Fires in Chicken/Poultry Houses - ©2008 Eric J. Rickenbach

This article was prepared based on my personal experiences and the experiences of my department, as well as further research on this subject. The information provided is for the informational use only by trained personnel having professional technical capability for evaluation at their own discretion and risk. Every situation you encounter has its own unique problems and challenges. USE THIS INFORMATION BASED UPON YOUR OWN SKILLS AND ABILITIES, AS WELL AS THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES OF YOUR DEPARTMENT.

Eric J. Rickenbach

March, 2008

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According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, farmers in the United States produced over 8.8 billion chicken for meat production, and delivered over 89 billion dozen eggs during 2005[1]. Housing, feeding, and maintaining these numbers of birds is no small process. Today, unlike years ago, there are very few numbers of small flocks roaming around the barnyard, but rather large scale operations with large production facilities.

These facilities pose unique challenges for the fire service community from a tactical fire fighting standpoint. And in many cases these efforts are handled by the most rural of fire departments in the United States. To properly and effectively, control and extinguish fires in these facilities requires extensive pre-planning and training.

Today’s modern poultry production is commonly done in large buildings, referred to as “houses”, frequently in excess of 500 feet long and 60’ to 100’ wide. Many times there are several buildings positioned parallel to each another with control room and production facilities housed in a connected building built perpendicular to the houses. In egg laying facilities, the houses are typically all connected with a enclosed walkway, linking all the houses on the facility together.

One of the more common designs in use today is two-story building known in the industry as “high-rise houses”. The upper level is where the birds are housed, and a lower level is where the manure is stored. The lower level is usually at ground level so that tractors or skid steers can be driven in to remove the manure. There will be ground level garage doors along usually one side of the structure at 75’ to 125’ intervals. The construction of these buildings is generally a block or poured concrete lower level and a wood joist, frame, and rafter construction above that. The exterior will usually be some type of aluminum or metal siding. Interior walls may be aluminum or metal sheeting or plywood.

All of these houses are designed with large ventilation fan banks and draft systems to maintain temperatures. According to Louisiana State University AgCenter poultry specialist Dr. Theresia Lavergne "under conditions of severe heat stress, poultry will have a reduced growth rate, decreased feed intake, poor feed conversion, decreased egg production, reduced hatchability rate, reduced egg shell quality, reduced egg size and reduced internal egg quality." "Additionally, heat stress can cause increased mortality.”.[2] This is a key issue for fire fighters from, not only, the building construction and design point of view, but also the economic impact to the farm based on their actions (or inactions).

The biggest difference in these facilities comes in the housing layout of the buildings themselves. This will depend on whether they are used for pullets, layers, or broilers, and what type of farming method is being utilized.

Pullets are laying hen chicks that are placed in a house when they are several days old and are raised there for about 18-21 weeks, after which they are moved to a layer or broiler house. “Layers” are egg-producing chickens. “Broilers” is the term used to refer to chickens raised for meat and chicks of both genders are placed in the house within 24 hours of hatching. While there are slight variations across the industry the facilities housing design will fall into one of two categories: confinement cages or an open floor plan.

A confinement cage design is usually a system of cages that are stacked 4 to 8 high. These houses will typically consist of long unbroken rows the entire length of the building. There may be 5 to 10 rows or more with walkways approximately 2-3 feet wide, and possibly smaller, between each row. There is generally no way to “go over the top of the cages”. There will be a feeding system and watering system to each cage. In addition, in a layer operation there will be conveyor system for egg collection.

These types of operations in general pose an interesting challenge to fire fighters as they will need to be prepared to stretch attack hand lines as far as 300 to 500 feet in length to reach a fire within the structure, and do so down the correct walkway.

An open or free stall flooring arrangement is either an entirely open floor or a system of much larger cages spaced out at floor level. Chickens in this design are basically free to roam around. There will still be a feed and watering system throughout the house, and layer houses will have nesting boxes. These types of operations may become increasingly prevalent because of animal welfare concerns.

From a fire fighting perspective, these open or free range operations will still require long lengths of attack lines, but will be less restricted in their movement. However, in these meat bird production houses, the feeders and waterers may be hung from the ceilings using cables. This is so the units can be placed at the correct heights for the birds. These are nasty trip hazards under the best of lit circumstances.

One difference between these facilities in general is that pullet houses will be equipped with some type of heating system as young chicks are very susceptible to temperature changes. The most common will be some type of LPG heater system, although you may find hot water boiler configurations as well. These buildings will also have the ventilation systems mentioned previously.

