How Owners SAVED Their Homes in the LA Fires

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  • Опубликовано: 18 янв 2025

Комментарии • 1 тыс.

  • @benetlilacs7834
    @benetlilacs7834 19 часов назад +23

    Hi Ricky. I am so glad you did this. My house burned in the 2017 Tubbs fire. Watching the coverage of the LA fires has been so frustrating because the emphasis has been on all the wrong stuff. If the houses cannot burn, all of the other problems are massively reduced. For instance, most of the heat and embers are coming from the burning houses. If the houses cannot burn you do not need water to put them out; the firemen do not have to waste time on trying to save the houses; if people are stuck in their homes, they will probably be OK, etc. Unlike you, I do not need to worry about how to retrofit, because everything is gone.
    For me, the hardest part of building a completely non-combustible house is battling with the county building department to get them to let me do it. We need to do research to improve building methodologies and change the codes to allow them. The time to do that is between fires, not right after a big fire when everybody needs to rebuild. Changing the codes would take a very long time to have a large effect, because you would end up with just one house here or there that is fireproof; but when a whole neighborhood burns down, rebuilding in a fireproof manner will save the entire neighborhood the next a wildfire sweeps through.
    I have much more to say about this, but that is enough for now.

  • @MatthewHarrold
    @MatthewHarrold День назад +171

    I'm in Tasmania, Hobart to be precise. This is where all those Eucalypt trees came from. We had to build to BAL40 to get a building permit. That is a Bushfire Attack Level of 40 minutes ... it means our house can sustain 40 minutes of ember and flame attack before failing. Walls are concrete sheets (Hardie boards), there is a single gutter, low profile window eaves, so many other features. These standards limited our options for materials, roof pitch, fire breaks, etc. All worth it. $0.02

    • @MrFredscrap
      @MrFredscrap 23 часа назад +11

      Probably need to explain you're from Australia, and we have a thing called "Bushfire Attach Level" system. Most of the viewer are from the United States.

    • @andrewrossell3782
      @andrewrossell3782 22 часа назад +19

      @MrFredscrap I think his comment is well put. Anyone who is paying attention will be able to figure out what BAL means by reading his comment.

    • @hectornonayurbusiness2631
      @hectornonayurbusiness2631 21 час назад +7

      Do eucalyptus trees burn especially hot?

    • @hellahandy6524
      @hellahandy6524 21 час назад +8

      @@hectornonayurbusiness2631 yes and they shed a lot of bark which it also burns extremely hot especially when it piles up and gets really dry.

    • @stickynorth
      @stickynorth 20 часов назад +13

      @@andrewrossell3782 Yup. If people can't figure out Tasmania is Australia, there's no point because the rest of it would be lost... Then again an ungodly number of Americans can't figure out where their own state is on a map or sadly even where Canada is...

  • @tedapke6519
    @tedapke6519 23 часа назад +87

    I think the best information you shared was the importance of thinking about the problem BEFORE it is too late.

    • @dertythegrower
      @dertythegrower 16 часов назад +2

      Hempcrete... is fireproof and i show that 4 years ago... its made from the left over stems of hemp and that cali herbal essence 😅

    • @jtjames79
      @jtjames79 13 часов назад +4

      Not in my backyard!
      Here in Hawaii, we had people protesting a farmer using his tractors to make an earth berm and channel to divert the lava coming at his house.
      The loudest voices for claiming it wouldn't work anyway, and he was just destroying the environment.
      It worked. He saved his house, and a good portion of his farm.
      It was a lava flow, I don't know how they expected the environment to do under lava.

    • @lr6477
      @lr6477 4 часа назад

      Environmentalists are anti human zealots

  • @Storx-USMC-
    @Storx-USMC- 19 часов назад +20

    I lived in the Black Forest area of Colorado Springs in 2013 when i was stationed there. Our entire neighborhood was taken by the fire that year and our house was one of the only ones that survived in our entire community and between me and my one neighbor we were able to safely defend off the fire from the closest 4 houses to us. I had a shallow well installed for irrigation, because it was just costing way to much to use public water for irrigation. Well that shallow well came in handy when that fire broke out. I turned on the sprinklers around the clock for the entire time the fire was going and the well had enough pressure left that we used pressure washers to blast the stuff that caught fire off the ground and buildings. It was surprisingly more beneficial using the pressure washer over regular hoses, because if something caught fire instead of just drenching it with lots of water in hopes of it going out, we were able to put it out by breaking up the base of the fire with the pressure using only the 2.0GPM the pressure washer was putting out. That well came in clutch for us and after that fire both of my neighbors which we were able to defend the fire off of, they had wells drilled on their property purely as a precaution in the future for something similar to happen. Also when our neighbors returned to their houses finding them with minor damage, they thanked us so much because they were expecting the worse. Then when the insurance company we had came through afterwards and found out about us defending their houses, they informed the company and their insurance company gave me and my neighbor both a nice check in the mail for "emergency mitigation service".

    • @GregLeBon
      @GregLeBon 9 часов назад +1

      Sweet story! Thanks for sharing!

    • @justincase9471
      @justincase9471 3 часа назад

      Sweet! Feel free to name that insurance company. 🥰

  • @Carl_in_AZ
    @Carl_in_AZ 23 часа назад +40

    During a monsoon, my pool and backyard overflowed after I lost electricity, and water came close to coming into my house. I connected my backwash hose to a 1/3 hp sump that I threw in the pool. I powered it off my EcoFlow. I could have run it for over six hours. This same approach could have been used for a fire.

  • @Fireweed108
    @Fireweed108 23 часа назад +61

    That metal fence was not roof panels but a steel metal fence made in Australia and is fire rated called Durabond. I placed it on the edge of my property that will face the fire.

    • @twisted2291
      @twisted2291 21 час назад +4

      @Fireweed108 Here in the US. These steel fences are the very same steel panels we use to build Steel building and the roofing for them as well. There is a lot of uses for this steel panel around here.

    • @hellahandy6524
      @hellahandy6524 20 часов назад

      @@twisted2291what about the people here in the US that have durabond steel fence?

    • @jimgraham6722
      @jimgraham6722 17 часов назад +1

      I use.this fence as well. It looks good and can resist fire to a significant extent. The rule where I live is a minimum 14000ltr fire fighting reserve, roof and eve sprinklers ideally fed by a petrol fire fighting pump or better still battery powered electric pump.
      Electric.pumps can be rigged to.operate automatically

    • @allangibson8494
      @allangibson8494 17 часов назад +1

      Same company operates in Australia and California…
      Same product line.

    • @armanlagi
      @armanlagi 14 часов назад

      Fire-rated fence? That's news to me. Is there any standard for such a fence?

  • @davemallock2660
    @davemallock2660 22 часа назад +45

    One thing I have noticed, I haven't seen anyone suggest automatic shut off for natural gas or water. That way when a fire comes around in the area in the house does end up burning down there isn't propane, natural gas or water leaks after the building is burned down. I think with all the wildfires out in California that at least a few of these implements should be mandatory.

    • @liyo4950
      @liyo4950 20 часов назад +2

      One of the first things homeowners should do to help save their house from burning is to shut off the gas valve on the outside of the house! Maybe the second thing would be to hose down the house with the garden hose (if there is enough time to do it).

