structure fire is there whether your residents reside in a traditional barn or not.
Tara Hess: Yeah. And I think that’s an important point to stress here. So when you hear about stories or statistics of “barn fires,” the term is usually going to be used to describe any structure that houses farmed animals or that is associated with farming in some way. So like an outbuilding that houses tractors or other equipment or a building that’s used for hay storage. Most barn fire statistics include a mix of large-scale animal agricultureThe human production and use of animals in order to produce animal products, typically for profit. operations, small commercial farmsFor-profit organizations focused on the production and sale of plant and/or animal products., horse stables, and backyard enclosures. And obviously, these different settings are going to have different types of structures. They could be very different, but they’re going to share similar types of risk. And then there are obviously critical differences between animal sanctuaries and animal agriculture operations, but unfortunately, sanctuaries are not immune to the risk of structure fires or their devastating consequences. So whether or not you call your structures barns, whether or not they even resemble barns, when someone’s talking about barn fire risk, that risk is going to apply to you. The one exception that I think we should raise would be for folks who actually share their human dwelling with residents. So if you have chickens in your house or a scenario like that where they’re truly living side by side with you in your home, and of course we all know that human dwellings aren’t immune to the risk of fire. There are risks there too, but the degree of risk and the specific types of risk are definitely different between a human dwelling and a structure that is separate from your home that houses animals.
Julia Magnus: It makes a ton of sense. So, you mentioned some statistics. Can you talk a little bit about what the numbers say?
Tara Hess: Yeah, I mean, I want to say first that a lack of universal reporting makes it difficult to get the full picture of the problem, but the statistics that are available are sobering. So, in terms of how extensive these fires are, according to Rutgers University, half of all barn fires involve the entire structure, so not small fires. A report from the Animal WelfarePractices and policies that promote the well-being of nonhuman animals, specifically their health and comfort. Institute looked specifically at barn fires that resulted in animal fatalities and they found that there were at least 328 deadly barn fires reported in the U.S. between 2022 and 2024. And so obviously a loss of life is the absolute worst-case scenario. And like you said in the beginning, it’s just the stuff of nightmares. Like I truly have had nightmares about this. But even in situations where you’re lucky enough that no one is harmed, there are still serious consequences that can impact an organization’s future if there is a structure fire. So it could disrupt sanctuary operations, it could contribute to caregiver burnoutA physical and emotion reaction to prolonged, unmanaged workplace stress., and it can leave the sanctuary with unexpected expenses that may or may not be covered by insurance. The National Fire Protection Association reported that between 2014 and 2018, barn fires cost an average of $48 million in property damages annually.
Julia Magnus: Wow. Those numbers are pretty staggering. And I’m particularly taken aback by the fact that half of all barn fires involve the entire structure. Why do you think that is?
Tara Hess: So I think it’s a perfect storm of factors. These structures often house highly flammable materials. So they could have hay, straw, wood shavings, and other types of bedding. And in many states, there’s no requirement for any sort of fire protection in barns. And without some sort of detection or suppression system, you’re relying on someone noticing that there’s a fire in order to respond to that. So, depending on so many factors, things like the amount of human presence, the time of day, and the layout of the property, a fire might not be detected right away and could spread super quickly. I’ve been through a fire while working at a sanctuary. And I want to start by just saying no residents were harmed. I wouldn’t share the story if they were because I feel like that would just be too upsetting. But this was a situation—I know I’m well aware that there are sanctuaries that have very limited personnel, like one or two folks. This was not that. There were so many people who were either there on a paid or voluntary basis. We had multiple people living on site. It was like we had everything working for us in terms of noticing a fire quickly because of the amount of human presence that was around. And again, it’s just like nobody noticed until the whole barn was on fire. Even people who lived right next door to the structure did not notice until the fire cut out their own electric and then they noticed. And it’s because it was in the evening; nobody was actively working. I mean, I had just come home. I had been outside. I didn’t smell smoke. I didn’t see flames until I got inside and looked out my window and was like, “Oh my God, huge flames in the air”. So, it’s like until that happened, I never really thought about that that could happen, that there could be not a little fire, but a huge fire on the property and none of us would notice until the whole structure was destroyed.
Julia Magnus: That’s wild and terrifying. So, it feels like it’s really important that we should talk about why that could happen, the causes. So, when people think of a barn fire, they might think of a freak accident, but the research shows some very clear preventable patterns.
Tara Hess: Exactly. And that’s why it’s so important for people to really think about these things so they can take steps to reduce risk as much as possible. So the Animal Welfare Institute found that in cases where a cause of the fire was identified, 70% involved electrical issues or heating devices. Specifically, electrical heating devices like heat lamps are a leading culprit of fires. They also found that northeastern and Midwestern states were disproportionately affected by fatal barn fires and that 64% of fatal barn fires occurred between October and March. So, all this suggests that cold weather is a significant risk factor for barn fires, which makes sense if you think about how heating devices are a leading cause. Now, this is not to say that non-winter months are risk-free or that if you live in an area where temperatures don’t ever drop super low that there’s no risk. Rutgers University cites electrical storms and hay combustion as common causes of summer barn fires.
