In four months, more than 1,100 animals have been lost in fires. – It is a nightmare to see that the farm building is on fire right next to the window where you live. That’s what Einar Frogner, head of the Swedish Fire Protection Committee, says. On the first weekend in December, there was a fire in two barns. In Beiarn in Salten, almost 200 animals were rescued, while 20 lambs were lost. Outside Florø, 20 sheep were rescued when a barn caught fire on the island of Kinn. Owner Hermod Seim and the neighborhood themselves had to stop the flames from spreading to the neighboring house. It was a tough fight in the evening darkness. – The barn was on fire when we discovered the fire, he said. The 20 sheep in the barn on the island of Kinn were rescued by local people. Photo: news tips Great loss of animals The fires now in December are just two of several in autumn and winter. In August, 500 pigs caught fire inside a barn in Klepp på Jæren. A few days later, 300 pigs died in a fire at Bøttum in Ringsaker. Two months later, 150 cattle lost their lives in a large fire at Byrkjelo in Gloppen. In November, a barn in Gausdal caught fire and 90 cattle were lost. Within 20 minutes, the barn on the farm in Gausdal had caught fire. 90 cattle died in the fire. Photo: Stig Westre / news The Swedish Fire Protection Committee works to prevent and limit the extent of fires in agriculture. After many large barn fires at the beginning of the 2000s, agriculture took action with, for example, checks of electrical installations and the use of heat-seeking cameras. In 2021, a total of 123 fires were registered in farm buildings with damages of over NOK 100,000. This is the lowest number ever recorded. Overall, just over 100 animals were lost in three of the fires. The year before, 852 livestock were lost in 141 fires in farm buildings. Don’t like the development Figures for 2022 are not clear, but over 1,100 lost wildlife in several large fires in recent months worries Einar Frogner in the fire protection committee. They will now go closer to the fires after several large livestock fires. – We have to find out why and what possible measures can be put in place, he says. He is not alone in being worried about the development, after years of significant decline. – There have been quite a few fires, and it is extra bad when animals die. Gjensidige’s communications manager thinks it is worrying that there have been so many serious fires recently. That’s according to communications manager Arne Voll at Gjensidige. The insurance company insures many farms in Norway. – Agriculture has done a lot, and many measures have been introduced, but more can certainly be done. Because once it starts to burn, it goes quickly, says Voll. Hope it’s a coincidence Frogner says they are excited about what they will find out when they get the figures for 2022 analysed. – By having the causes of fires investigated, either confirmed or probable, we will see if there is a trend or if it is coincidental. We hope for the latter. And Frogner is supported by leader Bjørn Gimming of the Norwegian Farmers’ Association. – It is too early to say whether 2022 is a single year, but we will in any case investigate whether there are any common features and whether new issues have arisen. According to Landbruket’s fire protection committee, 2 out of 3 livestock building fires have started in the electrical system. In the fire in Gloppen in October, the police found out that the cause of the barn fire was a diesel-powered wheel loader. Frogner says they will check whether there have been more fires and fires in machines. – We know that mechanical equipment such as electronics and electrical components are postponed. This is, among other things, why we have main circuit breakers. It is important that they work and that they are used.
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Over 1,100 animals have lost their lives in barn fires in four months – news Vestland