    • @Brian-rj5rl
      @Brian-rj5rl 20 часов назад +6

      Don't bother hosing down, with high temp and very low humidity it will be completely dry in less than 5 minutes

    • @Alejandra-cv7rj
      @Alejandra-cv7rj 19 часов назад +4

      I like my manual shut off both gas and water it's common sense to check them and give them basic maintenance to make sure it works. Having an automatic one wouldn't help if people don't do basic maintenance. Usually shutting off the utilities doesn't make sense when there's a fire close by the average person panics and runs away so even if you have an automatic shut off you'll need to be at your property to turn it off. Also the city does have an automatic shut off at the facilities for gas and water but I did find it odd nobody shut off the gas lines for Pasadena or any area where there was a wild fire.

    • @HerpDerpNV
      @HerpDerpNV 19 часов назад +1

      @@Brian-rj5rl Yep. The winds in LA were so dry/strong a 2.5" fire hose could soak a house and it would dry dry before you got the whole surface sprayed down.

    • @davemallock2660
      @davemallock2660 18 часов назад +2

      @@Alejandra-cv7rj My thought is the auto shutoff be at or in each home when built. That way the water stays on for the FD and shuts down the house. Manual shutoffs don't even get thought of in a panic of a major fire like we are seeing here. A system that uses the pool water should be the back-up water supply. Having these 3 factors added to a home may help with insurance too.

  • @neilmckechnie6638
    @neilmckechnie6638 23 часа назад +54

    All of these prevention techniques should have been part of the building code for decades. There are great opportunities for fire prevention entrepreneurs to make $Millions in California.

    • @MrCLAASS
      @MrCLAASS 17 часов назад +2

      The worst building practice in California is the wooden tiles. The second worst is the tar on the wooden plank for a roof.

    • @allangibson8494
      @allangibson8494 17 часов назад +3

      Some of these houses were originally built in the 1920’s.
      The problem with updating building codes is they are not retroactive. You still have millions of buildings that never complied.

    • @lp115lp
      @lp115lp Час назад

      @@neilmckechnie6638 Only if the 'codes' permit, the insurers allow and the bankers lend - OH yea -if the people can afford.
      Anyone know the official estimated overall cost of fire/quake damage prevention versus remediation in SoCal?

  • @wunderfuel
    @wunderfuel 22 часа назад +18

    It's amazing how this( wildfire mitigation) is now a major topic of discussion. Four or five years of catastrophic fires have finally got this topic to near the top of the list. Thank you for presenting this information to homeowners , and laying out how little is needed to potentially make a world of difference in saving the one major investment in our lives. The thing I'd like to see more of is fire retardent as used by the fire-bomber crews to be made available to towns or housing developments for ground-based application at WUI locations around neighborhoods, and then making this and the other fire-retardent liquid available to the public, for last-ditch efforts around their homes. Right now, it looks like only specialists have this material available. It should be made available for use by anyone wishing to save their home...

  • @RahulMulchandanirmm
    @RahulMulchandanirmm День назад +42

    Pool pumps are great for moving water but not great for pressure.
    Can I suggest a small bypass tank that then has a second electric pump.
    The purpose of the second tank is to avoid cavitation with two pumps running in paralel and can also give you a little buffer. You just have to ensure that your second pump does not move more water than the first pump or your buffer tank will dry out.
    Alternitevly have a bypass pump in your system then you just turn the valves to bypass your pool pump and use the other pump directly.
    Hope this helps anyone looking to set up a system like this.

    • @tomb5552
      @tomb5552 20 часов назад +6

      Remember electricity is one of the first things that goes. Alternative power is needed.

    • @ronblack7870
      @ronblack7870 18 часов назад +2

      @@tomb5552 which he has battery backup

    • @cpcattin
      @cpcattin 15 часов назад

      You need a gas powered pump. Completely independent of your pool system. No complications .

    • @lithiumvalleyrocksprospect9792
      @lithiumvalleyrocksprospect9792 14 часов назад +1

      Pool pumps only draw from skimmer box and won't drain a pool unless there is an intake installed in the bottom

    • @brettroworth751
      @brettroworth751 13 часов назад

      Buy a well pump and it answers your question. But if you have a connection to your irrigation system you could make a well pump with hose to connect to your irrigation system and use the pool water to water your lawn. You can get a chlorine neutralizer. Meaning that your pool will be pumped to your lawn and by neutralizing the chlorine the water wouldn’t be hurtful to the lawn or environment.

  • @PlayerLineman
    @PlayerLineman День назад +33

    Thank you for posting this video. This is information that has been around for YEARS!! It is POSSIBLE to build fire resistant structures and communities. WHY do affluent, educated people build homes in fire-risk areas and DO NOT bother to invest a tiny part of the build budget in fire suppression?. It has been possible to build beautiful, affordable, eco-friendly structures that are also fire-resistant for decades. Why aren’t our buildings officials making THIS a BUILDING PERMIT REQUIREMENT?

    • @AntonioDellElceUK
      @AntonioDellElceUK 23 часа назад +15

      Many of the newer homes in the area were built by investors and flippers, not homeowners. Their main goal is to maximize profits by selling quickly, often at the expense of long-term quality

    • @hectornonayurbusiness2631
      @hectornonayurbusiness2631 21 час назад +4

      @@AntonioDellElceUKMaybe those flippers should be sued?

    • @daviddean8198
      @daviddean8198 17 часов назад +7

      In Oz, new buildings have had, for many years, to meet a fire overlay standard called BAL (bushfire attack level). These levels are defined by independent government authorities, and consider fuel load, proximity to trees etc, topography, and there is NO compromise permitted under any circumstances. Developers must comply to obtain a certificate of occupancy to sell. At the build stage, only minor increases in cost occur compared with the overall cost to build. Retrofit is another matter entirely. Houses built to BAL standard are cheaper to insure compared to older buildings before the very strict standard came into effect. We are veterans at fires, unfortunately, and our hearts go out to those suffering now.

  • @librogrande
    @librogrande 21 час назад +43

    Note there are also multiple instances of people who died staying to try to defend their homes

    • @GENKI_INU
      @GENKI_INU 20 часов назад +4

      You can rebuild your life but you can't rebuild your body.

    • @stickynorth
      @stickynorth 20 часов назад +5

      BIngo! That's the majority of deaths... Possessions are fleeting and most people aren't equipped to become an emergency volunteer firefighter...

    • @cedricpod
      @cedricpod 20 часов назад +3

      ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ If you stay to fight the fire, have a partner and have a safety room

    • @cedricpod
      @cedricpod 20 часов назад +1

      ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ How did most houses burn down from the roof downward ….. from the windows or somewhere else?

    • @cedricpod
      @cedricpod 20 часов назад +3

      ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ What was the most dangerous… The embers…… The radiant heat from the nearby house…… Broken windows… What what? What

  • @skywave12
    @skywave12 22 часа назад +34

    Also remember to seal off vents that allow cinders to encroach. Especially if located at base of the house. There is much code that needs catching up in regard to fire resisting a home.

    • @liyo4950
      @liyo4950 20 часов назад +5

      Screen material can be purchased with very tiny hoses that would help keep lit ash from getting into the attic if you cover your vents with it instead of the typical screen that is used! Although, I suppose having a swing door that can be closed in a hurry could also prevent lit ash from getting into the attic.

    • @dananelson9427
      @dananelson9427 9 часов назад

      I did hear someone else discussing that there are fire proof vent cover technology out there. Didn’t catch the company/brand name.

    • @SF-fb6lv
      @SF-fb6lv 8 часов назад

      I've been doing that for the past few days; ultra-fine stainless mesh behind the 1/8" screens, and 12 screws instead of 4 nails holding them in place. Will fire-caulk around the edges too.

    • @tlschaft1
      @tlschaft1 7 часов назад

      @@dananelson9427 there’s an Australian company that makes 2 different sizes of powder coated stainless steel mesh to retrofit all vents on the structure. 1/8” and 1/16” I think.