Julia Magnus: Okay, so spontaneous hay combustion sounds like something out of a work of science fiction, but it’s clearly a real risk. So, how does that even happen, Tara?
Tara Hess: I know it sounds wild, but it is real. And I just have to say it’s so complicated, like so much more complicated than what I’m about to say in terms of chemical reactions and microorganisms and all this, but basically the gist is if hay is baled with too much moisture, the internal temperature can rise to the point of combustion.
Julia Magnus: So it literally catches fire from the inside out.
Tara Hess: Yes. And then to make matters worse, there’s not just the risk of combustion, but hay is super flammable. In and of itself, it’s super flammable. And when people, obviously some folks who have hay, they might only need a little bit of hay because they have two rabbitsUnless explicitly mentioned, we are referring to domesticated rabbit breeds, not wild rabbits, who may have unique needs not covered by this resource.. But there are plenty of sanctuaries who, based on who they care for and the number of residents they have, need massive quantities of hay to get them through the non-grazing season. And so, oftentimes that means they’re purchasing a huge amount of hay at once. They’re storing it all together. So one hot bale that catches on fire is now surrounded by however many other highly flammable bales of hay. So you can so quickly have a very large, very hot, very dangerous fire. I will say the biggest risk of spontaneous combustion is within the first six weeks that the hay is baled. That’s not to say there’s no risk after, but that’s the time of highest risk. So, if there’s a concern about the moisture content of hay, you really want to monitor the internal temperature during that period to make sure temperatures don’t reach concerning levels.
Julia Magnus: So, that kind of leads us perfectly into fire prevention. So, if a sanctuary is listening and wants to start assessing their practices and take some steps to reduce their risk of fire, what would you recommend?
Tara Hess: I would stress that you should have two primary goals. Obviously, first you want to reduce the risk of a fire ever starting and you can do this by identifying possible ignition sources on your property and taking steps to eliminate them or reduce the risk. So if we go back to the leading causes of fires being heating devices and electrical issues, you can start by looking at your electrical infrastructure and making sure it’s as safe as possible. And I would strongly urge anyone who hasn’t already read our electrical safety resource to do so because that goes in-depth into that topic. You should also look at any heating devices you use. If you’re using heat lamps, which we know are a significant risk, I would urge folks to swap them out for a safer alternative. And again, that’s not to say heat lamps are the only heating device that is a risk, but those just carry such significant risk. Any heating device you’re using carries risk and in the resource, we talk about ways you can reduce that risk as much as possible. So that’s goal one. You want to prevent the chance of a fire starting or reduce the risk of a fire starting. But in addition to that, you also want to take steps to mitigate the impact of a fire if one should start. And one important way to do this is to eliminate or reduce the amount of flammable materials in your resident’s living spaceThe indoor or outdoor area where an animal resident lives, eats, and rests.. And we’ve got an extensive list of ways that you can do this. A big one would be hay. If you use hay and straw, you really don’t want to store that in your residents’ living spaces. Obviously, if you use straw for bedding or your residents eat hay, there is going to be some straw and hay in their living space all the time. We would never say take all of that out, but you want to reduce levels as much as you can. So, you don’t want to have all your hay for sure stored in that structure. And maybe you just want to have a couple days’ worth of hay stored. Or maybe you want to never have any extra hay stored there and you get it from somewhere else. Obviously, it all comes down to logistics. But as much as you can reduce those levels, that means that if a fire starts, there’s going to be less fuel for it to grow really quickly and really hot. Another one that I think people might be surprised by is you really need to regularly remove cobwebs.
Julia Magnus: Cobwebs? So, I knew those were messy and kind of spooky, but are they a fire risk?
Tara Hess: They are. The problem is they’re super flammable. So, if you think about mitigating the risk after—if a fire starts, mitigating its impact—if you have a structure, I’m sure we can all picture one, where all the rafters are just full of those thick cobwebs hanging down. They’re in the corners and stuff; all that’s flammable. So, if you have a fire that starts in one part of the structure and then hits the cobwebs, now all of a sudden you have a channel for that fire to move pretty quickly along the ceiling. And as that burning little bits of smoldering cobweb or dust falls into probably flammable bedding, it just really contributes to how quickly the fire can spread. And of course, we’re talking about quantity here. I mean, the amount of time and effort you would need to dedicate to making sure there were never any cobwebs in every structure on your property could be completely ridiculous to even propose. But a few cobwebs in a corner is very different than what I’m talking about where the rafters have never had cobwebs removed and you’ve got like 50 years’ worth of cobwebs. So, regular removal of cobwebs and regular dusting are important parts of your prevention and mitigation plan because, again, it’s going to reduce the flammable material in the space.
Julia Magnus: Okay, so those are good steps that folks should take to help reduce fire risk by reducing and removing flammable materials present in a space that can help reduce a fire’s impact. But in the resource, you also mention enacting practices and protocols that can facilitate a quick response in the event of a fire. Can you talk a little bit about what that entails?