Any type of house will have a large electrical system to run the various feeding, ventilation, and associated operations within the facility. The main panels will be located in the front of the building. Some newer operations will be entirely computer controlled, requiring no regular human intervention to operate. All modern operations will also have large generator sets to support the entire operation during a power failure, and will almost always be set up to “auto-start”. If the facilities have “curtains”, these are designed with a fail-safe that will drop the curtains when the power is cut.

Because most poultry operations are located in rural areas it is incumbent upon fire departments to pre-plan or conduct a “pre-incident survey” for the agricultural buildings in their response district.

According to the Essentials of Fire Fighting, 4^th Edition, “the pre-incident survey… gives ‘up-front’ information required to better assess conditions during any emergency situation in these occupancies.”[3]

Conducting the pre-incident survey and analyzing the information should be done the same way as any other type of commercial or industrial property. Building size, construction and design; utility control locations; water supply; and any other special hazards will all considerations. But there are other considerations and resources that should be included in this survey.

Since today most flocks are “under contract”, meaning the farmer is housing and caring for birds owned by another farmer or corporation, the fire department should have access to 24/7/365 contact information for the business or the local “service man”. This will be especially helpful if the farmer himself is not on location. In the event of a fire, the service man must be notified to respond for issues such as animal health, alternative housing, depopulation concerns, etc. Keep in mind that a fire will have serious financial repercussions, so it is imperative that all stakeholders be notified right away.

Another area of special concern will be access to the site. Depending on the size of the operation, and what other activities are done at the same farm, access to the fire building may be limited. Long lays of supply hoses down farm lanes may be necessary as tankers may not be able to maneuver safely. Preplanning should also include the location and condition of access roads around the building(s). Other farm/field lanes may be present, but not be useable by fire apparatus.

A resource that fire fighters may not normally be familiar with, but could play an important role is the County or State Animal Response Team. These groups are specifically trained to deal with animals in emergencies. While all of these groups will be equipped to deal with larger animals, they may not be able to handle a large scale poultry related incident. Check with the local office of the State Department of Agriculture or Emergency Management for more information on these teams.

And as with any other pre-plan, make sure that there are adequate fire fighting resources dispatched. Determine required fire flows and be prepared to have these units dispatched immediately. You will also want to make sure your dispatch centers understand the unique differences for these types of calls. Some rural departments have had problems when their urban situated dispatch centers were dispatching the normal “residential house fire” responses for calls to “chicken houses”. One department received a call from their dispatcher for a “chicken coop on fire”. Fortunately the Fire Chief knew his area and immediately asked them to upgrade the assignment as this “chicken coop” was over 480 feet long and housed in excess of 72,000 birds.

There are generally two causes of fires in these facilities. They are electrical or malfunctioning heating systems, with the most common being electrical. Over time rodents or the acidic nature of manure can cause wiring damage that can lead to a fire. Another common problem is a fire in the electrical motors that run the ventilation system. Many times these fires will be confined to the exterior walls as this is where the wiring and fans will be located. Electricity coupled with the dust, dander and feathers of thousands of chickens is a recipe for a fire. Even with daily or weekly cleaning, this dirt can be very deep.

If there is a heating system present, the fire cause could be a malfunction and overheating of the system. Fires of this origin may be difficult to control, as sometimes these systems are located in the center areas of the house.

Another concern that cannot be overlooked by rural responders is the potential for arson. While any area or industry is a potential target, various groups that are defined as “agro-terrorists” will use arson as a statement to “further their cause”. Groups classified as “agro-terrorists”, such as the Animal Liberation Front or the Earth Liberation Front, endorse arson to make a statement.

In The Animal Liberation Primer[4], “a booklet dedicated to the hard working men and women of the ALF”, they espouse arson by saying “fire is a tool”. The booklet goes on to tell you that no animals shall be inadvertently killed, as well as telling these “agro-terrorists” to “leave absolutely no evidence!” This Primer then goes into intricate detail on how to build and use incendiary devices.

Rural responders will need to work closely with local law enforcement as arson, while a very difficult crime to solve, is a felony crime with no statute of limitations.

With an understanding of the unique construction and operation of these facilities, along with the hazards related to these occupancies, the fire department should be able to develop an effective action plan or strategy for combating fires. Do not “write these buildings off” as some people will say when it comes to barn fires.

