"when I see videos of the California woods fires I always wondered why those homes that have obvious swimming pools don't have a copper piped "rainbird" sprinkler system on the roof,mister heads on the soffit, and a propane powered alternator that can run a pump supplied by the swimming pool, possibly triggered by a remote radio/cell phone call."

There are two problems that I know of:

As previously mentioned, many people turning on roof sprinklers reduces the available water pressure to the fire fighters.

And, it doesn't work. The heat from even a decent wildfire is so great that the water from the sprinklers vaporizes before it does any good. Radiant heat from a fire can be high enough that exposed wooden parts of a home can ignite without the fire actually touching it, it is just spontaneous.

If your home is in the path of a good firestorm, the temps can be much higher (1000ºC/1832ºF). In that case, your house may not even burn, just going straight from sitting there to ashes!

No matter what the wishful thought is, if there is a fire coming at you, you can't do anything except run or go underground. Cussing, praying and handwringing has no effect, the fire doesn't care.

Sue