  • @k53847
    @k53847 20 часов назад +59

    With the house in the opening, note the broken window on the side. The owner said they lost the outer tempered glass pane when the neighbor's car caught fire, but the inner tempered glass panel held. His belief is that is if the inner pane had failed he'd have lost the house.

    • @benetlilacs7834
      @benetlilacs7834 19 часов назад

      It is hard for me to see the broken window. Is it broken up at the top?

    • @Maverrick2140
      @Maverrick2140 18 часов назад

      glass is not really fireproof .. if they put blinds like the common ones used in germany (Aluminium ones) .. then the window is probably more fireproof than the rest of the house.

    • @allangibson8494
      @allangibson8494 17 часов назад +1

      Stainless steel fly screens are a cheap backup…

    • @garyhirst3717
      @garyhirst3717 14 часов назад +2

      Windows need to prevent the fire from entering and also protect from the radiant heat of an external fire which can cause interior items (e.g. curtains) to combust even without the window being broken. Vinyl windows are a big problem. The vinyl frame melts, the window falls out and the fire gets in the house.

    • @k53847
      @k53847 13 часов назад

      @@benetlilacs7834 Its the small pane high up on the wall facing the burnt out car. You can see ho there is kind of a crater in the wall.

  • @kyletornow5781
    @kyletornow5781 20 часов назад +17

    You cannot put just concrete down. That will kill the undergrowth destabilize the ground and allow for the entire steep slope site to create an Landslide. If you're going to make a hardscape it needs to be a semi-permeable surface to allow water to infiltrate into the ground.

    • @ddalzell509
      @ddalzell509 15 часов назад +2

      @@kyletornow5781 You’re absolutely correct. Landslides and flash flooding, and next to no retention of water in the ground. No vegetation transpiring moisture and providing cooling by latent heat of evaporation.

    • @userequaltoNull
      @userequaltoNull 15 часов назад +2

      Yes. Maybe also with a fire-resistant tree species to help shore up the soil structure against landslides. Something like cork oak would probably work well, or you could go for a native pyrophytic species (you'd just need to make sure to keep the duff under control)

    • @laudiculbertson5586
      @laudiculbertson5586 10 часов назад +1

      @@userequaltoNull The trees and vegetation are not the problem in LA and similar type fires.

  • @gsimons213
    @gsimons213 День назад +25

    Fire resistant eave vents can help, too. This simple addition may have saved many homes as the fire department mentioned that many fires start in the attic where flying embers enter. This along with under eave sprinklers would seem to be a big deterrent.

    • @bennytleilax
      @bennytleilax 14 часов назад +2

      There is stuff burning at the base of the house. The hot air and embers float up to the eaves, where it swirls around. The temperature difference between the attic air and the outside air sucks the embers into the attic. Then the wooden rafters catch on fire. Once there is fire in the attic, the house cannot be saved. The lessons here are use fire resistant eave vents and frame with steel instead of wood. If you are retrofitting, you can probably only address the eave vents.

    • @GregLeBon
      @GregLeBon 8 часов назад

      @@bennytleilaxwell said! Simple screen on the roof eve vents is so important and a simple solution to implement! Thanks for sharing!

  • @SchioAlves
    @SchioAlves 19 часов назад +24

    About going all in on concrete: if everybody starts putting standard concrete around their houses, it will make the region hotter and dryer because of the waterproofing of the soil, check first for permeable concrete.

    • @b_uppy
      @b_uppy 9 часов назад +2

      Could use gravel, or succulents. Succulents are a great fire deterrent. Har a friend with iceplant around her house. She hated it and found it heavy to remove, but it saved her house to have so many near her house.

  • @ChuckYoung-l9g
    @ChuckYoung-l9g 20 часов назад +43

    When a house burns, all the faucets go with it. That's why you see the remains of houses with water pouring out of them. I would bet that the lack of water pressure was more causally related to this than to people using garden hoses to defend their homes.

    • @ianmcmahon8589
      @ianmcmahon8589 17 часов назад +2

      @@ChuckYoung-l9g Or if not the faucets, the plastic water supply hoses under the sink that connect to the shutoff valve.

    • @lp115lp
      @lp115lp 16 часов назад +11

      that was what 1 LAFD member spoke of when explaining the loss of water pressure at the hydrants - open/broken residential water pipes - why there needs to be mandatory auto shut-off valves in all buildings or at least 1 easily reached panic button, which cuts all water and gas flow, the same way many factories have panic buttons to cut electric power to all machine systems

    • @edbouhl3100
      @edbouhl3100 14 часов назад +2

      @@lp115lpWow, hadn’t thought about that!

    • @ricardoxavier827
      @ricardoxavier827 4 часа назад

      Our houses dont burn dont fly dont float dont rot.

  • @grubbypaws3566
    @grubbypaws3566 23 часа назад +14

    There are several things to do just as a start, replace the bottom 3 feet of siding that stops embers and plants starting a low level fire, micro spray the garden, with a mist layer. Place couple of sprayers on each roof that can overlap with water in case one fails, but the most important bit of the system is to make sure the water is recycled not down the drain but reused/redirected into a separate water tank. Even a large pool will empty quickly with a system running for 12/24hrs

  • @HammerOn-bu7gx
    @HammerOn-bu7gx День назад +27

    An item you may want to look into is a fire resistant paint/spray on material that goes directly on bare wood before finishing. There are several vendors. It looks like water and applies like it, but it soaks into the wood or covers the application surface if it's plastic or meta.
    I buy it in 5 gallon drums and use a paint brush or weed sprayer, not a paint gun or Wagner, when I build. It is a game changer.
    As an aside, a 5 gallon bucket will do the outside of a 800 sq. foot garage. I do both the inside and outside. So for under $100, I've helped protect my $100,000 garage structure from fire.
    Also, if you are going to stay and fight a fire, get yourself good fire protection equipment and fire resistant respirators. Have at least TWO sets. Murphy loves single point failures.

    • @esecallum
      @esecallum День назад +1

      Elton musk heat shields tiles are light and cheap..buy them

    • @bandicoot2016
      @bandicoot2016 18 часов назад

      Intumescent paint is a game changer!

    • @allangibson8494
      @allangibson8494 17 часов назад +1

      Rip off the timber and reclad with fiber reinforced concrete. It looks the same.

  • @PureMagma
    @PureMagma День назад +15

    I don't live in CA, but a few years ago a wild fire came within a few meters of my home and ever since then I have been obsessed with converting it to a flame resistant home. I've already watch Matt Risigners (The Build Show) video on this topic... I don't really like my siding but it is James Hardie non-combustable fiber cement. My next project is replacing my roof and the vinyl windows... these changes should contribute to its flame resistance qualities. Then I will only need to worry about my cooking. 😅🤞

    • @liyo4950
      @liyo4950 20 часов назад

      All good ideas...thanks!!!

  • @marcbeaudry9084
    @marcbeaudry9084 23 часа назад +6

    I installed 7/16” hardie backer board to the inside of my 1250 sq ft work shop about 18 years ago. Reason being it was fireproof, more resilient to damage compared to metal or drywall and also because it was water proof. Served me well and glad of my decision.

