Jim:
I was reviewing the Blog. this morning and saw the letter on “Barn Designs and Fire.” As a retired Lieutenant from the Fire Department I would like to make a suggestion! A 250 Gallon fuel oil tank filled with water, in a house attic or barn attic, can be piped to use a{n automatic] fire sprinkler system. Don’t forget to reinforce the weight! Use a pendent sprinkler head rated for the normal high temperature the area will receive and the temperature that you would want the head to go off. Use and a sidewall sprinkler heads for along side walls. – GCP
James:
The recent letter on barn fires compelled to me to write. Many readers are already equipped with kerosene lanterns or pressurized mantle lanterns for use outside or during long power outages. However, these present a significant fire risk when used around dry bedding material such as wood shavings or straw. It may be a good idea to invest in a battery powered or rechargeable lantern. The fluorescent units provide reasonable runtime per charge and run cool. The rechargeable units usually come with both 110 VAC and 12 VDC chargers and could probably be charged from a small solar panel. They can be found in the camping section of most mart type stores for around $30. – Buzz