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#164740 - 01/23/09 10:21 PM Re: Stay and defend your home from a wildfire? [Re: el_diabl0]
JCWohlschlag Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/26/06
Posts: 724
Loc: Sterling, Virginia, United Sta...
Originally Posted By: el_diabl0
Isn't there some kind of foam that can be sprayed on that does a decent job of protecting the house? Spray it on and get the heck out!

Two that I know of:
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“Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee. Sometimes old people hike by mistake.” — Demitri Martin

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#164746 - 01/23/09 10:40 PM Re: Stay and defend your home from a wildfire? [Re: ]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
Living in SOCAL I get to do triage of my stuff every time wildfires start in the eastern end of the county. I load the truck early -- waaayy before it threatens our neighborhood. Anything that doesn't fit in the truck is expendable by definition -- it didn't make the cut or is so unimportant that I forgot all about it. What's left is documented on my camera which goes in the truck. It's a nice house, but if it burned to the ground there's some changes I could make. . .

_________________________
Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??

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#164748 - 01/23/09 10:57 PM Re: Stay and defend your home from a wildfire? [Re: JCWohlschlag]
Sherpadog
Unregistered


These foams/gels work good on paper, however you to have to keep in mind that the average homeowner may be applying these types of products. If they miss spots...which they will or do not apply sufficiently, all it takes is one spark in a crucial missed spot for a fire to take off.

Also those houses, especially with vinyl siding will still be vulnerable from the intense heat as once the siding melts to the ground into a puddle, this will expose the house structure to the flames.

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#164751 - 01/23/09 11:09 PM Re: Stay and defend your home from a wildfire? [Re: ]
Desperado Offline
Veteran

Registered: 11/01/08
Posts: 1530
Loc: DFW, Texas
Originally Posted By: Sherpadog
These foams/gels work good on paper, however you to have to keep in mind that the average homeowner may be applying these types of products. If they miss spots...which they will or do not apply sufficiently, all it takes is one spark in a crucial missed spot for a fire to take off.

Also those houses, especially with vinyl siding will still be vulnerable from the intense heat as once the siding melts to the ground into a puddle, this will expose the house structure to the flames.


Somewhere on the Discovery Science Network is a show called "Beyond Tomorrow". Said program has a episode on the foam. It seemed to work quite well. Maybe an internet search will find it for those interested.

I am lucky in two respects:

1) I don't really live in a wildfire area.
2) I own a construction meter for fire hydrants, the proper wrench, 1900 foot of 2 inch construction grade hose and an adjustable FD hand nozzle.
Meter, wrench, hose and nozzle are almost the only "work" tools stored at the house.
_________________________
I do the things that I must, and really regret, are unfortunately necessary.

RIP OBG

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#164754 - 01/23/09 11:20 PM Re: Stay and defend your home from a wildfire? [Re: Desperado]
JohnE Offline
Addict

Registered: 06/10/08
Posts: 601
Loc: Southern Cal
From what I've read/seen, most of the fire protectants are actually being applied by professionals. Literally while the fires are burning nearby. It apparently works very well. Well enough that the bulk of it's use is thru insurance companies, which aren't normally known for giving stuff away.

YMMV

JohnE
_________________________
JohnE

"and all the lousy little poets
comin round
tryin' to sound like Charlie Manson"

The Future/Leonard Cohen


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#164758 - 01/23/09 11:38 PM Re: Stay and defend your home from a wildfire? [Re: JohnE]
Sherpadog
Unregistered


Originally Posted By: JohnE
From what I've read/seen, most of the fire protectants are actually being applied by professionals. Literally while the fires are burning nearby. It apparently works very well. Well enough that the bulk of it's use is thru insurance companies, which aren't normally known for giving stuff away.

YMMV

JohnE


You hit the key word: professionals. As you see on the one manufacturers website, the product is also being marketed to the homeowner....that is one of the points I was making in my last post.

