Home-based Firefighting Equipment

[JohnB]

In construction, we’ve installed all sorts of expensive new attic vents, but on an existing house simply adding fine wire mesh makes them much more ember resistant. This is a common retrofit and there should be a lot of information and materials for the purpose.

What are the current thoughts on a minimum screen size? When we built 10 years ago I think we used 1/8" but maybe it was 1/4”? This is on my to do list to investigate and add more if needed this spring.

 

[mtnbiker208]

I live out of town and basically out of the fire district. We have had 3 house burn to the ground around me.
I did call 911 once, when my neighbor's place had a brush fire getting out of control. It took an hour and half before the first truck showed up. I have created a fire trailer with pump and tanks of water. I am not worried about the evacutation order, but more of the can i stop it before it gets big.

Alot of places are on there own when it comes to fire protection.

 

[Alpine4x4]

I live out of town and basically out of the fire district. We have had 3 house burn to the ground around me.
I did call 911 once, when my neighbor's place had a brush fire getting out of control. It took an hour and half before the first truck showed up. I have created a fire trailer with pump and tanks of water. I am not worried about the evacutation order, but more of the can i stop it before it gets big.

Alot of places are on there own when it comes to fire protection.

We do live out of the fire district. Our district is also volunteer only. My neighbor is one of them and said they do and will respond up to us. My wife also works with another who lives at the bottom of the canyon. They've been a big help getting things squared away.

 

[WCB]

Trained in wildland fire trained a while ago. Did very minor burns compared to anything going on in L.A. mostly "controlled". My best recommendation is an independent system like sprinklers and gas pumps or generators and general preventative care. Keep material as far away from your house as possible.

Also, unless someone is trained 99% of people are best to turn your system and get TF outta Dodge. People think it is bad that fires are happening in 60-70mph winds...go stand in fire and see what conditions are going on it will blow your mind and how fast conditions can change and how fast fire can move. Not sure if it was a post on here (pretty sure it was). Saw someone say the fire was 4 blocks away like that is a good thing? wind switches and fire turns your direction it is minutes before it is on you. IF you live in a fire prone place with few avenues out if things hit quick, investing in some PPE isn't a bad idea. But use it as a means to help you get to safety, not as a reason for you to be able to hang around till the bitter end.

 

[TaperPin]

What are the current thoughts on a minimum screen size? When we built 10 years ago I think we used 1/8" but maybe it was 1/4”? This is on my to do list to investigate and add more if needed this spring.

1/4” is the old standard to keep bugs out. 1/8” is common to keep embers out and there are even finer ones close to 1/16”, but they plug up over time and require a little effort to keep clean.

 

[Dogone]

A sprinkler system is most important. Don’t let the fire start. I believe sprinkler should be running at least an hour before expected fire. There should be more info about that out there.

 

[JCooper]

If I was in a fire prone area I would keep 10 gal of F500EA on hand with an application nozzle. Look it up. It’s an amazing “foam” agent. Our rep tells us it encapsulates for appx. 24hours. Pretty cheap insurance. It can be batch mixed or ran through a foam induction system if you do not want to buy the nozzle.

 

[Balderdash]

25 years urban, structural FF here. Did some wildland years ago. Your list looks good, as do the suggestions given so far. I wouldn't worry too much about specialty gear. If you need it, it's beyond time to go.

We live on a few acres next to state land with tall grass that gets burned every few years, sometimes deliberately, sometimes just nature. Every fall I take a brush mower and cut any tall vegetation on my property and out 40-50' on the state ground. Has kept the set and natural fires from being concerning for us or the neighbors. Might want to check with the landowners to see if such an arrangement is possible.

 

[7mm-08]

25 years urban, structural FF here. Did some wildland years ago. Your list looks good, as do the suggestions given so far. I wouldn't worry too much about specialty gear. If you need it, it's beyond time to go.

We live on a few acres next to state land with tall grass that gets burned every few years, sometimes deliberately, sometimes just nature. Every fall I take a brush mower and cut any tall vegetation on my property and out 40-50' on the state ground. Has kept the set and natural fires from being concerning for us or the neighbors. Might want to check with the landowners to see if such an arrangement is possible.

Clearly, this reduction of fuels aspect for my situation is imperative. If you knew my neighbors like I know my neighbors, you'd just take it upon yourself to clear the fuels from the public space outside their fence, which I intend to do in the spring. Saving their stupid asses to save my property might just be the cost of doing business.

 

[Balderdash]

Clearly, this reduction of fuels aspect for my situation is imperative. If you knew my neighbors like I know my neighbors, you'd just take it upon yourself to clear the fuels from the public space outside their fence, which I intend to do in the spring. Saving their stupid asses to save my property might just be the cost of doing business.

Same situation with me. I just mitigate the feul load on as much of the neighboring areas as I can. Some neighbors appreciate it, some are indifferent, some don't want the "wild areas" next to their places messed with. The state was good with me maintaining a buffer as it saves them a hassle when they go to burn the area off every few years. I've had to explain to a few neighbors who complained about that activity how important it is for our safety to get rid of that fuel from tike to time, which it sounds like wasn't happening enough in CA.