  • @MishaDaBear
    @MishaDaBear 22 часа назад +12

    I'd recommend looking at This old House (PBS) they have great videos for hardening up a house to prevent wild fire damage. You were suggesting Ripping off all vinyl siding, you do not need to go that extreme it is only the lower foot or two that is at risk. Replace that vinyl with brick or a clap board looking steel. In England they sell concrete board that comes in 2x8, 2x10, 2x12, 2x16, 2x24 that would give basal edge protection too, they use them as sils and basal fence boards to prevent rot. If budgeting is any issue one could place 24"x36"x2" thick patio blocks (slabs) at first as they are about $10 each and would cost much less but offer 95% of the same protection.
    Fences concrete and steel are king, but you could use a fire retardant paint to slow the burn likely stopping big embers. That along with steel fencing at the home eliminating any interface might be enough.
    I do live in a hilly and soggy climate East of Maine, in October we had 2 feet of rain but we had no rain for half of July and all of August so it can still occur here too!
    Everywhere I recommend steel roofs as they with a heat shielding membrane under the steek will allow embers to burn almost for ever, here we can get deep snow and steel will shed that snow after most storms which is sweet after 40cm (~18").of fresh snow (that is forecast tomorrow!). For many years I can walk off the snow piles on to the roof!
    There is a house in Altadena with concrete all around the house and hedges and wooden fences outside that. it has vinyl siding and nothing burned except around a vent in his shed, totally amazing! Everything around him is gone, and he said " why was my home spared".
    So lose the close plantings and get some form of gravel, river-rock, non flammable mulch or concrete down asap! I love the idea of the pool or garden pond as a fire water source. I wish we were permitted to add a passive sprinkler in our houses with a standpipe at the front door so a fire engine can mist the entire home without putting any staff in the home in danger!

    • @liyo4950
      @liyo4950 20 часов назад +1

      Thank you for that tip on that TV program!

    • @ronblack7870
      @ronblack7870 18 часов назад

      a firetruck can't connect to a single home unless it's a private truck you hired . and that may not even be legal because of drought laws.

    • @MishaDaBear
      @MishaDaBear 11 часов назад

      @@ronblack7870 But we have passive systems in schools and other public buildings!

  • @m.moreno924
    @m.moreno924 22 часа назад +10

    Maybe for smaller homes without pools, a few rain barrels catching water from the rain gutters. They can be filled manually with advanced warning of high winds. A Little Giant pump from Grainger's, small generator, sprinklers on roof etc. What do guys think?

    • @Mady-lo6qb
      @Mady-lo6qb 20 часов назад +5

      People have advised that if using pool water, that it's important to collect the water from the gutter to recycle it. If you are using rain barrels that are already connected to the guttering then it seems that you have all the basics for a system that most people can achieve.

    • @clockworkvanhellsing372
      @clockworkvanhellsing372 19 часов назад +3

      If you have the space, get an inflatable pool or better a frame pool. These are cheap and can still hold much more water than rain barrels. There are some for ~50$ that can hold 1500 Gallons.

    • @AtSafeDistance
      @AtSafeDistance 14 часов назад +1

      I checked into it a while back and ridiculously the places where I checked would not allow you to collect rain water off the gutters in the manner suggested. Personally I think large collection tanks buried on each corner of the house with a place to perhaps drop some pills into the water to keep it in a place to make the govt happy, would not only go a long ways for fire prevention but would also greatly relieve the water demand for watering lawns.

  • @EricBishard
    @EricBishard 19 часов назад +4

    The old lady was also accompanied by her husband. When the fire first got close they were not aware exactly where each other was because they both had went into firefighting mode. Didn’t seem to bother them and they just started fighting. The husband was burnt while soaking an areas down the hill closer to the base of their property. BTW my parents were doing the same thing with the hurricanes here. Last ones in their neighborhood adjusting lines on the boats and taking as many precautions to save their property. Hats off!
    It has also been said by the fire experts that people defending their homes is way more effective than people think and models that take that defending into consideration reduce fire spread by something like 20% or more

  • @raycapetillo5569
    @raycapetillo5569 День назад +10

    Thank you for this potentially life saving information. Prayers and support for those affected by the fires.

  • @theresa337
    @theresa337 18 часов назад +3

    By far, this was my favorite videos of yours. I am sure you will top it. Thanks. I just put some bushes next to my house.

  • @tomunderwood4283
    @tomunderwood4283 21 час назад +14

    Brick house, aluminum frame windows with tempered glass, sidewalk around foundation, slate roof, water sprinkler on roof fed from pool running on generator. Safe underground shelter to hide from fire if it overruns your house.

    • @Brian-rj5rl
      @Brian-rj5rl 19 часов назад

      Sounds nice, but would cost over 1,000,000 just for construction of mid range quality 2,000 sqft build

    • @AgEcon-World
      @AgEcon-World 19 часов назад +4

      ​@Brian-rj5rl no it won't. The whole world is doing it for less than 50k. Africa has some nice brick houses too for way less than 50k. The high cost of houses is not because they were expensive to build.

    • @OsotastyLordKC
      @OsotastyLordKC 15 часов назад

      Funny how houses matching this descritljkbhș

    • @ddalzell509
      @ddalzell509 14 часов назад

      @@AgEcon-WorldYup, it’s the property. We just got our 2025 property assessment this week. The lot is about 75% of the value.

  • @royrunyon1286
    @royrunyon1286 День назад +34

    Aha! The idea of using water from swimming pools to fight fires or wet down properties did work.

    • @ge2719
      @ge2719 День назад +8

      its a no brainer. the water is useless stuck below ground in the pool, the entire house could burn down and the pool will still just be sat there full of water. Everyone with a pool should have a way to spray that water on a fire if they need it.

    • @jasonk125
      @jasonk125 День назад +1

      "There Will Come Soft Rains" - Ray Bradbury

    • @ronblack7870
      @ronblack7870 18 часов назад

      @@ge2719 that also means not evacuating

    • @woofwoof4795
      @woofwoof4795 12 часов назад +2

      @@ronblack7870 put automatic water sprinkler on roof. If they works on lawn, they works on roof

  • @LordSaliss
    @LordSaliss День назад +5

    Those sprinklers on the roof are useful in the summer as well. If you run them 5 minutes an hour during the hours of 1pm-5pm in southern california it will lower your attic temps by 20-30 degrees because of the huge BTU load it allows to evaporate away off the roof. This doesnt cost much in water since you only run it a total 25 minutes a day on the hottest days of summer only, but it can save $10-15 a day on air conditioning electrical load from the drastically lower heat soak down from the attic.

  • @fabiobandini
    @fabiobandini День назад +5

    THANK YOU! I’ve been saying forever that wood chips are a horrible ground cover and CA has been encouraging people to use them with rebates as a water conservation effort, but it’s just dangerous. That and that there should be no vegetation against the home.

  • @LCCB
    @LCCB 21 час назад +5

    If you go with a pump, make sure it can actually generate pressure (like a jet pump or similar). Some transfer pumps don't build enough pressure to spray water through nozzles.

  • @markwriter2698
    @markwriter2698 21 час назад +4

    Good job. I especially like using the swimming pool as a fail safe.

  • @arnaudt3935
    @arnaudt3935 День назад +16

    Maybe usefull to say that, probably, many people who died, did trying to save their home. The best thing to do, is to set a system to throw water strategically, while you STILL run away to save your life first.

    • @steveperreira5850
      @steveperreira5850 День назад

      Probably not one person died trying to save their house. Do you want to bet? Possibly somewhere late leaving. People who try to save their house almost 100% of the time they succeed. The cowards run away. When wildfire hit my community, 98% of the able-bodied men ran away. Shameful!

  • @PenguTT44-sh2oe
    @PenguTT44-sh2oe День назад +20

    As a Union Mason I approve of your concrete and cinder dreams!

    • @sd3457
      @sd3457 21 час назад +3

      It's pretty easy to build a brick or block wall, the difficult thing is doing it at the speed that professionals do.

