Insurance challenges and the sheer ferocity of barn fires mean prevention is the best, if not the only defence, say leaders in hog production.
Alberta Pork does not have hard statistics on barn fires, but has reviewed the two reported to its office within the last year, says Javier Bahamon, quality assurance and production manager for the organization,
Neither barn has returned to production, and it is not likely that they will be back within two years of the fires if they return at all, Bahamon said in an interview with Prairie Hog Country.
Producers often face high insurance premiums, which may force them to insure only a fraction of their production and leave them vulnerable if a barn catches fire.
In the aftermath of at least one of those two fires, insurance investigations are still underway, leaving those barns out of business and their operators unable to make decisions while awaiting answers, said Bahamon.
“The insurance people went and did all that (investigation), and they were reviewing reports from the fire departments. I don’t know how long it takes, sometimes it takes quite a few months or years until you receive the payout from those insurance companies. So, I am actually going to look at this,” he said.
Although there is no hard data, it is generally understood that most hogs caught in a barn fire die from inhaling toxic fumes before the flames get to them, he said.
Battling the fire or evacuating hogs is generally not an option, said Alastair

Bratton, head of production for Sunterra Farms and director on the Alberta Pork board.
Bratton said he has never experienced fire in any facility under his control. However, he has a long track record of emergency planning from his years of working in production for Sunterra, Olymel, Verus Alliance and Maple Leaf.
Barn fires move with alarming speed, fed by outside air rushing in through a barn’s negative pressure ventilation system, said Bratton.
“Most fires spread so quick, there really isn’t an awful lot most people can do. I think you’ve just got to have your emergency planning organized and that everybody on the team is aware of what the plan is.”
Faulty electrical systems are by far the primary culprit, he said.
Concrete barns are not immune, since most have flammable materials in the roof and attic.
The primary means of prevention, therefore, is regular and thorough inspection of electric systems, including but not limited to thermal imaging in search of hot spots.
Potential for electrical faults rises as barns age, said Bratton. Across Alberta, “a high percentage” of hog barns are at least 10 to 15 years old and some are 20 to 40. The older the barn, the greater the risk, he said.
“You can’t out think every eventuality, but as time goes on and infrastructure ages, we’ve got to be on top of infrared inspection for the electrical lines and things like that, right?
“You also need to be . . . maintaining, cleaning equipment, making sure it’s clean, like feed motors, and making sure electrical boxes are sealed and things like that, and keeping moisture out.”
There is no one-size-fits-all solution, because each barn is unique. Bratton encourages producers to work with their insurance companies in search of technology and strategies that will limit risk and potentially reduce the cost of premiums, he said.
Monitors can alert staff to an emergency, but the reality is that barn fires move so fast, there is little that can be done once a fire has started, said Bratton.
Sprinkler systems are generally not an option, especially in systems that cover four to five acres, because of the added cost and because they will fail if an electrical short knocks out the pumps, he said.
Producers should also consider a contingency plan based on the impact a barn fire would have on their operations, said Bratton.
“If it’s the sow barn, are you without a piglet being weaned for two years, if you rebuild? What are you doing for (those) two years? If you’re an iso-wean producer, it may be different than it is if you’re farrow-to-finish, and you only lose your farrowing barn. Then do you bring iso-weans in and potentially bring a different disease into your own barn?”
Bratton and Bahamon encourage producers to seriously consider what they would lose in a fire and then take every step possible to stay safe. •
— By Brenda Kossowan