Yes, it is wildfire season once again! I just set and filled my 100 gal tank I carry in my PU for 8 months of the year. Will do the 50 gal set-up in Polaris Ranger tomorrow.
The Toolcat will work well for first responce and/or mop-up. There are quite a few pumps available with hyd drive from AG and spray specialty outfits. Would not be hard to fabricate your own either. The standard or hi-flow aux hydraulics will be able to put out quite a bit more flow & pressure than a portable gas engine trash pump. An engine driven portable pump would be good to fill a tank from a pond or stream, but a higher pressure pump would be much better for fire fighting.
While the more-water-the-better, a smaller amount that you can realistically have instantly available is more practical. At 8.33 lbs/gal, several hundred gallons means you now have a dedicated fire truck!
You can greatly "extend" the fire-fighting effectiveness of a smaller quantity of water by using a wetting agent additive such as Drench (from
fire equipment) or even class A foam concentrate with a simple air eductor nozzle. Drench will work at any pressure/flow, while the smallest size foam nozzle works best with minimum 100 PSI and 3 to 5 GPM. You just add a few ounces to the tank (after filling), no proportioner or fancy eductor needed.
While a trash or semi-trash pump can rapidly fill a tank from a "natural" source, be sure to use a floating suction inlet screen which is much better than trying to suck from the muck/sand/gravel on the bottom (
www.darley.com). Even then, you will need a good screen for the intake for your pressure pump because the nozzle will not take kindly to any debris at all.
Sorry for long post, but a lot of things have to be considered ahead of time since there is no time to spare when flames are growing. A fire-retardant or Nomex jump suit that you can just pull on is worth having. Round that out with a shovel and a McLeod (
www.NationalFireFighter.com) and you may be able to accomplish something and not die trying. Never put yourself in front of advancing flames....attack from the side. In some areas, basic cources are offered for ranchers/farmers/landowners that are well worth taking.