    • @PenguTT44-sh2oe
      @PenguTT44-sh2oe 20 часов назад +2

      @sd3457 I just hope California learns from this, and they find a balance that allows infrastructure rebuilding in a way where they can put the electrical grid underground, and they can build out their reservoir projects in a swifter manor.

    • @ddalzell509
      @ddalzell509 14 часов назад

      @@PenguTT44-sh2oelower density would be ideal, too, but unlikely.

  • @freeheeler09
    @freeheeler09 23 часа назад +8

    Agreed! Thanks to the firefighters, and also sympathy to the folks who lost homes and family!
    Folks look at videos of pre-fire Pacific Palisades. And look at videos from anywhere else in LA. Look at the dense vegetation growing right up against homes. Look at the huge, privacy hedges right next to homes. Look at the wooden fences and wood decks. Look at the asphalt roofs and wood siding. Look at the non-fire rated vents.
    And in high fire areas, a 5’ hard scape between home and vegetation isn’t enough.
    And it isn’t just LA. I was recently back in Austin, Texas. I was near Boulder, Colorado. So many American cities are ready to burn, just needs drought and wind.
    We have the opportunity to make our homes and cities much more fire resistant.

    • @laudiculbertson5586
      @laudiculbertson5586 10 часов назад

      Like these trees that survived, while the houses burned. A lot of the fires we are seeing of late are not normal or typical fires. I have seen photos of nails burnt, but wood fencing left alone. The wood burning only where the nails and bolts are. Microwave? Take a look at this video: "50-Year Arborist Shares Why TREES Are NOT Burning In LA Fires"!

  • @spaghetti_monster
    @spaghetti_monster День назад +18

    Also, don't forget how much easier and inexpensive hardscape is to maintain.

    • @OneWildTurkey
      @OneWildTurkey День назад +2

      Replace your lawn mower with a leaf blower! It saves a lot of water, too.

    • @spaghetti_monster
      @spaghetti_monster День назад +4

      @@OneWildTurkey Good point about the water too

    • @ge2719
      @ge2719 День назад +3

      id be curious to what extent theres issues around home owners associations that force people to have grass and plants everywhere, and keep them green. who may have actively blocked people from covering their property in stone.

    • @OneWildTurkey
      @OneWildTurkey День назад

      @ Probably to a huge extent. Most HOAs (at least the 8 of them I'm familiar with myself) have tyrants on the board. Not 100% but more than enough to control votes.

    • @spaghetti_monster
      @spaghetti_monster 20 часов назад +2

      @ “force people to have grass and plants everywhere” Can you imagine, I bet it is not uncommon. I was just talking about unreasonable regulations with a friend, and how cognitive employment will be far easier to replace by AI. Most homeowners associations positions are thinking jobs.
      Jobs where they have to weigh many different factors and come up with reasonable, sensible solutions. AGI and ASI is not far off, can you imagine a homeowners' association that was not governed by egos or biases?
      The same goes for most government jobs. Though I doubt government representatives will go easily, gently, or quietly into the night. I wonder how that transition will happen in the future?

  • @Genna-b4r
    @Genna-b4r 17 часов назад +3

    The most common way for a home to catch fire in a wild fire, especially if the home isn't bordering bushland, is embers entering the attic vents. I think the number one thing we need to do to help save our homes is figure out how to close off the attic vents, make them fire retardant, or do that roof sprinkler thing because the most likely thing to catch houses in developed neighborhoods is embers falling from above. There is a company that makes fire retardant mesh that you can put over or replace the vents in your garage, I think putting those in the attic vents would be great and not terribly expensive. A roll of the mesh is like $200, if you think you can DIY it.
    I really like the idea of sprinklers mounted on the roof. I think just two of those fan shaped oscillating ones that were common in the 80/90s on your average house would work. Unfortunately my house is like 3 stories high so it's really hard to get to my roof so I don't know how I could do that in an emergency or if the water pressure would be strong enough to climb that high.
    I don't think landscape plants are very likely to catch because plants full of water are not very flammable. If you use hardscaping that will not prevent weeds and you will still have to weed your yard or you will have native weeds growing around your property which are highly flammable because most of our natives are highly drought tolerant and usually aren't holding a lot of moisture. If you have wood mulch get it wet. Wood holds water very well, especially decaying wood, and is more like a sponge than tinder. A home surrounded by wet wood is much less likely to catch fire than one surrounded by rocks and dried dead weeds no one has bothered to pull this season because weeding between rocks is hard. Get rid of palms and pines because they are very flammable if not pruned very often and their fallen needle, fronds, seeds, pinecones cleared from the underbrush.
    I think it's also super important to think about where your home is and where the likely danger would come from. If you live on the side of a road or mountain with a lot of brush you would want to create a fire break between your property and that area. If you live in the middle of a bunch of homes think danger from above and what would happen if your neighboring houses caught fire, how would it impact you.

    • @OsotastyLordKC
      @OsotastyLordKC 16 часов назад +2

      Your logos is admirable, so I will impart to you some innerstanding. I pray it will be received well. I have been researching and studying these fires since Paradise California, after Lahaina Maui, I was enraged! I do believe I have a relatively good grasp as to how and why these "wild fires" are so devastating to everything except the "wild"... Seeing this devastation from LA has found me apathetic and numb... I can fluidly and easily express scientific and obvious explanations for the strange phenomenon we are witnessing. IT BOILS MY RH NEGATIVE BLOOD THAT PEOPLE WILL STILL DISCREDIT WHAT I HAVE PRESENTED, AND ARGUE, AND VILIFY ME AS SOME QUACK JOB WHOM DOESN'T KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!
      PLEASE
      PLEASE
      PLEASE
      SHARE WHAT I HAVE SAID HERE! COPY/PASTE/POST THIS EVERYWHERE! The way I have written and presented the information here it will pass all the algorithms filters for fake information or filters for information they try and surpress... You will not get shadow banned, so don't worry what your family may say, this info needs to reach the people in the positions of power that can actually help advocate for change and PROSECUTE those whom are pulling the trigger!
      So the structures are burned to the ground and cars are melted, yet the trees are still there with leaves and the bushes right next to the house are just fine...? I have seen super flammable ceder and gum and eucalyptus trees hanging with leaves intact hanging over multi story mansions that were completely leveled....
      That's not normal!
      Kids plastic playsets next to incenerated homes, blue plastic trash cans sitting brand new looking inside garages that were leveled or next to cars and homes that were incenerated... Plastic usually turns to hot melting flammable goop when exposed to high temperatures!
      But okay your right everything is completely normal...
      No water in the fire hydrants? That's because the static energy that causes the crazy, not normal winds is caused by a macro wave energy source that vaporizes H2O in its beam path... That process obviously evaporated the water out of the steel pipes! Tell me how a brush fire burns pipes in the ground or ignites non flammable telephone poles and melts the electric lines and meter box's...
      I mean, smgdh...
      The energy concentration is so intense that anything, that is conductive, like metal or H2O, will have a ground fault reaction creating an arc, anything touching that arc would incenerate at extremely high temperatures, think plasma cutter, this is why plastic objects didn't melt, or the "open to the elements" super dry osb of the under construction home right next door didn't catch fire.... The osb was dry and had no H2O to boil or metal to combust... Unlike the steel banded tires of the car parked out in front of the leveled house that was also incenerated... It's the same thing that happens when you put foil in a microwave, but on a larger scale... The trees and foliage don't burn because wood doesn't conduct electricity very well... But DEW you know what does conduct electricity....? Everything that these "wild fires" DEW burn! The smart meters were installed and every home was wired to a dedicated ground wire coming from the polls to the house... Houses presmart meter, were grounded with rods into the ground... Now every house is hooked to a common ground that's feed back to the substations. Adding this ground allows the electric Company a third connection in which they can send singles through... They use this to monitor real-time usage as well as gives them the ability to pulse an alternate sinewave through the ground that will remotely shut off your power... That is their main purpose, the ability to remotely shut off power... IMO the electric company has data of extreme spikes and malfunctions during these fires... Most of the houses that survived this fire did not have smart meters or had isolation cutoffs between them and the grid...
      As far as the dustification of the man-made structures goes... It's frequency that vibrates particles, metallic objects, when exposed to certain frequencies, become hyper conductive and this produces heat... It also causes the surface of the metallic objects to oxidize, oxygen feeds fire... Hence the rapid incenereation of metal objects when placed in your microwave... Also explains the white look of the ash present on the cars and other incenereated objects like the broken power polls and transformers... Usually, house fires and even forest fires leave the landscape or surrounding structures covered in black soot and charred surfaces... These fires consumed entire homes but left only white ash and no smoke damage...
      Here is another bit of science, the oxidation of concrete or stone or ceramic objects, this process of vibrating concrete molecules literally zaps the oxygen molocules out of the masonry, guess what happens when you lower the ppm of oxygen molocules in concrete? IT LITERALLY, WILL TURN TO DUST! Hence the lack of structures after fires like that of Lihaina... I can also say that this type of frequency manipulation doesn't really affect plastic objects... They turned off or limited the water supply and systematically thwarted emergency response, in Maui/LA/Paradise becuase adding water to an electrical fire will only make it worse... The most moist place in a tree is obviously at its core, and just like the food in your microwave, that cooks from the inside out, so do the trees in these "wildfires"! Also brush fires don't leap, they spread across the landscape igniting everything flamible in their paths... This looks like these structures burned intensly fast from the inside out, and most didn't even singe the lush landscapeing or char the wooden fences at all! Notice that everything is not bright and lush green everywhere.... But still retains all of its foliage.... These plants and trees appear to be severely dehydrated but not burnt at all... I have seen under construction, open to the elements, stick frame OSB sheeting houses that are currently standing and untouched by fire, right next to completely leveled concrete, glass, and steel homes.... So please open your eyes and you will see that this fire was not normal wild fire.

