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Food Animal Matters: Fire, Part 2

April 3, 2025

Please see the CVJ for graphics, tables, and references.

In a previous Food Animal Matters column, 2 veterinarians described their personal experiences in dealing with fires affecting livestock (1). In this column, Dr. Andrew MacLeod relates his experiences as both a food animal veterinarian and a volunteer firefighter. Dr. Chris Riley offers advice on preparedness for barn and range fires from the perspective of someone deeply involved in planning for emergency situations.

Dr. Andrew MacLeod, Linwood Veterinary Services, Saint Clements, Ontario
The mission statement of our fire service is to:

i. preserve human life,
ii. save property, and
iii. minimize environmental impact

One way of achieving this is through prevention. Homeowners and school-aged children will be familiar with fire prevention activities. Because extinguishing barn fires requires substantial resources and because overall losses are often substantial, many rural departments are developing and delivering fire prevention programs aimed at reducing the incidence of barn fires (2).

The allocation of resources, assumption of risk, and prioritization of actions during a fire or rescue event are applied using this mission as a template. Animals are considered as property. It is quite possible that fire departments may not be focused as intently on animal rescue or be willing to place people in vulnerable situations to save animals. Farmers or pet owners may not agree. There are 2 main reasons why fire departments take this approach. First, firefighting is inherently dangerous; most fire departments balance the risks needed to achieve a benefit (e.g., risk a little if you can only save a little; to risk a lot, a lot must potentially be saved). Second, many fire departments lack sufficient training in animal handling or technical rescue of animals. Although specialized training courses for animal handling and rescue are available, they are expensive, time-consuming, and can be difficult for firefighting personnel to access. In addition, animal rescue often requires fire departments to own or have access to specialized equipment.

During a barn fire, there is a potential for many animals to be released at once. This would require enough people, trailers, and potentially handling facilities (real or improvised) to corral and eventually transport the animals away from the fire to interim facilities. Most farmers likely won’t have a pre-planned strategy for executing such a massive evacuation. Having a basic plan and contact information for people with livestock handling skills and equipment such as portable panels and trailers are useful should an emergency evacuation of livestock become necessary (3).

Dr. Chris Riley, Department of Clinical Studies, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario
Part 1 of this Food Animal Matters topic (1) shared some sobering experiences from our colleagues and their clients. Such experiences are traumatizing for farmers and veterinarians. Sharing them can lead to retraumatization (4). Disastrous events can and do happen on farms and ranches, so it is essential to recognize the need for preparation and prevention (planning). Equally important is the role of the attending veterinarian in supporting themselves and their clients during (response) and after (recovery) such traumatic events. I will further elaborate on some concepts arising from the experiences shared by Drs. McLeod and Wasilow (1).

Prevention and preparation advice for your clients
Barn fires. New barn construction should utilize less flammable building materials and select interior finishes that are less likely to produce toxic smoke, which is a common cause of death in fires. Strategically located firewalls reduce the speed of the spread of fire. Barns should have at least 2 animal exits that can be opened from the outside and, ideally, open to holding pens or containment paddocks at . 30 m from the building. Doorways and aisles should be kept free of vehicles and other obstacles. More valuable animals should be housed close to these exits, where they may be more likely to be rescued.

Farmers are multi-talented and skilled “contractors.” Nevertheless, electrical, plumbing, heating and ventilation systems should be professionally designed and installed to reduce fire risk (5). Electrical inspection should be conducted bi-annually to ensure there are no exposed wires due to damage by vermin and all electrical equipment is in good repair (6). Faulty wiring should be replaced rather than “patched up.” Electrical fires are a particular risk in older cattle barns as electrical wire sheathing degrades (7). Only industrial appliances should be used in the barn (5). Lightning rods may prevent fires in areas prone to lightning strikes.

Many barns store hay in areas above or adjacent to livestock. This has practical handling advantages but poses a substantial risk of burn injuries and smoke inhalation. Locate combustible feeds and bedding separately from the animals.

Fire extinguishers should be located throughout the barn in areas that are easy to access near the entry and exit points of the barn. Ensure that all staff are trained to operate them. Extinguishers should be inspected annually and serviced regularly according to local regulations. Ideally, new barns should be designed with a fire detection and suppression system suitable for livestock facilities (6). In some cases, these may be retrofitted. A separate water source not dependent on barn plumbing should be located near the barn so that the fire can be fought using portable pumps and hoses before the arrival of the fire department. The fire department may also use these when on scene. Local water sources have been used to save many barns and homes.

Wildfires.Barn fires affect individual farms; wildfires threaten entire communities. The veterinarian’s role is often limited to providing first aid to animals during the incident and supporting survivors and their owners. Veterinarians should be familiar with the local emergency management agency; this may vary depending on the scale of the wildfire.

