Healthy horse standing in pasture with environmental water conservation symbols, promoting sustainable horse keeping practices.
Three Steps to Being Firewise
Polluted farmland with smoke and chemical runoff affecting water quality in land management practices.

It’s easy to think fires only happen to other people, but unfortunately, this kind of thinking can lead to tragic consequences.

When horses or livestock are involved in a fire event, action needs to be taken quickly to save the lives of animals and to reduce property damage.

Being proactive is the safest firewise plan; late evacuation, or waiting until emergency responders can get to you is often a deadly choice. Once fire is close, visibility may be poor and travel hazardous. Fallen trees, power lines, abandoned cars and firefighting vehicles can easily block roads. Even quiet horses may panic in a trailer filled with smoke or surrounded by sirens.

Learn tips on how to prioritize tasks in the event of a fire, on ways to prevent fire from occurring in your barn, and how to protect your property in the event a wildfire is near. These three steps are a good start to give you confidence you are firewise:

If you would like in-depth advice for your particular situation, Alayne is available for phone or in-person consultations. 

Dense map of historical fire locations across the U.S. from 1970 to 2007, highlighting areas affected by fires larger than 300 acres, emphasizing land management challenges.
This map shows the location of all fires from 1970 to 2007 which were larger than 300 acres. (Graphic courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management.)
Picture of Alayne Blickle
Alayne Blickle
Alayne Blickle is a lifelong equestrian, ranch riding competitor, and the creator and director of Horses for Clean Water. Well-known for her enthusiastic, down-to-earth approach, Blickle is an educator who has worked with horse and livestock owners since 1990, teaching manure composting, pasture management, mud and dust control, water conservation, chemical use reduction, fire preparedness, and wildlife enhancement.  Blickle and her husband raise and train their mustangs and quarter horses at their eco-sensitive guest ranch, Sweet Pepper Ranch, in sunny Nampa, Idaho.
Picture of Alayne Blickle
Alayne Blickle
Alayne Blickle is a lifelong equestrian, ranch riding competitor, and the creator and director of Horses for Clean Water. Well-known for her enthusiastic, down-to-earth approach, Blickle is an educator who has worked with horse and livestock owners since 1990, teaching manure composting, pasture management, mud and dust control, water conservation, chemical use reduction, fire preparedness, and wildlife enhancement.  Blickle and her husband raise and train their mustangs and quarter horses at their eco-sensitive guest ranch, Sweet Pepper Ranch, in sunny Nampa, Idaho.

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