  • @inkermoy
    @inkermoy 20 часов назад +6

    I was thinking of moving to Las Vegas a few years ago and I wondered why all the houses had a 10ft brick wall. Makes sense now.

    • @HerpDerpNV
      @HerpDerpNV 19 часов назад +2

      Vegas also has a lot of crime so that might not be for fire lol

  • @BrettPrice1983
    @BrettPrice1983 16 часов назад +2

    That style of wall is called board form concrete. It's really beautiful because it has the texture of the wood used to hold the pour

  • @alanmacdonald7599
    @alanmacdonald7599 20 часов назад +5

    This video says it all. We can choose the right materials or take our chances. I doubt that anyone would complain having spent $20,000 or $30,000 on fire proofing their house. I'm sure everyone would agree is a small price to pay to save everything you own from disaster.

  • @eh1702
    @eh1702 День назад +6

    Even small things like a water chain rather than pipe coming down from the gutter - it keeps the gutter from getting blocked by leaves/needles when it does rain.
    One drawback of fiber cement for roofs and siding is that can be that it can be stressed and broken by wind in just a few years. So you have to consider micro-local conditions.

    • @dave3657
      @dave3657 18 часов назад

      Good point. On siding you could put up thin sheets of metal behind the siding. So that if it cracks you still have a fire barrier.

    • @KevinMaxwell-o3t
      @KevinMaxwell-o3t 18 часов назад +2

      I have years of experience with Hardi Plank and Hardi Panel cement board products. They do NOT get 'stressed and broken by wind'. Where did you get an idea like that? I've used these products for siding projects and the owners LOVE them. They are tough, insect-proof, fireproof, require repainting only rarely and are affordable. I can't imagine why anyone would use anything else. Stucco, though, is also an excellent choice.
      By the way, I have Hardi Panel on my own home. Here in central British Columbia, Canada we can drop to minus 40C in winter and reach plus 40C in summer. In spite of these extremes our fifteen year old siding looks like brand new. Zero complaints.

    • @allangibson8494
      @allangibson8494 16 часов назад

      You want the pipe coming down from the gutter to feed a water tank that feeds the sprinkler system on the roof…

    • @allangibson8494
      @allangibson8494 16 часов назад

      You want the pipe coming down from the gutter to feed a water tank that feeds the sprinkler system on the roof…

  • @williamrowland9976
    @williamrowland9976 21 час назад +3

    The vents under the eves are a problem if you can’t close them. If you can inject dish soap into any water system used to fight fires it helps

  • @pikeyMcBarkin
    @pikeyMcBarkin День назад +4

    thank you for your continued coverage of this.

  • @kbr517
    @kbr517 23 часа назад +2

    Phenomenal video. Thank you for making and publishing this.

  • @Waldohasaskit210
    @Waldohasaskit210 21 час назад +6

    The real question is whether you can get insurance companies to lower your premiums based on how fire hardened your house is. If you want the average person to go to the effort and cost if hardening their house, they need to share in the benefits of the lower risk.

    • @KevinMaxwell-o3t
      @KevinMaxwell-o3t 18 часов назад

      It probably won't happen. I fully sprinkled my home inside and out, but our insurance company wasn't the least impressed. Fire harden your home for yourself, not for them.

  • @WillowCreekFarm-x7e
    @WillowCreekFarm-x7e 7 часов назад +1

    Don't use PVC pipe it will melt with the heat of the fire. Use copper pipe and all your fire hose fittings need to be ideally brass / metal. No use putting in a system that will fail if you get a big fire.
    If you can spent the money I would suggest the best is ,
    1/ Have your own water supply ,pool or install a large water tank say 50,000 litres. Do not rely on mains water, once fire fighters and all your neigbours turn on the taps there will be no reliable water pressure.
    2/ Have a diesel (NOT PETROL) fire pump with a large fuel tank, you may have to leave the property and you want the system to keep running.
    Expect the electricity to go out during a large fire event.
    3/ Get good fire hoses, garden hoses will melt in extreme fire conditions.
    4/ Make sure all sprinkler heads are metal
    5/ Check out the platypus fire system.
    6/ Purchase good quality fire protection clothing, jacket ,pants,hat and googles make sure you have extra clothing for all people staying to defend to home.Radiant heat will kill you before the fire does.
    The real question is not can I afford a fire system but can I afford not to have one.
    30k if cheap when you calculate the cost of losing your home, sheds etc .
    Don't think the firefighters are going to save you and your house , its up to you to plan ahead and be prepared.
    Most houses burn after the inital fire front has passed. You need to be on site to put out any small fires around your house.

  • @WormholeNavigator
    @WormholeNavigator День назад +11

    I'm always worried about the power going out in a fire. I have a great well but it's useless without power. It's time for a generator, a 10,000 gallon rainwater tank and a massive water pump. I live in a scary zone for things like this. It's always on my mind.

    • @steveperreira5850
      @steveperreira5850 День назад +2

      Good attitude. We can see plain and clear that the lousy fire departments aren’t going to save you. The only thing you can do is to stay on your property and have a water tank and a good pump and hose and you will survive and so will your house

    • @genespell4340
      @genespell4340 День назад +1

      Install solar panels and a setup of power ample to run a pump to wet your house and yard.
      Build a concrete house with a concrete roof with a cistern to capture the rainwater from the concrete roof. Or, concrete boards as siding, eves, and fascia board on your house. Even with that, I would put on a concrete roof.