Farmers should seek advice from their local fire authority on the size and design of fire breaks and other aspects of wildfire readiness around their property, especially in regions at risk of wildfires. The same applies to veterinarians and veterinary clinics in at-risk zones. The loss of the Jasper Veterinary Clinic during the summer wildfires in Alberta is a sober reminder of the risk we share with farming families. As in barn construction, consideration should be given to the flammability of construction materials. Ventilation outlets/inlets and windows facing prevailing winds should be closeable and possibly shuttered to counter the intense radiant heat of wildfires. Embers often carry fire into buildings, so eaves should be closed. Ideally, a sprinkler system should be installed in the eaves of buildings in high wildfire-risk zones. Gas-powered pumps in shielded locations allow for continued operation during power failures. A separate backup water source should be available. Fire-resistant hoses are recommended.

Pastures should not be allowed to become overgrown or mature to the point of providing combustible material that speeds the fire across pastures. The layout of pastures should be such that it is easy to corral animals down the corridors that give access to the safety of a shelter, possibly a large open water source, or to a loading chute for evacuation. Turning cattle onto roadways poses a safety hazard to emergency responders seeking to bring in resources to fight the fire.

Before a wildfire emergency and if your client plans to evacuate livestock, they must identify which animals to save, how many they can transport to safety, the means of evacuation, to where they will be transported, and how they will be fed and watered (8). Biosecurity is also a consideration.

Planning
Barn fires. The prevention and preparation steps noted constitute the first steps in planning. Health and safety planning is a key part of successful farm management and should include plans that anticipate possible adverse event scenarios. Performing a paper-based exercise with your clients to develop a fire safety and response plan is advised. Aim to ensure human safety and optimal animal welfare outcomes.

Each person’s role in the plan should be clearly identified before a fire. Examples of these roles include organizing a water pump and hoses for the fire, evacuating the animals from the barn if it is safe, appointing someone responsible for the safety of the people on-site, and providing first aid if needed. It is important to have a communication strategy that includes notification of the local emergency response agencies. A good plan also discusses what personal protective equipment should be kept onsite and the firefighting resources available. You may discuss the process of triage, expected injuries such as smoke inhalation and burns, and your general approach to determining an animal’s likelihood of survival and productivity based on injury patterns. The importance of this is that it prepares the farmer for the possible mental trauma that comes with these situations. A mock exercise should be performed once a plan has been agreed upon. This exercise identifies any weaknesses or overlooked items in the plan and familiarizes those involved with the roles they will perform in the event of a barn fire. The post-exercise discussion should be frank and nonjudgmental.

Wildfires. Farmers, ranchers, and veterinarians are resourceful and adaptable. However, wildfires often go beyond the resources available and may involve losing property, animals, and people. Notwithstanding the previous suggestions, wildfires are usually managed by emergency response agencies governed by provincial statutes and municipal regulations. Farmers, ranchers, and veterinarians can best support the community response by participating in emergency management and incident management system training. These may provide opportunities to participate in a multiagency response and allow for controlled entry under the authority of the incident commander to attend to animal welfare in the controlled zone. Alternatively, veterinarians may work as part of a team to establish shelters for displaced animals and provide care and treatment for evacuated animals. How to establish such a shelter is beyond the scope of this article; however, some general principles, in addition to those related to veterinary care, include site security, proper animal identification, control of access to the evacuated animals, biosecurity, volunteer management and logistics (9).

Response
In the previous column (1), Dr. Wasilow provided excellent advice that does not require repeating. However, a brief mention of triage as a multi-casualty burn incident is appended to her advice. Humane euthanasia should be considered for livestock with the following injuries (10,11):

• any animal moribund or unable to rise
• animals in severe respiratory distress due to smoke inhalation
• 50% or more of the body’s surface area is affected
• the eyes, the muzzle or mouth are burnt, preventing vision, impairing breathing, or ingestion
• burns to the hooves and lower limbs
• burns to the udder or penis and scrotum
• burns of the anus and vulva

Burnt livestock that are alert, ambulatory and able to drink and eat should be provided with veterinary care if feed, labor, and facilities are available, and the owner is physically and emotionally capable. Those with more than 15 to 20% of the body’s surface area affected require intensive veterinary care at considerable expense (10,12).

Recovery
Property and livestock losses are consequences of both barn fires and wildfires. In both situations, the support of the community, farming and financial sectors is critical. As related by Dr. McLeod, psychosocial trauma and compromised mental well-being are part of the journey, and have only recently been recognized as an essential part of response management during the recovery phase in incidents involving animals (4). Compromised mental health and illness encompass a range of disorders from sleeplessness to post-traumatic stress disorder (Riley et al. unpublished data). Therefore, it is strongly recommended that following fire incidents that involve the death or injury of livestock veterinarians assist their clients in identifying appropriate support resources such as those provided by the National Farmer Mental Health Alliance (https://nfmha.ca/). Veterinarians should seek opportunities for training in mental health awareness, response, and support for themselves and their employees. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association provides a sponsored course called the Working Mind from the Mental Health Commission of Canada (https://openingminds.org/ training/twm/).

-Rob Tremblay