In January reports came in of several barns that catched fire, horses killed in a fire, and more disturbing equine disasters caused by fire. A new plastic sprinkler system for equestrian yards is being developed following concerns over the increase in stable fires. Brad Wilson, a firefighter with the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s animal rescue team, is launching the new fire suppression system for the UK equine market after seeing a similar product in the US. “There has been a huge increase nationally and internationally in stable fires and we’ve got to do something to get a better, safer equine environment,” said Mr Wilson, who runs Triangle Fire Safety and has set up a new company called EquiProtect to market the sprinkler. Once plumbed in through the stables’ roof the vessel is filled with water and a type of antifreeze solution (green alternatives such as vegetable glycerine are being looked into) and then pressurised with compressed air. The sprinkler has a small glass filament that shatters when the heat rises. This opens the plug at the end of the sprinkler nozzle, releasing the water and extinguishing the fire. The cost of system installation for a block of ten stables is between €3,000 and €3,700, plus a yearly maintenance cost. Funding permitting, the first pilot sprinkler system will be installed at the Horse Trust’s retirement home near Princes Risborough, Bucks, in April.
