Home-based Firefighting Equipment

[Brewski]

For everyone relying on their pool or tanks, make sure you calculate or better yet test how fast your pump(s) and hose setups will empty the pool or tank. Alot of the pumps and hose sizes above will empty the water alot faster than you might think.

For example I emptied my 16,000 gallon pool with a 1/3 horse power electric sump pump (very small pump) that pumps about 1,800 gallons per hour at 15' head in 9 hours using 50 foot long garden hose. Hooked up to two temporary roof sprinklers it might last for 12 hours.

I'm in suburbia near high fuel fire zones, my plan is, time permitting, to setup and turn on a small gas or generator pool pump piped to temp roof sprinklers and evacuate. All my possessions and structures can be replaced, my life can't so I'm not staying to fight.

 

[atmat]

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?

There have literally been homes in all those places that have been spared.

Are you arguing that taking steps towards mitigation — removing fuels, hardscaping, using fire resistant materials, etc. — doesn’t increase the likelihood of your home surviving a fire?

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.

Correct. And the best way to avoid a car accident is to never drive in a car. But that’s not realistic for many people, and some folks accept a certain level of risk.

Mitigation to your property may increase the chances of survival, but it certainly isn’t a guarantee.

Can you quote where someone said it’s a guarantee? We’re talking about ways to reduce risk.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

Are you arguing that taking steps towards mitigation — removing fuels, hardscaping, using fire resistant materials, etc. — doesn’t increase the likelihood of your home surviving a fire?

I never said that. My original post indicated at a certain threshold the fire will always win regardless of what you do to your property. Staying (whether it’s you or firefighters) to protect your property in these circumstances is a fool’s errand. I can tell you the firefighters won’t stay in these circumstances. They will not jeopardize their lives for YOUR STUFF. If you decide to stay to protect your property during an evacuation, the firefighters will leave without you.
If you have a clean property and it is somewhat defendable, you will have a better chance of firefighters willing to protect your home. Of course, you will lessen the likelihood of any of the structures burning down, but it only takes one ember and your house can burn down.
Let’s say your property looks immaculate, you have a steel roof, etc. How do your neighbor’s properties look (could be public or private land)? Their property could be the demise of yours.

Correct. And the best way to avoid a car accident is to never drive in a car. But that’s not realistic for many people, and some folks accept a certain level of risk.

Gee, you really got me there…

 

[kbarnes]

We fought one back in 2006 that sticks in my mind. Conditions were extreme drought for a couple months, 113 degrees out with 30-35 mph winds with gusts to 55 mph. Canyon fire with 30-50' pines and cedar trees. These kind of fires have a different level of difficulty and danger. We got on scene of a house on the edge of a canyon with pine trees within 30 feet of the house with about 20 - 30 minutes before the fire arrived. We knew the fire was crowning and it was going to hit us hard and fast. We had 3 trucks and we knocked down as many trees as one chain saw could do ( probably gained us about 50' of buffer zone) all the while we were wetting everything down with around 4 hoses. I was watching when the fire crowned on the far side of the canyon and ash and embers had already started the bottom of the canyon on fire. The fire was probably 1/2 mile away in the bottom, anyway when the heat hit our side it was hot enough to crown the fire immediately. The fire came up the hillside in less than 30 seconds to the house. We had already evacuated the family. As I mentioned before, make sure of your escape route. We realized we had waited too long so we fogged our nozzles to spray ourselves and drove out into a grass flat were we could hold our own until the fire blew over us. Some takeaways from this, the house was totally engulfed in less than 2 mins, that's some serious heat, don't have your nozzle on stream when you point it at yourself ( that cost me a pair of glasses lol). Thinking about what should have been done different with the benefit of hindsight. Leave quicker we cut that one to close for safety. I don't know if we could've saved the house but we would have had a lot better chance if we would have started a back fire a couple hundred feet down the hill as soon as we arrived. All of this took place in canyons with plenty of fuel. The cedar trees should have been cleaned out because they serve as a ladder to the top, hence the crown fire. Since then there has been a lot better forest management around here. Live and learn.

 

[atmat]

My original post indicated at a certain threshold the fire will always win

Okay, cool. Solid contribution to the thread then.

 

[Huntindog45]

i live in nor cal, and grew up in paradise. I know a guy who built as fire proof a house as you can build and it survived an almost direct impact this year from the park fire. One feature he has is sprinklers and the ability to flood his rain gutters. not sure how he does that, but he has a system for it. if you look at pictures of houses on fire in the early stages there is almost always a line of fire around the outer edge of the house and it is almost always debris burning in the gutters.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

NFPA - Firewise USA®

NFPA's Firewise USA® program teaches people how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together and take action.

www.nfpa.org

 

[Fireflyfishing]

if you look at pictures of houses on fire in the early stages there is almost always a line of fire around the outer edge of the house and it is almost always debris burning in the gutters.

Embers landing on eves, wood shingles, wood decks, firewood against or near the structure, wood fences…basically anywhere an ember can land and get established is a vector for your house being fully involved.
Continuous fuel on the ground around the structure is an issue.
What’s the canopy spacing of brush and trees around your property? What about your neighbor’s property?

 

[Fireflyfishing]

Wildfire Mitigation | National Interagency Fire Center

www.nifc.gov

 

[tony]

Depending how much acreage you have or even your structures.
Look at gov deals, municipality web sites, ebay
Find a "mini pumper" usually on a 1-ton chassis, gas or diesel motor, 4wd. 250-500 gpm pump, similar sized water tank. Some will throw in portable pumps, generators, lights, hose, nozzles, etc.
My dept had one, old chevy 350 5 spd, 4wd, was a tank. Used it in the winter and brush fires.

Another option is build a slider if you have a truck. parts sourced from any farm store, Home Depot, etc. Plastic tank, small gas pump, lot of volunteer FDs with little money build them and they work fine.

Fire hose, nozzles, found cheap as depts replace, hose that fails testing is still fine for what you're wanting.

 

[IAm_Not_Lost]

I’m in AZ in a location where we’ve been under evac precautions before and had brush and smaller wildfires. Adequate clearance around your house is key. Sure, a working gennie and water pump would also be excellent, but if you just create enough of a perimeter, that is by far the biggest start to protecting your property.