What type of barns are preferred in high fire areas, wood or metal?
Contrary to common belief, steel framed wood barns using slow-burn 2×6 T&G walls are actually the better choice in a high fire area. A wood barn using a 3/16″ steel framework will withstand the extreme heat of a fire, taking longer to twist and collapse, than a thin-walled galvanized barn. Unlike a wood barn, a galvanized barn also exposes you and your horses to the danger of galvanization asphyxiation, which can cause retardation or death in a matter of minutes.