    • @WormholeNavigator
      @WormholeNavigator 22 часа назад +1

      @genespell4340 unfortunately my home was built in 1996 and I'm not rebuilding any time soon. if I can keep power going to my well and rainwater tank I can make my 2 acres into a continual rainforest for hours if I run underground piping and put sprayhead risers every 30 yards. A 10,000 gallon tank is key to this plan and ample pressure.

    • @tomunderwood4283
      @tomunderwood4283 21 час назад +4

      Have redundant systems.

    • @nadahere
      @nadahere 19 часов назад +1

      1] Sand or gravel around home perimeter is cheap which will prevent walls or anything higher up from catching on fire.
      2] If you must go this route, no need to remove wood siding. Just install cementitious boards/planks right over it and silicone seal the bottom edge. Fire can't spread without oxygen so that wood in the cavity will not burn. Done!
      3] Fire-proof intumescent paint coating for raw wood is available for wood fences.
      4] Electric pumps will not work when power goes out as it does during fires. Commiefornia no longer allows hydrocarbon fuel generators and other equipment to be sold or shipped through commie outlets like Ama-zone. You'll have to get creative. =]]
      4] Pool pumps are great for moving water but not great for pressure.
      Can I suggest a small bypass tank that then has a second electric pump.
      The purpose of the second tank is to avoid cavitation with two pumps running in parallel and can also give you a little buffer. You just have to ensure that your second pump does not move more water than the first pump or your buffer tank will dry out.
      Alternatively, have a bypass pump in your system then you just turn the valves to bypass your pool pump and use the other pump directly.

  • @jc5495
    @jc5495 День назад +10

    People need to look into ICF houses, they are about 15 to 30% more money but they over time

    • @OneWildTurkey
      @OneWildTurkey День назад +3

      If more homes were made with ICF I bet the price would come down. It's still an outlier type of construction.
      They'd still need to make certain the exterior exposed walls are suitable and not just coated foam.

    • @florencejessup2432
      @florencejessup2432 День назад +1

      Is ICF Class A fire rated? The last I knew it was not.

    • @jc5495
      @jc5495 21 час назад

      @@florencejessup2432 I believe you just clad it with a hardiboard or equivalent to meet certain levels.

  • @mariannorton4161
    @mariannorton4161 День назад +3

    We put a sprinkler on our roof in case a wild fire crossed over and I had to go to work, on that fire, at the time. There are things people can do to survive. Thank you for this video. People can make changes that matter.

  • @shawnstangeland3011
    @shawnstangeland3011 День назад +12

    Really sad you don’t mention that standing in a 500 degree 100 mph wind with a damn water hose might be really stupid

  • @jamesbrooks5442
    @jamesbrooks5442 21 час назад +3

    It would help to have a fire suit with respirator those embers would hurt not to mention a pool or buried water tank to pump out of

  • @ddalzell509
    @ddalzell509 15 часов назад +1

    I’ve seen a few videos recently about some of the interesting ways to make a home more wild fire resistant (including some of the ones referenced in this video). Food for thought as someone who lives in an area at risk of becoming a high hazard region. While these measures seem proactive, they’re actually reactive to how humans have disrupted the water cycle. Smart building of structures is only part of the solution. We also need to incorporate landscaping that promotes water retention and landscape hydration. Not only will a hydrated landscape not burn, but it will also promote vegetation. Vegetation provides ground stability and also atmospheric cooling through transpiration and evaporative cooling. So many positive second and third (and even more) order effects.

  • @StubbyPhillips
    @StubbyPhillips 22 часа назад +9

    Thank you.
    I've mentioned several times how absurd it seems to me to let all those homes burn to the ground while surrounded by swimming pools full of water. I've also suggested EXACTLY the sort of things you show here and have been told ALL KINDS of silly reasons why it wouldn't work. Many people have such an overwhelming desire to disagree that they are essentially blind to new ideas.

    • @TwoBitDaVinci
      @TwoBitDaVinci  22 часа назад +8

      I'm with you, many people, usually non-engineers, think a solution has to be 100% to be considered. But the reality is if you can reduce risk a little here a little there, it goes a LONG WAY. few solutions in engineering are fool proof, instead think of your home as a system, and build as much resiliency in as many places as you can.

    • @StubbyPhillips
      @StubbyPhillips 22 часа назад +5

      @@TwoBitDaVinci Roger that!
      An automated system could use cameras and/or heat sensors to optimize the use of the pool water by only sending it to where it's really needed as the situation evolves. Seems to me a pool based suppression system should be a requirement in such fire-prone places.
      Worth considering: Shut off the pool's autofill valve so we aren't actually still using municipal water...
      Also, not building the homes out of *FUEL* sounds like a good plan to me!

    • @royrunyon1286
      @royrunyon1286 20 часов назад

      @@StubbyPhillips Actually, someone other than two bit suggested using swimming pool water to fight fires. That commenter's ideas were pooh-poohed by two bit and a few others. Since then, stories have come out about homeowners using pool water to fight fires and wet down their properties. It's suddenly a great idea and a new video emerges touting it as one of the ways homeowners can save their properties. Congrats two bit for your open-mindedness!

    • @kevinslattery5748
      @kevinslattery5748 19 часов назад +1

      @@royrunyon1286 Good idea. Power a pump that tailored for high pressure but low volume. You don't want to exhaust your limited supply. Also need the flow exhaust to have a long reach, for manual operation, or best used for a large array of spray/misting nozzles around the spouting level of the house, spraying the house walls (from above) and the ground (3 foot perimeter around the house). Spray nozzles from garden automated watering kits would work.
      Needs
      1. Separate pool of water eg swimming pool
      2. Pump
      3.separate power eg battery or gasoline
      4. Initiated by timer, or infrared detector, or remote ( remote unreliable as uses established infrastructure which nay have failed.
      If initiated operation is started before homeowner leaves (manual operation) then the pool of water will be wasted until fire reaches the home, so will need a bigger pool of water.
      Rain water spouting around the roof should be replaced with metal, not common PVC.

  • @waynethornton2174
    @waynethornton2174 20 часов назад +3

    Excellent, excellent, excellent!

  • @melitgreybeardivey7436
    @melitgreybeardivey7436 23 часа назад +7

    Insurance companies need to rate each house prior to pricing a policy to that house, in order to reflect risk and incentivize fire resistance measures. And change the g.d. building codes to REQUIRE fire resistant methods and materials!

    • @TwoBitDaVinci
      @TwoBitDaVinci  23 часа назад +5

      I think the building codes will be improved, but old homes are always grandfathered in, because it would cost a lot of money and not everyone can afford it. its a very tough problem to solve, but every one of us has our part to play. I for one am doing everything in my power

    • @melitgreybeardivey7436
      @melitgreybeardivey7436 22 часа назад +4

      @@TwoBitDaVinciHey thank you. But don’t you think that any complete rebuilds should be done to a higher standard?

    • @ronblack7870
      @ronblack7870 18 часов назад

      require fireproof construction.

    • @ricardoxavier827
      @ricardoxavier827 4 часа назад

      @@TwoBitDaVinci USA was developed mainly by north europeans, were the weather are cold and wet and calm all year around, and no earthquakes.
      In south europe, our houses dont burn dont fly dont float dont rot dont fall down until 8.0 earthquake. The poor and the rich build concrete houses. Thousands of years of experience that the nordics didnt need to learn.

