🩹 Watch livestock for smoke and ash injuries after a fire

Livestock that survived a wildfire — whether evacuated and returned, or sheltered in place — need careful health monitoring in the days and weeks...

Livestock that survived a wildfire — whether evacuated and returned, or sheltered in place — need careful health monitoring in the days and weeks afterward. Watch for laboured breathing, coughing, eye discharge, refusal to eat or drink, lethargy, and burns on the legs or face from running through hot ground or stepping on hot ash. Singed hair, swollen eyes and nasal discharge are common after even moderate smoke exposure. Check water sources for ash contamination — ponds, dugouts and stock tanks may need to be cleaned and refilled. Pasture grass that has burned needs time to regrow before grazing resumes; in the interim, feed hay. Test well water before drinking or using for livestock if you are downstream or downwind of a major fire — Alberta Health Services and BC public health offices (and, in the US, your county or state health department and the CDC) publish post-fire water-testing guidance. For specific health concerns, contact your veterinarian early; smoke-related respiratory issues that look mild can develop into pneumonia in cattle, horses and small ruminants over the following weeks. Document any injuries with photos and dates for insurance and government disaster-recovery programs.

Source: Alberta — Farm Animals and Livestock Preparedness

Last reviewed 2026-05-02.

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