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#164773 - 01/24/09 12:29 AM Re: Stay and defend your home from a wildfire? [Re: Desperado]
KG2V Offline

Veteran

Registered: 08/19/03
Posts: 1371
Loc: Queens, New York City
Originally Posted By: Desperado
...snip...2)

I own a construction meter for fire hydrants, the proper wrench, 1900 foot of 2 inch construction grade hose and an adjustable FD hand nozzle.
Meter, wrench, hose and nozzle are almost the only "work" tools stored at the house.


After the NYC blackout of what, 2002, I ended up with a hydrant wrench in my truck. I was working doing Comms support for the Red Cross when they ran out of water on the ERV - it took 45 minutes for us to get a wrench to refill the water tanks. I talked to a friend, and he got me the propper wrench. The thing I don't have is the magnetic adaptor for the hydrants that have been changed to "tamper proof"
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73 de KG2V
You are what you do when it counts - The Masso
Homepage: http://www.thegallos.com
Blog: http://kg2v.blogspot.com

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#164776 - 01/24/09 12:35 AM Re: Stay and defend your home from a wildfire? [Re: Desperado]
JCWohlschlag Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/26/06
Posts: 724
Loc: Sterling, Virginia, United Sta...
Originally Posted By: Desperado
Somewhere on the Discovery Science Network is a show called "Beyond Tomorrow". Said program has a episode on the foam. It seemed to work quite well. Maybe an internet search will find it for those interested.

The Thermo-Gel I linked to earlier was the product on that Beyond Tomorrow episode. The clip is available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBA1mdSeg0A.
_________________________
“Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee. Sometimes old people hike by mistake.” — Demitri Martin

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#164777 - 01/24/09 12:37 AM Re: Stay and defend your home from a wildfire? [Re: KG2V]
Desperado Offline
Veteran

Registered: 11/01/08
Posts: 1530
Loc: DFW, Texas
I have not run into tamper proof hydrants, but then we don't see kids wanting to play in the water from a hydrant much here.

I did run into an issue with a "quick connect" type fitting, but that problem has been solved also.

Sons #1&2 hate the set-up. I usually use them as labor when we have to go wet down a site before/during/after excavation. They get the leg work laying line, I get to squirt them when they walk up!

One must look for the small treats in life....
_________________________
I do the things that I must, and really regret, are unfortunately necessary.

RIP OBG

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#164817 - 01/24/09 08:03 AM Re: Stay and defend your home from a wildfire? [Re: Desperado]
Art_in_FL Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 09/01/07
Posts: 2432
First thing to consider when deciding to stay and fight or leave is how well prepared your house is.

If you have cut the brush and trees back so you have a large space between the house free of any vegetation likely to support a fire (recommendation vary so check with your local FD, but 75' to 120' comes up a lot) and your roof is highly fire resistant, tile or metal, and you have fire resistant shutters over the windows, and you have a plentiful supply of water, and have invested in a proper equipment then you have a shot.

If not, then your best bet is to have good fire insurance and to evacuate when they tell you and take you important papers and small heirloom items with you as you go.

Staying and fighting isn't for everyone. Unless the property has been prepared well ahead of time, most local FDs have advice for what needs to be cut and how far back, your wasting your time. If your serious they can also advise you as to what can be safely planted nearer the house. There are pants that don't burn well so you needn't live in a dead zone.

Be aware that standing off a fire is tough, dirty, tiring and nasty work that, if things go bad, can get you killed. You have to be prepared to spend up to 72 hours on alert breathing smoke and near exhaustion. You need to be in at least moderate shape, strong enough to haul gear and climb ladders, and essentially free of lung or heart problems.

If your preparing to stay these people will sell you some equipment that might work:
http://www.homefirefightingsystems.com/home.html

There are other, possibly better and cheaper, organizations that can sell you what you need but this site will give you some idea as to what is available and has some good advice on it.


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