Unit Seven Fire / Public Health And Animal Safety
Livestock in Disasters / Unit 7Unit SevenFire / Public Health andAnimal SafetyOverviewIn this unit, you will learn about fires and how you can protectyour farm and livestock from fire damage. You will also studytwo cases in which you will learn about appropriate behavior infires to protect human and animal life.ObjectivesUpon completion of this unit, you should be able to:Ü Identify risk factors associated with the cause andspread of fireÜ List mitigation and preparedness measures to protectagainst firesÜ Identify threats to public and animal safety in firesÜ Determine your vulnerability to firesÜ Evaluate your knowledge of appropriate behavior infiresFiresThe U.S. has one of the highest fire death rates in theindustrialized world at 14.5 deaths per million. Fires accountfor nearly 30 percent of all disaster-related deaths, and 85percent of all fires occur in residencies. Fires causeapproximately 1 million injuries a year. Because young peopleand children are the most common fire victims, fires are thesingle greatest cause of “years of life lost.”In 2000, 1.7 million fires were reported in the U.S., andproperty loss from fires was estimated at 11 billion.Most injuries and deaths from fires are the result of smokeinhalation. Smoke contains carbon monoxide, hot air and dust,carbon dioxide, nitrous dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. Thiscombination of chemicals and irritants can result in suddendeath from intoxication and bronchospasm or result in injuriesto the lungs that may not appear until 24 to 36 hours afterexposure.Fire / Public Health and Animal Safety7-1
Livestock in Disasters / Unit 7The U.S. Fire Administration (http://www.usfa.fema.gov)compiles statistics on fires in the U.S. While it is likely thatmany animals also die in fires, their numbers are not officiallyrecorded.Types and causesof firesFires are classified according to whether they occur inbuildings, wild land, or other locations. Fires also occurcommonly after earthquakes. Fires that involve multiplestructures are often referred to as conflagrations. Urbanconflagration is a fire that destroys several buildings in built-upareas.WildfiresThe greatest impact of forest and wildfires is on theenvironment and wildlife rather than on the health of humansand domestic animals. A forest fire can develop into afirestorm. Firestorms produce a convection air system,frequently reach speeds of 60 to 70 mph and spread rapidly andviolently across land.WarningsWildfires can occur at any time of the year, but usually occurduring hot, dry weather. The map below provides informationabout fire seasons by geographic area. The most dependableinformation on fire hazards is provided by the NationalWeather Service, U.S. Forest Service, and state forestryagencies. These services combine their information to givewildfire probability forecasts (seehttp://www.fs.fed.us/fire/fire new). Sometimes local radioand television stations broadcast information and warnings onlocal fire conditions.7-2Fire / Public Health and Animal Safety
Livestock in Disasters / Unit 7From International Association of Fire Chiefs, Finance Department: Development Strategies inthe Wild Land Urban Interface, ed 2, 1996What Can YouDo?MitigationBarn fires tend to break out in the winter and summer monthswhen barn doors are closed and the demand for heating,cooling (fans), and lighting is at its highest. Many livestockfacilities are built of flammable materials and are often full ofincendiary material, such as hay, straw, wood, rubber, andsiding. Prevention of fires starts during building construction,and is enforced through policies and maintenance activities.Construction ofbuildingsFeatures that reduce the risk of fire and its spread include:Ü Fire-resistant materials on the exterior of your home orbarn, including the roof, siding, deck, trim, and paint.Ü Non-combustible walls between storage area for hayand bedding and the stabling areasÜ Approved fire doorsFire / Public Health and Animal Safety7-3
Livestock in Disasters / Unit 7Ü Electrical wiring of barns and stables that meetappropriate safety standards and are installed bycertified electricians.Ü Smoke detectors, fire alarms, and sprinkler systems thatcan be monitored by the local fire and policedepartmentsÜ Trickle charge-battery powered emergency lighting topermit evacuation of peopleÜ Accessible water source on the premises (e.g., a pond),the location of which is known by the local firedepartment.DesignÜ Hoses that are long enough to reach all parts of yourbuilding.Ü A clean chimney with a spark arrestor.Ü Barn in good condition, including electrical wires runthrough conduit. (Rodents can chew through the wiring,putting the barn at risk for fire.)PoliciesÜ Avoid open burning during dry or windy weather. Storefirewood away from your home and barns.Ü Store gas and other hazardous materials in separatebuildings from animals.Ü Implement and enforce no smoking policies on yourproperty.Ü Use rope or leather halters for horses and livestockbecause nylon halters can melt in a fire. This may leadto deep burn wounds on the animal.Ü Have fire tools handy at your home and in your barn,such as a ladder, garden hoses, fire extinguishers, gasoperated water pumps, shovels, rakes, and buckets.Ü Ensure all appliances in the barn are UL-approved.Cords and plugs should be in good repair. Appliancesshould be disconnected when not in use.7-4Fire / Public Health and Animal Safety
