Fire pump/hose to protect rural shop

[Bear Foot Farm]

You could also use a gas powered pump and not worry about power outages.

Pacer makes both gas and electric, plus firefighting accessories:

Pacer Pumps

 

[schmism]

the brush truck on our rural volunteer FD (which im on) runs a 20 something HP twin cylinder gas engine powering a pump that will put out about 80psi at about 60gpm.

The key hear is to be able to attack the fire while it is still just a few seconds old. not 15 min later which is when the VFD MIGHT be there.

You do expect to shell out a few thousand dollars for the engine, pump, hose and perhaps most important, nozzle.

As others have said, a better option would be to go with a sprinkler system and frequent placement of fire extinguishers. the nice thing with a sprinkler system is it continues to function when the building is smoked out and your unable to be inside spraying water on the fire. or you not around and a fire starts... In addition you can include additional hookup on the outside of the building to hook a large flow pump into to boost the pressure and supply of water to those sprinklers to boost there output. (the official version is a FDC, fire dep connection)

 

[mustangsallysdad]

I use the large, automatic, pressurized ABC type fire extinguishers with 175 degree fusible links...a little smaller than a propane tank and mounted to the ceiling...I used 3 to cover a 32' x 40' shop. They have 360 degree dispersal. There is also a smaller wall mounted type with 180 degree dispersal. The larger ones are around $170 each.

 

[Redneck in training]

If your equipment is expensive and could be damaged by water I would go for CO2. The disadvantage is that if it goes off by something spurious it could kill you and it will not help much if the building is ignited from outside. Most of the equipment rooms I work in have either Halon or lately CO2 system installed. If fire is detected horn goes off and all people have to leave within short time (Basically run out). Most system can also be disarmed when people are present. Typical system has several triggers. One of them can be mechanical by a rope strung around the building on pulleys or push/pull button outside of the building. The beauty of the CO2 is that it is always on (unless disarmed) it is relatively cheap to refill, works instantly on whole volume of the room, doesn't damage building and equipment and the power can stay on. Have no idea how much it could cost but the system is simple enough that it could be DIY.

Google CO2 fire suppression system for more info.

 

[Pilot]

A couple thoughts:

1. If you are concerned about fire from the wheat fields or anywhere outside, be sure your gutters are clear. In wildland fires, houses often catch because dry material in the gutters catches from embers and I suspect the fire goes right up under the roof.

2. Check around your shop for what could burn and see about outside storage. In my hangar I have a little oil in regular containers, gas in cans in a metal locker and gas in the airplane. That's it. Fuel but no ignition sources anywhere near the fuel. But I don't work on planes professionally where one might have welding equipment & other stuff that could cause a fire.

3. Be sure to fuel safely, preferably outside, and of course grounding properly.

4. I also like the idea of sprinklers, but a gasoline fire--I don't know how effective sprinklers would be. I have watched in a demo set up where a gal used water to douse a gas/diesel fire after being told it can't be done. Long time ago, but I think she used a lot of mist that displaced the oxygen. She pushed the fire to the far side of the pan (probably a lid from a 55 gal. drum) and it just went out. But sprinklers or almost anything else won't do that; this was an artificial situation.

5. One guy was badly burned here when he was working on a gas tank under a vehicle. I don't remember exactly what happened, but he suddenly had a lot of gas coming down which splashed onto his work light; the bulb shattered and he instantly had a lot of fire under the vehicle which he was under. Should get rid of any incandescent work lights and replace with flourescents. He did survive, but it was bad.

 

[Rottresq]

All very good advice, especially about insurance and defensible space. if your still looking for equipment try: Home Firefighting Systems - Home Page

Stay Safe

 

[user.69169]

First thing I can tell you for sure, 4000 gallons of water won't be a lot of help putting out a fire unless you got a pumpertruck and a crew with it. By yourself you'll likely be on the ground gasping for breath before you get a drop of water onthe fire. Seems like the first thing they always told us in fire training was to get away from the fire and only use them hoses hanging everyplace to get clear cause not enough water would just make a fire worse. Now that probably wasn't the answer yo wanted.

Second thing, you don't say what you figure the fire will get started from other than mentioning the wheat field. If that field catches fire and you put yorself between the fire and the building only thing you're likely to accomplish is getting yourself roasted cause you ain't got enough water or enough manpower. If the fire starts inside the building, you might have a chance of slowing it or even stopping it if you know how to fight a fire.

One thing that might help you in both situations is stuff called Barricade gel. Anybody in a house sitting in a possible fire area ought to own a barrel in my opinion. You can go to their website and learn a lot, Home - Barricade International.
If you find yorself in the situation of a field fire headed your way you might have time to coat the building and get yourself clear if you used the gel. If the fire starts inside the gel is still going to help you because it coats & cools. Looks to me to be pretty dang cheap preparation, and with the water you have available might just be a solution.

 

[Ken45101]

I'm not sure where (removed) is coming from, but it does sound like spam to me. He has a product to sell?

Standard attack on field fires is an "Indian" tank, a 5 gallon backpack tank with a hand operated pump. Been there, done that. A little water does an amazing job on a field fire. Many "grass fire" pumper trucks are nothing more than a 50 or 100 gallon tank with a pump and a garden hose on a reel.

Of course, it's prudent to keep the area around any buildings mowed if there is risk of a field fire.

4000 gallons of water won't be a lot of help putting out a fire unless you got a pumpertruck and a crew with it.

I'm not sure where he got his "fire training". An early attack will accomplish a lot more than a fire truck and crew can accomplish 20 minutes later. I've fought plenty of fires with less than 4000 gallons of water. I've even fought some where we only used a couple of gallons of water and one man on the hose. A good supply of water from a stationary fire pump is as good or better than a fire truck. I know some rural departments that make the initial response and attack with only a two man crew. I suspect some even do it with a one man crew

Of course it all depends on the particular situation. Some fires cannot be safely handled even with a 5 alarm response. But many can be handled with a fire extinguisher or a garden hose. Knowing what you are doing and what you can safely handle is wise, that's why I earlier recommended that the OP get some experience in a fire department training exercise.

Ken

 

[schmism]

First thing I can tell you for sure, 4000 gallons of water won't be a lot of help putting out a fire unless you got a pumpertruck and a crew with it.

which is why they dont sell ANY fire extinguishers that only work for a few seconds and they NEVER succeed in putting out fires. :confused2:

as I said (and ken said) the key hear is extinguishing the fire within the first min or so it starts BEFORE it turns into a flow blown structure fire and requires a pumper truck and 4 guys in turn out gear and SCBA's.

another reason why sprinklers were highly suggested previously. as they continue to function even if you cant be inside and or arn't around to attack the fire within those first few critical min.

 

[Gator6x4]

In a joking conservation with a retired fireman friend one morning I told him being a fireman was not a complicated job, a little fire, a little water a big fire a whole lot of water. His response was a little water will extenguish the majoroity of fires if directed in the right place. He said an experienced fireman with a "Fog Nozzle" could extenguish most fires if able to start fire suppression within 3-4 minutes after it started. After the 3-4 minutes had elapsed and depending on the type of material the structure was constructed of the firemans role went from fire suppression to fire containment.

I have the highest respect for fireman. I don't think I could grab a hose and charge a burning structure or stand inside a burning building no matter how much water I was spraying.