Upon dispatch to a report of a fire, the first few minutes are the most critical. While the first arriving officer will need to immediately assess the location and extent of the fire, the most immediate action that needs to be accomplished is to shut down the ventilation systems in the affected building. This will help to eliminate fire spread. This can and should be done by the first arriving responders, if they are familiar with how to do it. Locate the electrical panel and turn off the fan banks individually. Do not arbitrarily “throw the mains”, as a backup generator may automatically start and any sidewall ventilation curtains will drop. It may also be better to leave the interior lighting on to assist fire fighters.

If the fire officer determines through the initial size-up that an interior attack is possible, several crews will need to be placed relatively quickly and they must be ready to act in concert. Most “controllable” fires in these occupancies will be along the exterior walls, with the origin being one of the ventilation fans or the associated electrical wiring.

The first arriving engine and crew will need to access the main floor of the house, which can usually only be accomplished at either end of the building. Knowing how long the building is, through pre-planning, will allow them to determine how long of an attack hose to deploy. This crew will need to determine the correct aisle to access the fire. They will need to extinguish any visible fire that cannot be reached by the lower level crew. Great care will need to be taken to check the integrity of the support structure for both the tiers of cages and the walkways.

The second engine and crew should access the lower level of the barn by the door nearest to the suspected seat of the fire. They will have to lead in over top of manure piles to get to the fire. They can initiate an attack to knock down visible fire.

At the same time, another crew will need to access the loft/attic area. They should be prepared to stretch a line into the attic if necessary. This will be determined by what the other crews will find.

At least one, if not all, of the crews should be equipped with a thermal imaging camera. This will aid in finding the fire and determining hot spots.

The next most critical action to take after the fire knockdown is to get the ventilation systems restarted. Remember that there will be tens of thousands of birds in this facility and they, like humans, need fresh air to breathe/survive. The restarting of the fans must be done as quickly as possible, essentially within the first few minutes of initial knockdown. The fan banks nearest the fire will need to be isolated and not restarted. The farmer will be able to assist in determining what switches turn on which fans. All crews must be aware that the fans are going to be started, so they are prepared in the event of a flare up. If too much fire begins to show again, the attack crews may have to call back to have the fans shut back down.

Typically, the birds only have ~10 minutes in the summer before they suffocate and bird latent heat in the building raises the temperature. When the birds start to get hot, they will flock to “cool spots”, trampling anything in their path.

If after the fans have been restarted there is no significant flare-up, crews must begin to overhaul the fire area insuring that all hot spots have been found and extinguished. And at this time, the incident commander will need to allow the farmer and/or service man to make an assessment of the damage and the health of the flock. In addition, construction people will need to assess the fire damage and structural stability to make necessary repairs, especially if there are living birds remaining in the house. These are important measures that the fire department must assist in facilitating.

While not part of the fire department’s normal post incident operations, after the fire fighting operation is complete fire fighters may be asked to assist in the removal of dead or injured birds from a facility. This is extremely important for the health of the remaining flock. This is an excellent customer service tool as well. This part of the operation will be under the direction of the farmer and/or flock service man.

Care will need to be taken to properly decontaminate personal protective gear and other equipment. This is extremely important if any of the responding fire fighters have any type of poultry flock themselves, to avoid the risk of cross-contamination and the spread of disease. While most poultry farmers are well aware of this, after responding to a fire they should be reminded to make sure they shower and change clothing upon their return home, before coming in contact with their own flock.

And as with any incident, a post incident analysis or critique should be completed. Discuss what went well, and what may or should be done differently the next time. Use this information and discussion to improve on resource planning, attack operations, and any other aspect of the emergency response.

Today’s modern agricultural practices dictate that rural responders must be properly trained and equipped to deal with fires in agricultural occupancies, in the same manner as their urban/suburban counterparts prepare for fires in commercial/industrial facilities.

Proper planning and teamwork by the fire department could seriously lessen the impact of a fire in “their neighbor’s business”.

[1] USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Poultry - Production and Value - 2005 Summary (Released April 2006)

[2] Lavergne, Dr. Theresia (2004). Advice on Reducing Heat Stress in Poultry. Retrieved November 27, 2006 from http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_livestock/livestock/animal_health/poultry

[3] International Fire Service Training Association. Essentials of Fire Fighting, 4^th Edition. 1998 Pg 659-660

[4] Author and year unknown; The Animal Liberation Primer, Retrieved December 28, 2006 from http://www.animalliberationfront.us/ALFront/ALFPrime.htm