Livestock in Disasters / Unit 7Ü Avoid using portable heater units in barns and never usethem around animals. If heaters are used in tack roomareas, they should never be left running unsupervised.Heater units should have shut off devices fitted in casethey are knocked over.Ü Put heat lamps at a safe distance from flammablematerials. Heat lamps should not be used with extensioncords.Ü Place all-class (ABC) dry chemical fire extinguishers inall buildings where animals are housed, workshops, andwherever welding is done.Ü Clear leaves and other vegetation off roof surfaces andout of gutters regularly.MaintenanceÜ Clear brush and low vegetation back at least 30 feetfrom all buildings.Ü Keep all areas around your barn free of cobwebs.Ü Make sure your trailer is in good condition and keep thegas tank of your car and truck filled. If you do not haveenough trailers, identify others who can help youevacuate.Ü Hold fire drills regularly to familiarize staff andboarders (horse owners) with their responsibilities.Fire drillsWild land-urbaninterfaceA special area in which fires occur is the wild land-urbaninterface. This increases the risk of exposure to wild land fires.In California alone it is estimated that more than 6 millionpeople live in wild land areas and an additional 3 to 4 millionlive in the wild land-urban interface. Between 1980 and 1995,in California, over 5,000 buildings were destroyed in wild landor in the wild land-urban interface. This is three times morethan in the 15-year period between 1965 and 1980.Mitigation of firesin the wild landurban interfaceWild land-urban interface fires occur most commonly duringhot, dry, and windy weather. When these weather conditionsare present, apply special vigilance to fire prevention.Fire / Public Health and Animal Safety7-5
Livestock in Disasters / Unit 7Studies have shown that additional factors play a role in wildland-urban interface fires. Knowledge of these can help youidentify potential fire hazards. Common risk factors that can bemitigated include:Ü Poor access for emergency vehicles and vehicles usedfor evacuationÜ Build up of wild land vegetation (fuel)Ü Lack of defensible spaceÜ Lack of firebreaksAccess and escaperoutesVegetation should be cut back from roads to the followingdimensions:Ü Roads should be at least 20 feet wide and capable ofsupporting vehicles weighing in excess of 40,000 lbs.Ü Leave at least 14 feet clearance above the road foremergency vehicles to pass.Ü Cut back vegetation greater than 10 feet from theshoulder, and 4 feet from the shoulder clearanceÜ Trees along roadways should be limbed up at least 6feetPlan several evacuation routes with your animals in case firesblock your escape. If you have horses or livestock, makearrangements ahead of time for a place to temporarily relocatethem. Moving them to fairgrounds, parks, racetracks, largeanimal shelters, or keeping them with family or friends may beoptions available to you.Fuel7-6Firefighting experts look at the potential risk of fire in anenvironment by the amount of fuel that it contains. Light fuelsare things like dry grass and shrubbery. These are relativelyeasy to ignite, but burn at low temperatures and in relativelycontrolled fashion. Heavy fuels include timber, trees, andbrush. They are relatively difficult to ignite, but once burning,they are difficult to extinguish. Fire fuels should not be allowedto accumulate in the environment.Fire / Public Health and Animal Safety
Livestock in Disasters / Unit 7Deciduous trees are a primary source of ground fuel, but theycan also prevent adequate air circulation between the groundand tree canopies. Inadequate airflow can lead to preheating offuel when fires break out, making the fuel easier to ignite. Thiscan be prevented by removing all of the limbs and branchesfrom the ground up to approximately one third of the tree’sheight or 6 feet above the ground. Where appearance isimportant, consult an arborist.Coniferous trees and some types of brush present a differenttype of hazard, as their needles contain sclerophyll. This is awaxy turpine that normally helps the tree retain moisture, but isexplosive when heated. Conifer trees can be limbed up too.Selected trees can also be thinned out.Defensible spaceDefensible space is the amount of space around buildingsneeded to provide opportunities for fire services to succeedagainst fire; structure to survive without fire services; andprevent spread of fires between structure and vegetation.The amount of defensible space that is recommended dependson the topography surrounding the buildings. The steeper aslope, the faster a fire will ascend. Canyons act like chimneys,which can trap heat and lead to combustion of fuel and areaignition, i.e., the heat of the fire ignites fuels at a distance.Canyons can also greatly accelerate the spread of fires.Defensible space should be at least 30 feet between thebuildings and trees. Within the defensible space, grass shouldbe kept below 6 inches in height. There should be nocombustible material or vegetation under decking, aerialcanopies should be at least 10 feet from the chimney sparkarrester, and no firewood should be stored within 10 feet of thebuilding. If plants are placed within the defensible space, theyshould be drought and fire-resistant. Plants within thedefensible space should be low growing to prevent “torching”when they ignite.Fire / Public Health and Animal Safety7-7
