Our forest fire precautions

[Hotwheels]

Did you drop by Station-83? They might be able to direct you, and give you some ideas. Sounds like you're in their first out area.

Hey Robert,
The Engine 83 guys are very helpful ... I would love to have their big green tanker for my place! Can't say enough about how well those fellows perform during fires. I stopped in there today to ask their views about the Barricade Gel products ... they think it is worthwhile, but the emphasis was on access and defensible space..

I have been hyperventilating about fire preparations and although I have some short term fixes, there is a lot more to do in order to ensure Engine 83 and company have good access and egress. If they can get in but not out, then it becomes a different decision matrix for them and for me.

THANKS. Some smoke we have now !!!

 

[RedDirt]

If they can get in but not out, then it becomes a different decision matrix for them and for me.
Some smoke we have now !!!

News tonight said 800+ fires started from Saturday's lightning and almost 100 of them are yet to be manned due to available manpower and resources.

The smoke is terrible. We had a small fire four/five miles from here but the volunteers and USFS got it contained today. Bless the firemen. Several bigger fires in the area but none too close to us to be immediately threatening.

I have a circle drive around the house so easy access/egress. But I do have an automatic gate opener and that could stop/delay the fire engine at the gate. It's been on my mind since I installed the opener to put a "break glass in emergency" cabinet with the keypad code and an over-ride key in the cabinet. The fence and gate are to keep animals in more than keep out intruders...but neighbor kids...still not sure about the cabinet. I went to the fire station today to discuss Barricade but they were out doin' their job. I'll ask about the gate access issue too when I can get a hold of the chief.

Did you find Dave in Placerville knowledgeable and helpful? I still have a few questions regarding Barricade. I was going to go over there today but they are closed Sun/Mon. Maybe tomorrow.

 

[Hotwheels]

RedDirt,

Yep, smoke is awful -- can't wait for fire season to be over!

Dave is very knowledgeable and helpful. He has a perspective like all of us do, but I benefited by a long talk with him. He lives in a high risk area and seems to have a good understanding of the equipment and materials. I plan to visit him this week to get a couple more hoses and who knows what else ... the pump end of things still has me confused. Could buy the expensive Davey pumps, but I think there might be another alternative, but just have yet to find it and maybe it does not exist.



Good luck!
JR

 

[Phils]

Here in Paradise today it's like sitting in a fogbank! Fortunately there's little to no wind. A dozen firetrucks just drove uphill past our office ... couldn't read the names but they were all from out of this area. One evac center is by our house and was declared "full" and now evacuees are directed to Las Plumas HS in Oroville.

It was just reported that our fires are #3 on the state's list.... meaning more help. The worst news is the predicted dry lightening for Thursday/Friday.

Access and defensibility are my top priorities too. I posted these before and after photos of part of my driveway on TBN in September '06. My goal was "fire truck friendly" and it was specifically for times like this. As it was "before" I'd have not blamed any firefighters for not wanting to get to my home.

Phil

 

[ultrarunner]

Here in Paradise today it's like sitting in a fogbank! Fortunately there's little to no wind. A dozen firetrucks just drove uphill past our office ... couldn't read the names but they were all from out of this area. One evac center is by our house and was declared "full" and now evacuees are directed to Las Plumas HS in Oroville.

It was just reported that our fires are #3 on the state's list.... meaning more help. The worst news is the predicted dry lightening for Thursday/Friday.

Access and defensibility are my top priorities too. I posted these before and after photos of part of my driveway on TBN in September '06. My goal was "fire truck friendly" and it was specifically for times like this. As it was "before" I'd have not blamed any firefighters for not wanting to get to my home.

Phil

I think rural folks have more leeway to prepare for fires and fire fighting...

I have had the police pay me a visit because "Someone" heard the sound of a chain saw and wanted it investigated or on several occasions for scraping the city mandated fire trail running through my land...

I can't even imagine what it would be like to be able to take out a dead tree or disc the soil around my home without a visit from the city...

Owning Acreage in the City Limit is turning out to be more of a liability every year...

 

[RedDirt]

RedDirt,

Yep, smoke is awful -- can't wait for fire season to be over!

Dave is very knowledgeable and helpful. He has a perspective like all of us do, but I benefited by a long talk with him. He lives in a high risk area and seems to have a good understanding of the equipment and materials. I plan to visit him this week to get a couple more hoses and who knows what else ... the pump end of things still has me confused. Could buy the expensive Davey pumps, but I think there might be another alternative, but just have yet to find it and maybe it does not exist.

Good luck!
JR

Grrr, can't get a hold of Dave to buy the Barricade. If you see him this week tell him I am anxious and he should call so I can find out his address and when to come. I have left him a couple phone messages. In a day or so I'm going to give up on him and drive to Ukiah to the next closest dealer (if I can get through the Colusa and Lake Co fires along the way). I have an unusual break in my work load. If I don't do this soon I may not get another chance for a while.

