West Coast Smoke, UGH!

[Wagtail]

Comfy looking boots Wagtail, do you find the zippers get fouled? Yes, i liked your "having traipsed through burning embers and ash" too. You have a good way with words and painted a picture of your night.

I remember many years ago, working on a fire in the brush around Ellensburg WA US, high winds and being told to hold on to that jean jacket, cause they don't melt. Turned out to be good advice as the wind made an unexpected turn pushed a fast moving fire over top of us. Just as it turned, i started running for the barest looking ground and tented the jacket over top, as the fire went over top. It was so quick, just a little singed hair, nobody hurt.

Again, ta for all the well-wishes...

I've never had the brass zipper foul, but then again, like all things, a bit of maintenance goes a long way. A quick shot of WD40/lubricant every now and then prevents any fouling. There's a tiny leather/velcro tab at the top to hold the zipper-head in place when zipped up.

You absolutely don't want to wear anything that might melt from heat which is why I wear, at the very least, cotton. Pure wool is best but can 'sap your strength' due to fatigue. One part of my firefighting 'plan' is to station a few water bottles around to keep myself hydrated. And food is important too; even as the bushfire was approaching I took the time to have a bit of lunch so that I wouldn't run out of energy if things got 'hairy'... hunger & thirst leads to poor decisions.

As I mentioned, the leg cuffs of my DPNU trousers have velcro tabs to tighten them against the boot-tops, preventing heat (burning twigs, leaves, embers, etc...) from travelling up your leg. If you don't have that available, take the time to tie your pant-cuffs to your boots with cotton shoe laces. OR you can wear wool socks and tuck your cuffs into them.

You need to PLAN all of this. What you're going to wear, how you're going to defend your property, what you're going to need to defend, what you are prepared to lose and what you absolutely need to take with you if you have to abandon. THEN, during the quiet times, you need to refine your plan(s).

 

[Wagtail]

Speaking of 'refining your plan(s)' during the quiet times:

I have a petrol-driven fire pump to use with my house 24,000ltr water tank. Good pressure but it's pretty much stationary and for my house's defence. My portable generator is for if I lose power to the house = which means I lose power to my electric water pumps, particularly the pump on my 5,000ltr 'shed' water tank.

Now, putting out a spot-fire down by the end of the driveway I found that I had to gather almost every length of 'garden hose' I had readily available, connect them together, in order to reach that fire. OK, I was able to do that. BUT that little 'shed' water pump struggled to give me decent pressure at that distance. Plus, what happens if I'm working that fire and the power gets cut? (it didn't, but that thought was certainly going through my mind)

So, my thought now is to either get a second dedicated petrol-driven fire pump to defend my shed ($$$) or I could get a portable petrol-driven power-washer!

I've got an electric Karcher power washer, but that's not practical for what I have in mind.

 

[dragoneggs]

Hey Wags... aren't you east coast and not west? ...but you are welcome to play. Stay safe down there!

 

[ultrarunner]

Today the air was not as good as yesterday. At least we have had a few Blue Sky days in the mix here in SF Bay Area.

 

[dragoneggs]

Today the air was not as good as yesterday. At least we have had a few Blue Sky days in the mix here in SF Bay Area.

Hang in there, ultra... doesn't appear there will be much of a weather pattern change for you folks looking out a couple of weeks, other than maybe a little more winds coming from the north.

 

[ultrarunner]

Friday rain in the forecast...

 

[Wagtail]

Hey Wags... aren't you east coast and not west? ...but you are welcome to play. Stay safe down there!

Ta Mate.

Yeah, I'm NE coast. :thumbsup: :laughing: The Sky News Weather Channel has started displaying country-wide bushfire hazard levels... so I guess it's Bushfire Season again.

Except for South Australia. I guess it's all good there. :confused3:

 

[ovrszd]

Again, ta for all the well-wishes...

I've never had the brass zipper foul, but then again, like all things, a bit of maintenance goes a long way. A quick shot of WD40/lubricant every now and then prevents any fouling. There's a tiny leather/velcro tab at the top to hold the zipper-head in place when zipped up.

You absolutely don't want to wear anything that might melt from heat which is why I wear, at the very least, cotton. Pure wool is best but can 'sap your strength' due to fatigue. One part of my firefighting 'plan' is to station a few water bottles around to keep myself hydrated. And food is important too; even as the bushfire was approaching I took the time to have a bit of lunch so that I wouldn't run out of energy if things got 'hairy'... hunger & thirst leads to poor decisions.

As I mentioned, the leg cuffs of my DPNU trousers have velcro tabs to tighten them against the boot-tops, preventing heat (burning twigs, leaves, embers, etc...) from travelling up your leg. If you don't have that available, take the time to tie your pant-cuffs to your boots with cotton shoe laces. OR you can wear wool socks and tuck your cuffs into them.

You need to PLAN all of this. What you're going to wear, how you're going to defend your property, what you're going to need to defend, what you are prepared to lose and what you absolutely need to take with you if you have to abandon. THEN, during the quiet times, you need to refine your plan(s).

Good stuff. Very methodically written and executed!!!

 

[coldsteelva]

Speaking of 'refining your plan(s)' during the quiet times:

I have a petrol-driven fire pump to use with my house 24,000ltr water tank. Good pressure but it's pretty much stationary and for my house's defence. My portable generator is for if I lose power to the house = which means I lose power to my electric water pumps, particularly the pump on my 5,000ltr 'shed' water tank.

Now, putting out a spot-fire down by the end of the driveway I found that I had to gather almost every length of 'garden hose' I had readily available, connect them together, in order to reach that fire. OK, I was able to do that. BUT that little 'shed' water pump struggled to give me decent pressure at that distance. Plus, what happens if I'm working that fire and the power gets cut? (it didn't, but that thought was certainly going through my mind)

So, my thought now is to either get a second dedicated petrol-driven fire pump to defend my shed ($$$) or I could get a portable petrol-driven power-washer!

I've got an electric Karcher power washer, but that's not practical for what I have in mind.

Wagtail have you considered possibly purchasing a surplus brush fire truck when the locals surplus them after replacing them in service? I know of some of the CA members have resorted to being their own fire service; buy an old pumper, fill it with water and you have a diesel powered and mobile piece of firefighting equipment.

 

[bcp]

Tuesday morning smoke.



Bruce