Agri News, MN
11-14-06
Midwest news and notes
Flash fires can occur in slotted-floor barns
Under certain circumstances, swine barns with slotted floors over deep pits can
have flash fires, according to Dan Meyer, Iowa State University Extension ag
engineer based in Fayette, Iowa.
Meyer said he knows of flash fires happening in four locations. Methane gas is
continuously produced in manure pits and released into the air at a steady rate.
It is colorless, odorless, non-toxic gas that is lighter than air and dissipates from
confinement buildings where manure is stored under the floor, Meyer said.
Explosions usually happen only in non-curtain buildings. The spark could be from
a welder or unvented space heater. The lower concentration of methane gas
could be caused by shutting off or slowing down the pit or wall fans, which can
happen during cleaning.