One thing I've learned through the years is that many people just don't care until its too late, so I applaud you for at least identifying a problem and doing something about it.

 

[IDLassie]

At our old place use to jump the fence and cut (weedeater) a 30 foot fire break to dirt on the neighbors. Kept the front of the place closest to the county road down to dirt too. We were hardly home in the summer due to the fact we were fire lookouts.
The new place is fire proof as best as we can but don't live in the forest or close to the boundary. What trees we have keep the pine trees limbed up and the needles raked up during the summer. No bushes or trees close to the house. Which I miss the shade in the summer. Lawn on the north side of the house and gravel on the south side.

I still worry about fire just due to being in wild-land fire for 40 years. I still keep the county road side down to dirt for just in case some drunk flips a cig-butt. It isn't bullet proof but it's better than nothing.

 

[kbarnes]

Lots of good ideas here. I'll add a few from 40+ years of helping with fires. Good goggles and mask or fireproof hood, it's hard to stay close enough to the fire if you can't see or breathe. If you're fighting an active fire don't do it alone. Have at least two hoses and two people. One to back up the lead guy and keep his hoses from burning up and keep him cooled down if necessary. Always prioritize an escape route and if it looks like it might become compromised, leave immediately. Property can be replaced. If there's time and room to do it, create a safe zone by backburning an area to retreat into. The bigger the better.

 

[Huntindog45]

over twenty years ago the floto pump was standard equipment on every CDF (now Cal-Fire) engine. I have a pool now and trying to find a used one. They are simple, self priming, pull the chord and go pumps.

CET 6hp Floating Fire Fighting Pump

The high volume CET 6hp Kawasaki Floating Fire Fighting Pump is the most efficient on the market. It gives you the highest volume in its range.Flows:200 GPM (757 L/M) @ 5 PSI (72 bar)170 GPM (643 L/M) @ 10 PSI (145 bar)105 GPM (397 L/M) @ 20 PSI (290 bar)50 GPM (189 L/M) @ 30 PSI (435 bar)...

firesafetyusa.com

 

[Weldor]

No hydrants where we are , the best system I have seen is a deluge . My neighbor years ago had one installed on his place. Basically it is a large tank with pumps 2 one for a back up. it is plumbed to the roof and runs a set of deluge sprinkers if needed. Soaks the exterior of the house. My system is 44000 gallons of water stored and 2 pumps one electric and one gas. plus a large loader to move earth if needed. I live in a 5 roof Santa Fe stucco and flat roofs. I just plug the scuppers and put 1/2 water on them if needed. Last fire here luckily we did not need to do that. Burned to the edge of my pasture. (which is always cleared of brush).

 

[Alpine4x4]

No hydrants where we are , the best system I have seen is a deluge . My neighbor years ago had one installed on his place. Basically it is a large tank with pumps 2 one for a back up. it is plumbed to the roof and runs a set of deluge sprinkers if needed. Soaks the exterior of the house. My system is 44000 gallons of water stored and 2 pumps one electric and one gas. plus a large loader to move earth if needed. I live in a 5 roof Santa Fe stucco and flat roofs. I just plug the scuppers and put 1/2 water on them if needed. Last fire here luckily we did not need to do that. Burned to the edge of my pasture. (which is always cleared of brush).

What are you using for water storage? Thats a serious amount of water.

 

[Randle]

I also made and printed out a list of things to do if put on notice to evac.
Put it on the fridge so we wont have to think about what to do.
Such as close crawl space vent, double check house perimeter for debris, etc

 

[dylanvb]

This thread is going to make me do some landscaping and evac prep. Thank you for all the knowledge.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

When the wind is blowing a fire 50+ mph toward your house, the best course is to get you and your family to safety. You won’t save your home.

 

[atmat]

When the wind is blowing a fire 50+ mph toward your house, the best course is to get you and your family to safety. You won’t save your home.

No one’s arguing that you shouldn’t move to safety. But things like proper hardscaping, flame resistant building materials, and other such mitigation do offer an opportunity to save homes from wildfires.

Every major wildfire there’s at least one home that survived because of a combination of fire mitigation and luck.

Personally, I live in a very high wildfire risk area. In addition to much of what’s been described here, I’m looking into residing with fire resistant/proof siding and decking, as my current ones are getting to the point where they need replaced anyway.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

Every major wildfire there’s at least one home that survived because of a combination of fire mitigation and luck.

Right. Explain to me what would have saved more homes in the Marshall fire in CO a couple of years ago? How about the fires in Paradise, CA…or the fires burning now in SoCal?

Personally, I live in a very high wildfire risk area. In addition to much of what’s been described here, I’m looking into residing with fire resistant/proof siding and decking, as my current ones are getting to the point where they need replaced anyway.

The best way to avoid having your house burn down in a wildfire is to choose a property that has very little exposure to a wildfire. Building a McMansion on the side of a hill/mountain covered in brush or timber is a ticking time bomb. Mitigation to your property may increase the chances of survival, but it certainly isn’t a guarantee.