What are your decision obstacles for the pump setup? Volume? Pressure? Cost? What's the elevation difference and distance between your pond and point of discharge. Seem like you need something in the order of minimum 10gpm, 40-50psi to apply Barricade effectively. If you have an emergency generator an eclectic pump could be a reasonable alternative to a gas powered setup that could "make-do" until you have a complete and coordinated system/strategy worked out.

I need to think about a back-up booster pump. We have town water normally at 15-20gpm and 70-85psi static but that will fluctuate dramatically in a high use fire incident. Then there is a back-up water source to consider. You're lucky, you've already got a pond.

What's ironic is we put all this fine preparation, equipment and capital into a system we hope we never use!

 

[charliepff]

Too bad you did not have a pool on your property , but the pond works just as well. The gel sounds like a great way to go. Check out Northern Tools for pumps. They have some decent pumps. The fire station I use to volunteer at bought two Honda light weight pumps. They seem too work well. I know you can find a decent high Pressure Pump from Northern for about $500. You will get plenty of pressure out of it. Do you all have any pictures of the conditions out there? I never got my red card to actually go out of state. So I hae dealt with outside fires in PA most of my life. I feel bad for all you have to deal with. It seems like the seasons are getting worse and worse. Wish I could be more help.

 

[Hotwheels]

RedDirt,
I know that Dave is VERY busy with all the fire activity. I sent him an email and he replied by phone about 7pm this evening and spent 1/2 hour or so with me going through pump options ... not all that straightforward. I would persist with him because he is very knowledgeable and very helpful, but he is more or less a one man show. I think he knows more than anyone I have talked to on the phone. I have talked to the fellow in Ukiah too and he seems first rate too, but I hope you give Dave another shot.

I am looking at a pump to spray the Barricade from my pond or future water source, then I hope to have the time to turn a valve to start a sprinkler system. The fire pump and irrigation pump are different but overlapping solutions.

Dave suggested I start by thinking about how long I want the sprinkler system to operate. Seems I read somewhere that after the big fire passes the threat is just as big from embers and such, so maybe 3 plus hours after leaving. If I have a 5000 gallon tank and 4 sprinkers at 4 or so gallons a minute, then that is about 5 hours of protection. More sprinklers or more gallons per minute will make a difference how long the water lasts. So, what Dave calls a "gusher" pump that has a little lower pressure to feed the irrigation might be the right thing. But, to get the Barricade on fast takes 70psi at 15gpm with the Fast Atak applicator as opposed to the applicator I bought that I can use with a 3/4 inch garden hose and much lower pressure. When you start trying to find a high pressure pump that puts out enough gpm to run a hose and then an irrigation system, things get more complicated for me to understand. But, seems as if the Darley David portable fire pumps, although pricey, are designed for the task.

In the next few days I am sorting out the details of what I want the sprinkler system to do and then work backwards for the pump.

Charlie, I will try to post a pic of conditions near my place or at least from my driveway looking at smoke from a fire a year or so ago. For what I know right now, and believe me that is not much, I think I may get the most value out of the Barricade gel rather than the foam.

This is a learning process for me and I have more questions than answers, but glad to see others are interested in trying to do what we can as homeowners.

 

[RedDirt]

Hotwheels,
Dave returned my call later in the day. Too late to go yesterday but I will go to his shop this afternoon, about 2.5 hr drive from here.

I wish I had your dilemma regarding the pump options. Right now we have no back-up water beyond a few filled garbage cans. Good luck figuring it out; seems like you are on a good path to work with expectations then back to the pump.

Good news on the longevity of the Barricade product. I have been in email correspondence with Barricade factory. They are very responsive. They won't commit to an indefinite shelf life (naturally) but have product as old as their company that they still use for demos. I don't know how long they have been around but I'm finding out. The gel is like paint and it will settle. "Proper" storage requires no freeze/thaw cycles, no exposure to extreme heat, and agitation or shaking every six months. They recommend doing a test shoot each year on product over three years old and thought it OK to then assume if the test is good, other product of the same age and storage would be good also. This makes a huge difference in my commitment to purchase this product. If it was dead and useless after 3-5 years I'd be less likely to assume the restocking cost.

This has been a good discussion for me. Led to a reassessment of our preparations. We looked at our outdated Evac lists and updated them. We made 10 minute, 30 minute, and 2 hour evacuation lists. Each list has person's initial with their responsibility. This will save overlap times and focus each person's efforts. There are two printed lists so each person can carry their own and refer to it as they proceed. The last page a list of 1st, 2nd, 3rd relay contacts, phone numbers, and meeting places

Except for the animals much of the stuff on the save in 10 minutes list are financial, insurance records, photos, and the like. We already had some evac stuff gathered but in updating the lists we discovered a lot more time could be saved if we did a better job. Since a lot is just stored anyway, but in various spots, we gathered it all together in a central location along with a packed travel bag of clothes and personal gear for each of us and other emergency grab-and-go stuff like the walkie-talkies. flashlights, batteries, etc.

We intend to do a dress rehearsal this weekend for the 10 minute scenario.

 

[Ronbo]

Where is the tractor on the list?

Ron