Stuart;
Top of the morning to you sir, I hope the summer has been a good one for you all. We've been through your neck of the woods a few times this summer and I can't say it wasn't busy anyway!
One of the hurdles with trying to set up systems for fire suppression is that the first thing to go out is the power. Even when the lines don't get burned, Fortis shuts the power off immediately - as they did in the Joe Rich fire on Thursday.
Typically we'll need hydro to power the sprinkler system's water pump.......
Unless one has either a gravity feed system or a generator of course. Both aren't without some issues and then both require that you get back home to activate the system. Lots of folks weren't allowed back home into the Joe Rich fire and I'm sure that's the case with many of them, so there is that.
Anyway my good wife and I are mulling over the logistics of installing a couple thousand gallon tank set up for gravity feed here, as the lay of the land will allow it. That said I've got to crunch the numbers to see what size of piping we'll need and if it's remotely feasible. Again, we'd still have to be allowed to go back home and there's no guarantee on that aspect of the equation Stuart.
We try to trim the trees up to 10-15' and keep the dead brush cleaned up around the house, but shy of making a moonscape out of the place there's no foolproof method that I've run across. Oh, yes we're in a stucco house with fire resistant shingles too, so that does help.
Still, it's one of the things we risk by living in the sticks Stuart and I suppose since we're here a quarter century one could surmise we've accepted that.
All the best to you all this fall Stuart.
Dwayne