Tara Hess: Yeah, so this is an essential piece. And there are a few things that go into it. None of us want to think about a fire happening at our sanctuary. But if it does, it’s important to take the time to think about what would need to happen quickly. I would always suggest that one of the first things you do be to call 911 or whatever the equivalent is to get the fire department on their way. But really, if there’s a very small fire that you see start right now through some activity that you’re doing, you want to make sure that there’s an appropriate fire extinguisher nearby and that everyone’s trained to use it. Again, I would never suggest just battling every fire on your own, but in conjunction with calling 911, you want to make sure there’s something you can do. So, do you have fire extinguishers and the right kind of fire extinguishers and are people trained to use them? That’s all important. You also want to make sure that you can easily evacuate residents if that’s needed. And you want to make sure that the fire department can access your property and the site to the fire as quickly as possible. So, we already talked about how quickly these fires can spread. Time is of the essence. Access issues like roads or gates that are too narrow for fire equipment or if your address isn’t properly marked so they have trouble finding your property can be a problem. Or, if your property is one that is fully fenced in and maybe you have a locked gate to prevent someone coming on your property, if the fire department runs into a locked gate, that’s going to slow them down. If they’re trying to get through a gate that’s too narrow for them, that’s going to slow them down. So, you really want to avoid any of those things. And this brings me to an important point. I would really urge folks to reach out to their local fire department and see if someone can come out to their property. First of all, this allows them to familiarize themselves with your property and where important features are, like where they can pull water from or where electrical shut-off switches are. And it can also allow them to identify potential access issues that you might need to address. Even if your sanctuary itself isn’t a closed, locked gate—I worked at a sanctuary where there was some sort of entryway like posts and a sign that people drove through—if that’s not wide enough for emergency vehicles to come through, that’s going to cause a problem. So having someone from the fire department out could give you the opportunity to have an expert identify if a bridge or some vegetation needs to go so that they can easily access the property. Some fire departments may even be able to conduct an annual inspection to identify potential hazards and give you tips on how to address those. And they may be able to train your personnel on fire extinguisher use. In some cases, you might even be able to get them to review your fire emergency action plan.
Julia Magnus: So, what should be in a fire emergency action plan?
Tara Hess: So, your plan should have all the pertinent contact information anyone would need. In the case of a fire, it should have maps that are clearly labeled, and we go into more detail in the resource about what you might want to have labeled on your map. And then also protocols and procedures personnel should follow, including evacuation plans for each structure.
Julia Magnus: So, you also mentioned the fire extinguisher training. Is there other training folks should incorporate?
Tara Hess: Yeah, so training is an important piece of all this. We can have the best plans in the world, but if your team doesn’t know the plan, or even if they only know them in theory but haven’t actually practiced a drill or been trained to use a fire extinguisher, that’s not going to set you up for the best outcome. So, we recommend annual fire safety training where you review the contents of your emergency plan as a team and train or retrain folks on fire extinguisher use. Even practicing what you would say if you had to make a 911 call can be helpful. I feel silly saying it, but the reality is you don’t really know how you’ll react in different situations. And practicing ahead of time could really help you. I’ll tell you that the fire that I referred to, I feel like in animal emergencies I’m pretty good at staying relatively calm and just doing what needs to be done, but I was shaking so severely because, truth be told, I thought the big barn was on fire from where I was. I was shaking. It was like a nightmare where you can’t even dial the numbers. So, anything you can do to give yourself the muscle memory of just doing it even when you’re panicked is really important. Along those same lines, I would recommend holding evacuation drills because it’ll not only give you the muscle memory of it so you don’t even have to think super hard about it, but conducting drills can give you the chance to see where things may not work as you thought they would. And then you’re not in an emergency, so you have time to really think through how to best tweak your plan so that it works if you ever really need it, which hopefully you don’t.
Julia Magnus: Practice definitely makes perfect. So Tara, thank you so much. This is such a lot of information, but hearing about the concrete steps, I think, is really helpful to everybody who’s concerned about this issue.
Tara Hess: I hope so. I know it’s a lot. My head was spinning when I was updating the resource. And I know that the thought of a fire is terrifying, but taking these proactive steps can help reduce the risk of a catastrophe. I do want to mention that for folks who are wondering how to even get started with this, we are working on creating an accompanying downloadable resource to help with that. So, we’ll announce that when it’s ready.
Julia Magnus: Absolutely. So, to our listeners, if you want to find the full updated fire safety at your animal sanctuary resource, go to our website at opensanctuary.org. I highly recommend that you check it out and please take the time to read it. Take notes. It can really save some lives. Tara, thank you so much, and Mckenzee for all your work on this resource. I’m sure it was not an easy one to do. And thank you listeners for checking out the podcast. If you’d like to support us, you can find a donate to us button at opensanctuary.org. You can also leave a five-star review for the podcast; that’s always helpful. And we look forward to talking to you next time.