Livestock in Disasters / Unit 7Fire breaksIn the past, straight-line firebreaks were often used to preventfires from spreading from one part of a forest to another. Theseare usually constructed 1.5 to 4 times as wide as the fuel (seeabove for definition of “fuel”) is high. Newer methods toprevent the spread of forest fires increase edge space, and,therefore, reduce the rate at which a fire can spread. These areusually referred to as fuel breaks, and take land form, visuallines, color and texture of the land into account. A fuel break isusually 100 to 300 feet wide. The increased edge space alsoencourages more wildlife to frequent the area. These firebreaks can be established by a number of forest managementmethods, including prescribed fires.Areas where streams flow under roads through pipes should bekept free of fuel, as these can ignite in fires and act as windtunnels that blow heated and burning ash through to the otherside of the road.7-8Fire / Public Health and Animal Safety
Livestock in Disasters / Unit 7Impact &ConsequencesFires have many adverse consequences. The following tablepresents some commonly reported problems that arise in firesand the unit where you can learn more about the consequences.ImpactConsequenceRefer to Unit #Fires can bring down telephone linesCommunications are challenged5Fires can block access to farms,houses, and businessesInfrastructure failure6Injuries to people and animals arerelatively common in firesThreat to public and animal safetyFires can spread rapidlyNeed to evacuate people andanimals8Fires are alarming and will makefearful animals fleeDisplacement of animals9Smoke is often toxicThreat to public and animal health10Fires can burn fragile habitats anddisplace wildlifeAdverse effects on the naturalenvironment and wildlife11Animals can be killed in firesNeed for carcass disposal12Smoke inhalation can be debilitatingin animalsNeed for euthanasia13Fires frighten animals and placethem in jeopardyThreat to the well-being of animals14Fires often attract a lot of attentionand make dramatic media eventsPublic concern15Fire / Public Health and Animal SafetyThis unit7-9
Livestock in Disasters / Unit 7Threats toPublic Healthand SafetyThese cases are designed to test your knowledge of appropriatebehavior in fires and regarding fire prevention, and to makeyou think about how you would respond to threats to publicand animal health during fires.Case 1: WildfiresThe owner of a small ranch with seven horses in New Mexicohears on the news that wildfires have started in the area.Warnings are issued to people in her valley to plan for anevacuation. At the time of this notice two of her horses arestabled, while the other five are at pasture.What would you do?As an animal owner, if you were faced with this situation:What are some concerns about evacuating your animals at thistime?What actions would you take?The owner hesitates and waits for a specific message toevacuate.Reports indicate that the fire is being controlled. After twodays though, unfavorable weather conditions cause a suddenchange in the direction of the fire.The fire now starts moving toward the lower end of the valleyin which this horse ranch is located. The only access road is atthat end of the valley where the fire appears to be moving.What would you do?If you were faced with this situation, what would you prioritizeto evacuate?What resources would you need to evacuate?This owner decides to open the gate for the horses at pasture toescape to public lands in the opposite direction of the fire. Shedoes this because she thinks that horses flee fire and that if herhorses are given an escape route they will run to safety.7-10Fire / Public Health and Animal Safety
