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LOSS CONTROL INSIDERLowering risk, focused on the bottom line.amfam.com

The potential or fre on a arm or ranch is greater than

you think. American Family receives an average o seven

to eight fre-related arm claims every day. Thats 2,800

a year. Over the past fve years, total fre claims paid to

our insured armers and ranchers have averaged almost

$10.9 million a year. Natures ashes o lightning are

the biggest source o rural fres, but there are dozens o

other causes as well.

Lightning isnt the only source

It doesnt take much to get a grass fre ablaze. All it takesare, or instance, sparks rom welding or cutting torches,

burning debris rom careless trash and brush fres, or hot

parts and sparks rom vehicles, equipment and wood

stoves.

Nearly hal o all fres occur outside. While not all occur

on arm or ranch property, this statistic reects a reality

those in rural America must ace.

Who is at risk?

When fre strikes on the range, its not just the pasture

or nearest amily arm or ranch that is in harms way.Oten, volunteers are put in danger, too. Think about

rural frefghters who willingly put themselves at risk to

control range fres, oten armed only with water tanks in

their truckbeds, wet burlap sacks or the shovels in their

hands. Its just the neighborly thing to do, the way its

always been. Are you doing your part to protect these

neighbors and riends?

Double damage on the range

Apart rom the obvious risk to human lives and the

potential o losses to structures, machinery and livestock,

range fres can also aect revenue. Take cheatgrass,

or example. Assumed to be a botanical immigrant that

slipped into America in the 1890s, likely with wheat seed

and livestock, it grows rapidly ater a wildfre, choking out

native vegetation and cutting into the economic potential

o the western range. With its short growth period, it

dries early and turns into a highly ammable mat across

pasturelands, setting the stage or uture fres.

Remember to protect your property

Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, you

should also give due attention to arm or ranch property

and building sites. Protect dwellings and attached

structures such as decks, porches, ences and nearby

outbuildings. A ence line down the road, shadowed

with dried weeds, can be a natural use or a spark that

travels to a building site or rapidly across a pasture.

Roos can catch fre easily when wind-blown sparks

land on them, or when theres direct contact with ames

rom nearby trees, shrubs and neighboring structures.

Once a roo is in ames, fre can spread to the rest o the

structure extremely quickly.

About 5,000 Americans die each year from res on their

property. Have you protected your loved ones and property

the best you can by operating a safe farm or ranch?

Dont Let Range Fires Consume

Your Farm Or Ranch

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LC-23852 Rev 10/09

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For more information about American Familys Loss Control Services, visit www.amfam.com

DISCLAIMER

The recommendations printed here ollow generally accepted saety standards. Compliance with these recommendations does not guarantee that you will be in conormance with any building code,

or ederal, state or local regulations regarding saety or fre. Compliance does not ensure the absolute saety o you, your operati ons or place o business.

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American Family Mutual Insurance Company and its Subsidiaries, American Family Insurance Company Home OfficeMadison, WI 53783 LC-23852 Rev 10/09

Farm & Ranch Range Fires amfam.com

How you can limit the risk

The best way to do this is to eliminate or reducepotential sources of fuel. Some practices that can

help are:

Cleaning your machine shed, barn and other buildings.

Keeping surroundings mowed, clearing shrubbery rom

around buildings and eliminating ame-spreading dead

vegetation and debris.

Storing hay and bedding away rom buildings.

Protecting your property rom spontaneous

combustion. Large masses o organic material can besel-igniting.

Its also important to limit potential sources of

ignition by:

Forbidding smoking in or near buildings where highly

ammable materials exist.

Treating all vehicles, equipment, power tools and heat

generating devices like a burning match.

Evaluating the saety o an electrical system and having

a licensed electrical contractor inspect and correct anyweaknesses.

Installing electric ence controllers outside buildings

and securing them to a noncombustible base located

away rom any material that may burn.

Keeping barn ans and all electrical motors ree o dust.

Cleaning cha or trash rom combines and other

equipment.

Installing all lightning suppression systems properly and

keeping them well maintained.

Other points to remember:

Make your property accessible to emergency services.

Maintain sae distances between buildings and

explosive uel storage.

Use only Underwriters Laboratories (UL) approved

products.

Familiarize amily and employees with the procedures

to use in an emergency.

Mount fre extinguishers at strategic locations.