Pine Ridge County Fire Rescue briefs Wellington equestrian committee on barn-fire prevention and large-animal rescue

At the April 2 meeting of the Village of Wellington Equestrian Preserve Committee, Pine Ridge County Fire Rescue leaders described steps property owners can take to reduce barn-fire risk and explained how the county responds to large-animal rescues.

The presentation, led by District Chief Amanda O'Meara, summarized prevention practices—keeping hydrants and dry hydrants clear, using “click-to-enter” gate access, storing hay with good ventilation, avoiding do-it-yourself electrical work, cleaning dryer lint properly and installing smoke or heat detectors and, where feasible, sprinklers. Chief O'Meara stressed marking hydrants and keeping gates accessible for responding crews.

“These are important because that will be our water supply when we arrive,” Chief Amanda O'Meara said, urging owners to post “no parking” signage at dry hydrants and to add gate codes to dispatch records so crews can gain entry quickly.

Committee members and staff discussed gate-access options and a dispatch phone line that staff said can accept annual gate codes: (561) 616-7012. Chief O'Meara said click-to-enter systems or dispatch-stored access codes reduce delays at locked gates.

A resident who lost a home to a dryer fire urged owners to require vent cleaners to remove the dryer front and clean lint accumulations inside the drum, not just the external vent. “They have to take the whole front of the dryer off,” the resident said, describing a preventable attic fire.

On large-animal rescues, Battalion Chief Todd Turner (Special Operations) described technical equipment and tactics the county deploys when horses or other large animals become trapped. He said teams use monopods or bipods, manpower and, when available, veterinary sedation to lift or extract animals without further harm. Turner said rescue teams coordinate with on-scene veterinarians or owners and with Animal Care and Control for animal handling.

“We work hand in hand with the vets,” Turner said, describing scenarios in which sedation and coordinated lifting are used. Lieutenant Michelle Fox, of Animal Care and Control, said her unit helps manage animal behavior on scene and halter or hold animals while rescue teams work.

Chiefs and staff noted that fires in barns spread quickly because of open construction and fuel load; they recommended heat detectors, regular drills and a designated, English-speaking greeter on large properties to direct arriving responders to the incident location. They also encouraged owners to label multiple buildings (for example, “Barn 1,” “Barn 2”) and add that information to dispatch entries to speed response.

Fire personnel said all fire-rescue units carry small-animal oxygen masks for pets, and that technical-rescue teams are available to respond countywide for a variety of large-animal incidents.

The committee invited attendees to view short video clips staff recorded of the rescue equipment; staff said they would make the clips available to the committee and, if appropriate, to the public.