Hog barn fire sparks calls for building code changes in Manitoba
January 15, 2009
By
Canadian Consulting Engineer
After more than 30,000 animals died last year in barn fires in Manitoba, the province is finally proposing the idea...
After more than 30,000 animals died last year in barn fires in Manitoba, the province is finally proposing the idea of requiring fire protection for such buildings.
The move follows the latest fire at the end of December which occurred in in a hog barn in Hadashville and killed 900 newly weaned pigs.
Currently, the province’s codes follow the National Building Code of Canada and it does not require farm buildings to have sprinklers or smoke detectors, even though the structures can hold tens of thousands of animals. The fire in Hadashville was started by welding equipment during renovations.
A spokesperson for the government of Manitoba said the idea of a code change is still in its preliminary concept stage, but the proposal is for changes to apply to all farm buildings of more than 600 square metres.
The Office of the Fire Commissioner and Manitoba Ministry of Labour and Immigration will be starting public consultations beginning this April.
