a GREAT After Action report on prepping your home for forest fire fighting - lists of suggested gear - vendor suggestions - and lastly strategy on actually successfully fighting the fire .... URBANITES - good info for independent house fire fighting - good chance the FD won't be coming during a serious SHTF >>>> and there's a lot of similarities between a spreading wildfire and a fire set by looters & rioters >> ALL preppers need a SHTF fire plan https://survivalblog.com/2022/08/05/...earning/print/ https://survivalblog.com/2022/08/06/...earning/print/
We already know a shitload of 2020 wildfires were started lefty meth head fire bugs or utility companies that don't maintain right of way.
One not only needs to be able to fight fire but also defend those doing the job. Be it a fire in the woods or near your home, if it is set on purpose there may be those that want to insure the fire does the job intended. Any structure might be of value whether it is yours or not. In the event your own structure is lost, being able to move to another one might become necessary, especially as winter comes. Having an under ground cellar with a cement roof might be valuable seeing the structure above if made of wood may be lost. Also it is a better pace to store food and other preps. Ideally especially if there is a fire going on that you can't deal with for any reason, having breathable air for the duration might be advisable rather than trying to process smoke out of the air. Air gets thin being surrounded by fire which is consuming it fast. You don't want pure oxygen as it would be especially dangerous in a flammable atmosphere. Diving tanks like fire departments use should be adequate for the duration of most events. CO2 testing should take place before discontinuing the bottled air supply. After the ash is settled then the bunker air filter might be used. Otherwise, you will be clogging it up prematurely. Gas or quality tight-fitting dust masks should be worn outside for a while too, until the first rain or heavy dew when ash is settled into the soil. Most trees and anything standing verticle is going to have residual ash and dust particles continuing to fall. I have worn masks that work while grinding fiberglass and certain woods, which can be a serious injury otherwise. The right masks do work when used correctly. A rag over the face is no filter. All the more important if there had been an atomic blast or volcanic eruption. These debris can travel hundreds of miles from the initial blast site and darken the skys for months. A Geiger counter might also be a good prep to maintain.
Years ago, I read an article about a guy in California that had built a fire-proof house, after losing a house to wildfires. His second home, which had survived a wildfire, had a concrete slab, reinforced cast concrete walls, metal trusses, and a tile roof. He also had a sprinkler system for the house, with metal lines and sprinklers. He was able to use city water but had his swimming pool for a back-up. He also had a gas-powered generator and pump, for when he lost power. Another important thing that he did was to remove most vegetation that could fuel a fire. He had a few trees, but he also had a chainsaw and the willingness to use it! All of his neighbors had to rebuild after the fire, but he just had to clean-up, repaint and replant!
"We suggest using the Phos Chek product on the yard – it goes on clear (not like the Phos Check dropped from aircraft which is colored red so they can see where it lands). We bought it at the local hardware store, but it is also available online. We use an electrostatic sprayer to apply it and it lasts for 3 – 6 months in our area which has limited rain in the summer. It can go on vegetation and does not kill it. We also now have purchased a product called Barricade gel, which is sprayed onto the house and was developed by a fire fighter." couple of suggested products that caught my eye - especially that Barricade gel - in a looting SHTF scenario the streetside of a home will take the brunt of any arson attempts - and - would also unfortunately be the most difficult & worse to defend yourself against personal attacks while trying to firefight ..... Barricade Fire Gel $110/gallon >>>>>Barricade II Fire Blocking Gel - 1 Gallon Sealed | eBay PHOS-CHEK Wildfire Home Defense - Fire Retardant Spray Phos-Chek® 1% Fluorine Free Foam Concentrate
If you live in the woods, simply clearing the loose/dead brush from the forest floor can help prevent a fire from starting nearby your domicile. However, that, in no way, will prevent the bigger trees from catching fire, in your area, if a forest fire spreads from another nearby area. I watched a grass fire in Guam (during a very dry year) run right thru the Navy's fuel tank farm. Luckily, all but a few of the tanks (and all the bigger storage tanks) are underground, and we had time to secure the tank vents, before the fire blew thru. That was with multiple fire trucks spending the day, dousing fires as they'd approach the tank tops (still buried....but who wants to take a chance?). The wind was blowing good that day, and the dry hardwood trees were like blow torches.....and we watched as the fire jumped a 50 foot gap, across one of the roads, to ignite the trees on the other side of the fire break! Scary shit, indeed!! The best defense for your house is to have a fire resistant roof (metal or tile), and no trees nearby. Fencing should be fire resistant, too, if it comes in contact with the house, at any point (a grass fire in Texas burned up a bunch of privacy fencing, nearby my neighborhood, along with a half dozen asphalt shingle roofs!). Keeping vegetation well watered (less likely to burn) before the fire, and lawns mowed down (won't spread easily) will help, too.
Too many people, especially those out West, have some odd affliction that will not let them even consider cutting or bulldozing trees to save their homes and towns. Apparently, they would rather see everything burn! When you live in the woods and the woods burn, your house burns too!
Some often forgotten tips for home protection! Make sure your roof is clear and the gutters have no buildup,ale sure the bird blocks under the eves are clear and venting properly, and check that all your through roof vents are properly attached and secure, if water can get in, so can embers! Keep all the dry vegetation cut back at least 75 feet from your structures, and if possible, keep it wet! If you do get a fire, count on loosing power and water pressure, most communities are on a pump and when that pump goes down with the power, your S.O.L! Having a Generator and pump(s) and a good cistern of at least 500 gallons capacity will work wonders to protect your property! As posted above, having a chain saw and all the tools to make a strong stand will save your Bacon when it counts! For wet down, a shower vs a stream is what you want, don't try to douse the area, (you only have a limited amount of water) and a good wet down is just as good as covers a larger area, making your resources last longer! If your on a well it's a very good idea to have emergency power to run it, and if you can, having a reservoir to draw from is a god send!
Never been in a forest fire Crazy trappers would burn the marsh at work. This guaranteed overtime as we were the fire crew 24/7 Twice in 2 years we saved the facility stock tanks and all with green condensate light oil.
I think something that would help with keeping the roof wetted down and fighting embers coming off neighboring homes - tie rooftop soakers into your water catchment system - use a booster pump(s) & hose manifold as needed - run it as a constant circulating system for the critical part of the fire period ....
Excellent read. I am so glad she mentioned the landscaping wood mulch. That is one thing that gets over looked. We think to prune shrubs, limb trees to 5 feet plus but no one ever talks about the dangers of using wood mulch around your home.
