[FNG33]

I started thinking about POST SHTF problems that i may come across, And i have a major concern about wildfires. how would I protect my BOL from wildfires.
a little info about my BOL
Its 20 miles away from the a small town(3k population)
It has a huge creek that is spring feed with alot of fish and game near by
i have to build a shelter when i get there(sorry i dont have the money to put a building on the land)
but i figure people will be cooking outdoors and with that thought how do i protect my (future home) from wildfires
also does anyone have and preps at there BOL for wildfires?

 

[Madgie]

This was one of our concerns when we moved to our homestead. DH bought a use military vechicle that has a multi gallon tank on it and a pumper just for that use. We have 3 miles of a river at the bottom of our property, 5 lakes and many tank ponds so water should not be an issue to fight fire. We also cleaned the perimeter of our property of wood and brush and have a five ft fire break in place. Our local fire departments (12 miles away) and forrestry helped us with all the info we needed. We have practice with our group so we all can help in a wildfire situation.

 

[gondwana]

where I am, rural or remote properties must have fire breaks. reduce the fuel load if you're able and get a plan in place. People without plans die an awful lot in bushfires. work out if you need to stay and defend it or leave and live.

fire fighting training is live saver stuff. We have voluteer fire brigades and I do training whenever possible. Did you know for example, for every 5 degrees increase in incline a fire will double its speed going up the hill...the reverse going down the other side.

I suggest getting in touch with your nearest forestry folk too...fuel loadings you have will be different than ours. If in doubt, get in your car and head to the nearest main road but get away from smoke. Fire units have run into parked cars in the smoke before. Don't fight the fire without the right equipment, the proper training and without a plan...co-ordinate with neighbours and if there are none nearby, just work out an evac plan.

Where we are there are firebans (or rather ban on the movement of vehicles except for getting stock to water or vice versa.) we have fire alert warnings etc dependant on weather conditions, wind speeds etc. If its hot and windy be on guard. Fire is utterly unforgiving to those unprepared.

 

[Lou77]

Controled burns have been a way of life in he Southeast forrests for years. Control the fuel and underbrush will save the forrest. It also helps with wildlife.

 

[Purdy Bear]

The forestry commissions here use breaks - 14 foot wide paths of deep sand. They also cut back any overhanging branches so the fire cant leap that gap. They have huge metal tanks to catch any rainfall about every 100 yards.

Like this but with sand:
http://gb.fotolibra.com/images/thumbnails/681050-forest-path.jpeg

Another way is to dig a moat/Ha Ha to contain water.

90% of it is good pre training and control of any twit who is going to light a fire in the area.

We as a family were one of the first to have house fire smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and blankets, but then my uncle was in the fire service for about 20 years making a good rank. He also taught his daughter (who taught us) how to evacuate down a stair case, etc (use the sides only and keep very low - she did it on her stomach).

 

[passin thru]

Do an internet search for fire proof houses.

Metal roofs.
Metal window frames.
Stuco or concrete walls
all are good starting places.

Keep the yards mowed short.
No shubbery or landscaping that will burn.

There was also a new product on the news a while back.
Some kind of foam that you spray on with water.
The idea came from a disposable diaper found at a fire.

http://articles.cnn.com/1998-10-16/...ardant-fire-season-fire-consultant?_s=PM:TECH

 

[arleigh]

One of my tanks I'm setting up for fire protection, it's about a 250 gallon air tank, i'm filling with water.
I can pressureize it with air for an event very quickly.
I wish I had a well .
I built a resivour as well, now I'm waiting for rain.
I also thought using the garden sprayers water filled of course . the plastic ones are geat and cheap , just keep them full and out of the sun.
Also keep shovels all over the place, not just for digging, but killing rattlers, and putting out fires too. You'd be amazed how dirt puts out a fire.
thought of having balloons filled with water handy , just not sure how long they will store. I had noticed that very old mine shafts would use glass balls of water for fire protection , not a bad idea.

 

[jeffreyamanning]

Keep your grass watered, green, and short.

 

[Old Grump]

I measured 100' from the perimeter of my house and inside that preimeter I only allow two trees. The grass stays short and all around it I planted native prairie grasses, beyond that are my evergreens, birch and oaks. If the tree's go they go but it would be unlikely to take my house. Preparation is key, get that saw out and clear your fire zone.

 

[Teslin]

The forestry commissions here use breaks - 14 foot wide paths of deep sand. They also cut back any overhanging branches so the fire cant leap that gap. They have huge metal tanks to catch any rainfall about every 100 yards.

Like this but with sand:
http://gb.fotolibra.com/images/thumbnails/681050-forest-path.jpeg

Another way is to dig a moat/Ha Ha to contain water.

90% of it is good pre training and control of any twit who is going to light a fire in the area.

We as a family were one of the first to have house fire smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and blankets, but then my uncle was in the fire service for about 20 years making a good rank. He also taught his daughter (who taught us) how to evacuate down a stair case, etc (use the sides only and keep very low - she did it on her stomach).

Your description of going down the stairs in a fire brings to mind the fire drills my father used to hold, unannounced, in the middle of the night when we were children. My brother and I slept upstairs and we had been trained that if the bell rang we were to roll out of bed, roll up in a blanket and roll down the stairs and run out the door as fast as we could. Never needed the training but it has stuck with me all my life - and I taught all my kids the same when they were young.

(An aside: This drill, which was run about once a month or so for years, left me with recurrent 'dreams' of being able to fly down the stairs - not a good thing when you are prone to sleep walking and several times I found myself unclothed outside the back door on 'non-drill nights'. The dreams eventually went away years later when I tried my hand at skydiving!)

 

[Bullets~n~Beans]

After having spent 32 years chasing wildfires I can say that the single most important thing to do is reduce the fuel load. Old Grump has it right. If you live on a slope then you might want to clear even more then 100' on the downhill depending on the fuel model.

You might want to spend some time studying weather relating to wildfires. Also check your slope aspect. If your facing south or southwest it's the most dangerous direction. If you having any drainages you need to wary of that too. A fire can roar up a drainage fast then you can get away. It's called "area ignition". I've seen it happen on multiple occasions. A southwest drainage is BIG trouble along about mid-afternoon.

Wildfires are finicky and can change in an instant. I know, I've been burned over twice and it's NOT a fun thing. Both times were in southwest drainages in the afternoon.

 

[Old Warrior]

A bit spendy, but something to think about.
http://www.homefirefightingsystems.com/firegel.html

 

[cchardwick]

We live in constant danger of a forest fire year round and when we get deep snow or a lot of rain it sure take the stress off of us. There was a guy up here in the mountains that bought a fire truck and a fire approached his property and he got in the fire truck. Then when he realized how big the fire was he jumped out and drove away as fast as he could. A forest fire can be taller than twice the tops of the highest trees and can move faster than you can run. Best thing to do is to have an escape vehicle full of gas and several escape routes. Don't try to fight the fire, let the pros do that.

That said, I try to keep my trees thinned out and a small fire barrier around the house, especially where the grass comes up to the siding, be sure to cut down the grass or put gravel out to several feet. If you knew the fire was a long time coming you could hose everything down right before you bug out.