Livestock in Disasters / Unit 7What would you havedone?Do you think this was a wise decision?Why, why not?As she returns to her ranch, she is alarmed by the amount ofsmoke coming from the lower end of the valley. The fire hasentered her valley and she is very concerned that she may betrapped. Now, time is of the essence. She hitches up her trailerto load the two horses in the stable. The first horse loads well,but is anxious and starts vocalizing and kicking in the trailer.The second horse becomes apprehensive and refuses to load.What are yourconcerns?What are the human and animal health problems that havearisen?In the meantime, the fire service has been informed that thisowner has not evacuated. They set off to investigate. As thefirefighters drive up the narrow road they are met by a band offive horses. The horses are frantic as they run down the valleyaway from the fire. There is no room for the horses to pass thefire truck on this narrow road. Unfamiliar with handling horses,the firefighters think it would be best to try to catch the horsesand lead them past the truck and to safety.However, as the firefighters, dressed in heavy firefighting gear,approach the horses the animals are startled, turn around, andrun back toward the fire. It is not possible to help the horses, sothe firefighters continue with their mission to rescue the horseowner. When they arrive at the farm they are able to help theowner load the second horse and direct her out of the valley.The owner and her two horses are saved from the fire.Several days later the fire is contained. Only four of the horseswere ever found. Two of the horses have singed manes and tailand require veterinary care.What are yourconcerns?What are some common medical problems that might arise forthese horses?Fire / Public Health and Animal Safety7-11
Livestock in Disasters / Unit 7What could the ownerhave done?Let’s review how some of these adverse events could havebeen prevented.This owner made several errors in judgment. She exposedherself and her animals to the fire by not evacuating early.Large animals frequently take longer to evacuate than peoplethink, so early action is necessary.It is not known whether the second horse was difficult to loadbecause of the situation, or because it was difficult to load ingeneral. However, loading animals into trailers can be lifesaving and animals should be taught to do this before a disasteroccurs.The owner could have loaded her horses earlier. She alsoshould have made prior arrangements with friends, family, andneighbors about where to take her horses. Better, the owner andothers in the community could have developed networks ofstable owners and managers willing to transport and boardhorses that need to be evacuated.The owner should have planned or initiated evacuating whenthere was time. Even if the fire had not entered her valley, sheand her horses would have been safe. Evacuation would likelyhave been only a minor inconvenience. In addition, theevacuation exercise would have served as a useful drill toprepare for disasters that may occur in the future.Finally, her escape route theory for her horses wasinappropriate. Horses should be lead to safety, not left to theirown devices.What could the fireservice have done?By not evacuating, the firefighters had to rescue the owner, andin doing so also endangered their own lives. Also, loadinghorses under duress was dangerous, especially to firefighterswho were unfamiliar with handling large animals.The local emergency manager or fire service PIO could haveissued a public service announcement directed at horse owners,with advice on evacuation, and encouraged owners to help eachother, e.g., by sharing trailers. Designated evacuation routescould have been announced.7-12Fire / Public Health and Animal Safety
Livestock in Disasters / Unit 7Case 2: Hay fireDuring the early fall in upstate New York a sheep farmer ismaking a final cut of hay. This sheep farmer has another jobduring the week and has only the weekends to tend to majorjobs on the farm. The weather has been inclement and he isrushed to cut, dry, and stack the hay between bouts of rain.Unfortunately, after cutting the hay the weather turns. Givenhis limited time for farm work, he cuts the hay with minimaltime for it to dry. To protect the hay from further rain he coversthe stack with a tarpaulin, which he weighs down with old cartires.Two days after stacking the hay, he gets an alarming phone callat work: “The hay is on fire!”He rushes home. When he arrives at his farm, he finds the firetruck outside the farm gate, and the firefighters surrounding thehaystack, which they are tearing down. His sheep have fled.Upon inquiring, he is told the fire truck was too wide to passthrough the gate to the farm, and that the firefighters wereunable to locate a source of water. Hence they left the truck atthe perimeter and resorted to dismantling the haystack by hand.Regrettably, much of the hay burns, in part because the tirescaught fire and could not be extinguished.Given the owner’s limited budget, the sheep farmer tries torecoup some of his losses. Later that year he feeds theremainder of the burnt hay to his sheep.What are some publichealth concerns?What are the human health risks that arose from this situation?Firefighters were exposed to great risks by having to manuallydismantle the haystack. Other structures cou
Wild land-urban interface A special area in which fires occur is the wild land-urban interface. This increases the risk of exposure to wild land fires. In California alone it is estimated that more than 6 million people live in wild land areas and an additional 3 to 4 million live in the wild land-urban interface. Between 1980 and 1995,
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