With 2017 BC wildfire season being the worst and 2018 having these heatwaves it’s looking like these bad wildfire seasons across Canada are going to become the new norm. This spring the town I live near made large fire breaks around the town in the heavily forested areas. My future property the in laws are planning on selling to us we’ve already started planning to prepare it to become more resistant to wildfires. We put on a metal roof and planning on doing metal siding next year. We started making a 100 foot fire resistant buffer zone around the house and clearing the dead brush and trees. There is no way to stop a wildfire from destroying everything you have but with more people being proactive to make there properties more fire resistant it will help our firefighters to get a handle on these destructive fires.
I’m hoping people will post what they are doing to protect their property to give others ideas of what they can do to be prepared.
Well, before my tanks (1000 liter cubes at the house another at the garage) started aging badly I had hoses attached, about 100 feet or more to each, old crappy hose from the restore. I drilled small holes down the length, maybe every foot or so. My plan in the event of fire was to unroll the hose out to provide protection in the direction needed, by opening the ball valve and letting water slowly flow out soaking the grass, then I have a hose attached to the outside of the house in the summer that is always ready to use. I have refillable (water )4 gallon pressurized fire extinguishers in the house, and one hand pump one, I also have a limited supply of carbon tetrachloride that I can use.
I am going to go much further though but this is a ways off. I have old 100 pounder propane tanks. I will have one tank charged to 150 psi (air), and the other two filled with a mix of water and polypropylene glycol. With about 75 feet of hose attached...its on my to do list but that list is just getting longer and longer.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
That’s quite a setup I’m definitely going to look into some of those for my property. What kind of terrain are you dealing with, my area is forested mountains. Drive way goes up a hill with the house on the top with mainly flat behind the house.
I hate to say it but it is a next year project for me.
I wrote about it here, https://darkgreenmountainsurvivalresearchcentre.wordpress.com/2018/08/06/c5-says-its-not-the-heat-its-the-stupidity/
Because of "This year" I have decide that "Next Year" I will switch mental gears...
... and put my full mind towards fire mitigation on my property.I still have 'no idea what that idea looks like'. Its daunting. How to face a fast moving blast furnace?...
I'll get back to you on that one
I have a Tactical Harness and I have a Tool Belt. The Tool Belt is more Useful.
That’s quite a setup I’m definitely going to look into some of those for my property. What kind of terrain are you dealing with, my area is forested mountains. Drive way goes up a hill with the house on the top with mainly flat behind the house.
No, its not "quite" a setup, it was before the tanks cracked up and the cheap hose ( buy 100% rubber) started breaking down over the years(cheap plastic). I havnt replaced the tanks and hose yet. house is on the highest point of the property so a fire would advance right up to it, also forested, nice big trees right to the house, I have evergreen branches reaching to and over the deck, I love it, but its not fire smart.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
I woke up this morning with this on my mind. Looking at our property, surrounded by alot of grassland, I had that revelation that my only real option is to bring in grazing animals like sheep or goats to maintain a grass fire break.
Evergreen trees are the big problem. They are fire magnets. We have a few that are a bit too close. If I see fire coming, first thing is to knock them down. better that they burn on the ground than upright like a giant roman candle
I have a Tactical Harness and I have a Tool Belt. The Tool Belt is more Useful.
this is on my mind as well.. going to need to clear trees and do a fire break with the sheep in areas that we have kept more food forest wild..
http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/
It’s definitely a balance between keeping a heavily forested property and having just a empty property. Majority of fires without wind will burn as a rank 1 or 2 fire meaning it’s going to be burning everything on the ground. Even cleaning up deadfall, branches, brush and cones on the ground will prevent the fire from burning as aggressive. Cutting the lower branches off the trees and the dead branches will prevent the ladder burn effect (fire will climb the branches like a ladder starting at bottom bringing it to rank 3 fire or higher with tree candling)
While we have been building a fire break..... If our house burned down we could start from scratch; and then build the house we REALLY want, versus fixing up the old one!
In the interim my youngest is re-arranging the BOBs for the specific situation. Less WROL, more mundane ROL:)
Check out Canadian Prepper Podcast on iTunes!
One is none, two is one.
While we have been building a fire break..... If our house burned down we could start from scratch; and then build the house we REALLY want, versus fixing up the old one!
In the interim my youngest is re-arranging the BOBs for the specific situation. Less WROL, more mundane ROL:)
The though to of loosing our household worth of belonging, being “homeless” for months while dealing with insurance and contractors, likely having my well contaminated... I’d rather do what I can to prevent a fire getting to my place.
I’ve been trying to keep the shelter belt clear of dead falls. My coop and 2 sheds are right against the tree line unfortunately. I have a couple 1000s litres of water on hand with a small pump and lots of garden hoses. Nothing to fight a fire with, but maybe enough to soak the ground in the direction of the prairie grass fire. I’m also on the lookout for deals on a tractor attachment such as a large tiller or harrow that create a fire break to the property. I’m surrounded on 3 sides by a grain farmer who does a good job of ploughing as soon as his crop his done. The most vulnerable time would be from the time the crop has matured to the time the stalks and chaff are ploughed under...
Our biggest concern is what would happen to the livestock. Sadly the reality is we would open the gates to the crown land, the road, etc, with a tag on their leg, and hope for the best. They can forage just fine, and there’s plenty of water out there. Avoiding cougars and bears is better odds for them than burning in place.
Check out Canadian Prepper Podcast on iTunes!
One is none, two is one.
I saw this play out on a family property on the bloodvein river. Smoke got so bad it was a threat before the fire even got close, evacuation was ordered. The fire fighters lit back burns, they helped slow it down. To save the buildings they set up five pumps running continuously and once a day they would fly in and fuel them. The pumps kept the roofs and grounds wet. The place was saved but there is not much forest left around them. A good water supply and a good pump would give you a chance. With the way the weather is going world wide I'm shopping for a pump.
I hate to say it but it is a next year project for me.
... and put my full mind towards fire mitigation on my property.I still have 'no idea what that idea looks like'. Its daunting. How to face a fast moving blast furnace?...
I'll get back to you on that one
I think DougM hit the nail on the head with his post....First your not likely going to be given the option of staying and fighting a fire.You will be ordered out, removed if necessary.....
Your going to need to automate. How you do that i dont know but a suspect it begins with a engine with a large fuel tank that you can fire up on your way out that can run continous, feeding water to a sprinkler system that keeps your house wet.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
We have cleared trees around the house with the exception of four that add to the look of the place. Those can be cut quickly if need be. It's alittle bare and my house stands out like the yoke of an egg but it keeps it safer. We do keep our grass around the house cut-not just because it looks better but mostly because it will help with grass fires. I set my horses out onto the road allowance beside our property to keep it down as well. We are able to connect hoses to three different animal hydrants on the property to water down the roofs of buildings and the ground. We are surrounded by forest other wise so-do what ya can.
There are two different editions of the fire smart BC manual that can be found online and both have a lot of good information. They both have a point system chart to assess your property risk which is a neat way to check.
