Fires in agriculture are a serious problem, but with appropriate preventive measures and education, it is possible to reduce the risk of their occurrence and minimize their scale and thus the resulting losses. The ability to ensure the safe evacuation of a livestock building also requires basic knowledge of animal behaviour in the face of a threat. Based on available guidelines and literature data, the article discusses the main causes of fires in livestock buildings, ways to prevent them (including measures required by law) and basic principles of conduct during the evacuation of animals from burning buildings.