Lightning and Hay Barns

[Rodney Brown]

Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with fires in hay barns associated with lightning? I have seen a number of fires in the past years where not just green hay alone causes fires, but seems to always be associated with lightning.

[CJBFireConsultant]

I am not sure exactly what you are asking for, but here is a website address for you to check out. This company claims they are court-certified in lightning strike detection and can pinpoint within 500 feet any lightning strike which touches the ground.

If this information is not what you were looking for, I do apologize in advance.

Global Atmospherics: http://www.glatmos.com/lightinfo/lightinfo.html

[eyecue]

I investigated a barn fire that was due to lighting striking either the ground near it or the overhead ground wires feeding it. The barn was full of three inches of wood shavings for raising baby turkeys. The building was corrugated metal and showed no signs of a direct hit. There was however ARC marks on the ground rod that went from the breaker box into the ground inside the building. This was enough to ignite the wood chips. It is possible that the lightning hit near by and went through the earth to the ground rod and back up or it could have hit somewhere downline and came into the building. If there would have been a good connection at the ground rod and clamp, the fire probably wouldnt have started