West Coast Smoke, UGH!

[California]

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.

My orchard is 20 miles downwind from the recent Walbridge Fire that started from hundreds of dry lightning strikes. The smoke and ash falling were severe. We retreated to our home 100 miles east.

Thinking the next lightning storm might land in the orchard neighborhood, I left my 300 gallon watering trailer next to the 1500 gallon tank where it could be refilled by gravity if the power is out. Told my neighbors take it and tow it around if water is needed for firefighting. It has an ordinary 2 inch trailer hitch so anything could tow it.

Seems to me any orchard or weeds sprayer towed by its usual tractor would be a good firefighting rig.

 

[dragoneggs]

Yes! Clear skies here!

 

[oosik]

I could smell just the faintest bit of smoke early this AM. It was all gone by 8 am. Kinda odd - if you only listen to the local news - never know there are other places with such massive wildfires.

 

[dragoneggs]

Yes! Clear skies here!

Well I should elaborate a bit... it isn't super clear... there is some slight haze looking out in the distance but no smoke smell.

 

[Wagtail]

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.

I didn't because I've only got 6 acres... although that's not to say that I wouldn't help out a neighbour. A Mate texted me during the fire to say that he was on his way to assist me in defending but then texted that the police had blocked the road and wouldn't let him through.

I suppose that I could get an IBC tote tank, match that with a petrol power-washer, and put it in the back of my Hilux Ute. That's a lot of weight, though. Then there's the time it would take to fill the tank... OK if you've got a few hours notice, not so good when it's a rapidly approaching fire.

But it's a thought and thanks for that. The more that I'm pondering, the more that I'm liking the wheeled petrol power-washer idea.

 

[California]

I suppose that I could get an IBC tote tank, match that with a petrol power-washer, and put it in the back of my Hilux Ute. That's a lot of weight, though.

..., the more that I'm liking the wheeled petrol power-washer idea.

That watering trailer linked from my post #361 above is an IBC tote on a little trailer rated a half ton. Here's a photo after I bought the trailer, well-used. That's 2500 lbs of water plus 100 lbs ? for the tote. Then 150 lbs for this trailer under it. The little tractor pulls this all over, but I think you need something larger than a Hilux to pull or carry a tote plus pressure washer offroad.

I have a 12 volt boating bilge pump dropped down inside the tote for delivering irrigation water. It delivers 10~15 gallons per minute. That might be enough volume to feed a small pressure washer. (Any larger bilge/sump pump won't fit through the opening on top).

I like the idea of a pressure washer to jet water out to where its needed.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

If anyone still doubts climate change is accelerating - here's the change.

Over nearly a century - a third of all the major fires (by acreage) were in in this year and fire season is far from over. Plus another 50% in 19 years, 2000~2019. One fire this year greatly exceeds the total acreage burned in major fires over 68 years starting 1932.

Data as of 10-1-2020.

View attachment 672020

I don’t believe climate change is to blame, lots of other variables.

 

[Wagtail]

That watering trailer linked from my post #361 above is an IBC tote on a little trailer rated a half ton. Here's a photo after I bought the trailer, well-used. That's 2500 lbs of water plus 100 lbs ? for the tote. Then 150 lbs for this trailer under it. The little tractor pulls this all over, but I think you need something larger than a Hilux to pull or carry a tote plus pressure washer offroad.

I have a 12 volt boating bilge pump dropped down inside the tote for delivering irrigation water. It delivers 10~15 gallons per minute. That might be enough volume to feed a small pressure washer. (Any larger bilge/sump pump won't fit through the opening on top).

I like the idea of a pressure washer to jet water out to where its needed.

That could indeed be the plan. Ta Mate. And I just happen to have a tractor somewhere around here that could easily pull a trailer (float) with an IBC full of water and petrol power-washer.

I could palletise the empty IBC + plumbing/washer-mounting, load up the float with my FEL... swing by the water tank, fill the tote (time/danger considered, of course) and be ready.

:thumbsup:

 

[ovrszd]

I don’t believe climate change is to blame, lots of other variables.

I agree.

 

[kenmbz]

Lots of variables, but we can accurately measure average temp difference year on year.
Earth goes through cycles, but pollution is really messing up our environment. I was in China 2 years ago-plane flight between provinces from Beijing-think solid brown sky the whole flight-no breaks in the pollution at all.
We have tropical force rains here monthly. This never happened unless there was a hurricane when I was a kid. So 60s,70's, 80's,90s we had normal rain.
Now each year it gets worse. We get most of our rain for the month in one day, used to get over a lot of days each month.
Winters are more variable too.

Piss enough in your pool and you'll change the PH is a good analogy.