  • @Arational
    @Arational День назад +24

    If everyone used garden hoses to prevent the loss of their house using municipal water imagine how fast water pressure would fall.
    15 gallons per minute per house =21,600 gallons per day per house. x10,000 houses = 216 million gallons. More water than is available.
    So use your pool, not municipal water.

    • @eh1702
      @eh1702 День назад +3

      One good use for some of those backyard pools!

    • @666katch
      @666katch День назад

      And get blue roof

    • @neilmckechnie6638
      @neilmckechnie6638 День назад +3

      What is the pool filled with, if not municipal water.

    • @iainmrodgers9991
      @iainmrodgers9991 23 часа назад +3

      ​@@neilmckechnie6638Did you really not understand why you should use pool water?

    • @johnrodgers2171
      @johnrodgers2171 23 часа назад

      Getting the permits and building to code for a pool is hard and very expensive in LA. Then, you have additional taxes for having a pool. The rich will be much better prepared for fires in the future

  • @_B_B_B
    @_B_B_B День назад +23

    It is very easy to prevent fires.
    You need to build houses from reinforcement concrete. Use a metal or ceramic roof.
    There is also such a thing - a clearing in the forest. Take a strip of forest, cut it down, fill it with stones. Part of the lawns should be filled with stones. Especially around the house.
    Build everything you can from wood, and even scatter mulch on the lawns - ask for everything to burn down.

    • @ge2719
      @ge2719 День назад +8

      don't even need reinforced concrete, that would be excessive and expensive for housing. rammed earth is 7-10% concrete and it will never burn. just need to find local soil source with enough clay and you've got a way to build houses where the walls themselves are fireproof, rot proof (dry and wet rot), infestation and mould proof, and act as a thermal mass so reducing heating and air conditioning costs.

    • @snake10566
      @snake10566 День назад +1

      @@ge2719 I don't think California cares about expensive...

    • @genespell4340
      @genespell4340 День назад +4

      @@snake10566 People care about expensive. Especially the working people.

    • @melitgreybeardivey7436
      @melitgreybeardivey7436 23 часа назад +5

      The forest thing wd make sense in a ground fire, but burning embers thrown into an 80mph wind will blow farther than a stone break will contain.

    • @nowayjose6700
      @nowayjose6700 23 часа назад +2

      Agreed. Concrete block construction is VERY common in Florida to meet hurricane codes and deal with termites. I build my home with ICFs (Insulated Concrete Forms) to the rafters and second floor. The roof uses SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) with a standing seam metal roof. All ventilation in the home is through a HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator) with an ember-protected intake. I'm done building with vegetable matter/termite food.

  • @billbucktube
    @billbucktube День назад +3

    Very helpful‼️ Thanks for gathering the info.

  • @algorithm-w7o
    @algorithm-w7o День назад +7

    I hope you see this, don't just use a bypass valve from your pool, you will Need to draw water from the bottom of a pool. The pool pump will not work below the skimmer level.

    • @essentricaudio
      @essentricaudio День назад +3

      @@algorithm-w7o it depends on the pool. Some pools you can turn off the skimmer feed and just draw water from the main drain in the bottom of the pool. Know your equipment and test it. And be safe!

    • @allangibson8494
      @allangibson8494 16 часов назад

      Dropping a pump intake hose from a garden pump solves both problems…

  • @chow-chihuang4903
    @chow-chihuang4903 20 часов назад +1

    I think that wood siding on that first house is a fiber-reinforced cement board made to look like wood.

  • @13thravenpurple94
    @13thravenpurple94 День назад +3

    Such a wonderful video! I'm grateful for your effort! 🙏

  • @LivingRetirement
    @LivingRetirement 21 час назад +2

    I am in the country side near Madison in Wisconsin and am thinking about fire safety. My house is surrounded by woods, and our winter has been very dry with no snow which is unusual. Of course having wood chips here is typical. Plus the siding is vinyl, and the roof overhangs are large. So if a fire was to start due to e.g. a lightning hitting a tree, this house would be a goner.

  • @miken6481
    @miken6481 23 часа назад +4

    All great ideas 💡 my house in the Temecula area is made of stucco, I will try to design a sprinkler system, pump option for the eaves of the house. Also, talking with our local CFD is a great idea to brainstorm ways to make your home safer.. Thank you!

    • @TwoBitDaVinci
      @TwoBitDaVinci  22 часа назад +3

      Hey Mike LOVE Temecula ... we're not too far apart, similar challenges, absolutely ... I have been unable to stop thinking about this... I probably have a year worth of modifications to make. starting with that concrete brick walls instead of vinyl!

  • @thesjkexperience
    @thesjkexperience 17 часов назад

    Thank you! We are in the line of fire in the Colorado mountains and have worked with Wildfire Partners and they help us see where we can protect our community and homes. This video was excellent and lots of new ideas it try.

  • @fountainvalley100
    @fountainvalley100 20 часов назад +3

    Here are the first three steps:
    1. Install fine mesh on your attic vents.
    2. Establish a five foot clear zone of no combustible material.
    3. Between 5 and thirty feet no tall grass and trim all trees so the lowest is at least six feet off the ground. Remove all dead vegetation.
    Number 3 is the defensible zone for the fire department.
    This is all basically straight from Cal Fire.
    It wouldn’t hurt to enclose the roof eaves.

    • @TwoBitDaVinci
      @TwoBitDaVinci  20 часов назад +2

      So good! I missed the attic vents! But such good advice! 👆

  • @MrMrdave1966
    @MrMrdave1966 День назад +2

    From someone who lives in a forest, don't put asphalt shingles or wooden shakes on your roof.

  • @raymondpeters9186
    @raymondpeters9186 День назад +5

    Building fireproof homes is simple.
    When you build your home out of volcanic rock it can't burn.
    Pumicecrete is by far the best building material on the planet

  • @thechumpsbeendumped.7797
    @thechumpsbeendumped.7797 20 часов назад +3

    Important! If you're using a gasoline-powered pump, make sure you test it regularly then drain the fuel so it doesn't go bad and block the carburettor and always have fresh fuel to hand. If the budget will stretch, do like the guy at 15:10 did and convert it to run it on propane. Propane will stay “fresh” indefinitely. Oh, and don't rely on the mains water or electricity supply cos that may not be functioning.

    • @jpconard
      @jpconard 20 часов назад +1

      This no different than what you have to do for a gas powered generator, which is most common kind of generator. I start mine often and put in fuel stabilizer.

    • @cjhtas
      @cjhtas 18 часов назад

      I use 98 octane in my small motors, doesn't go off (taught that handy tip from a professional woodcutter).

  • @hijinks21
    @hijinks21 День назад +5

    I'm in San Diego also
    I replaced my vents with ember proof vents for $3k
    I created a 5 foot fire free zone away from the home
    I have a 22k gallon pool. I found sprinklers that you can attach to gutters and use a gas water pump if i lose city water

  • @franktoledo6342
    @franktoledo6342 5 часов назад +1

    New Mayor New Fire Chief New Gov. Fire protection. Great ideas.

  • @tonyhardy-kp4os
    @tonyhardy-kp4os 23 часа назад +4

    Take down that vinyl siding asap and replace with hempcrete. Stucko is not as good as hempcrete. If you are an engineer you should be able to figure out the best way to have hempcrete siding. There ae a few ways i can think of off hand, one is to build a footing around the house(around the existing footing) so that the footing will be underneath the new hempcrete bricks(your new siding). IT requires a footing to sit on. Another possibility is spray it like on like stucko, but i would stay with making a hempcrete brick wall because this will stand on its own. They did it in the past with regular bricks, so it is already known and proven it works, a brick wall will work for siding.
    Plus a brick wall will have a small gap between the actual house and the bricks, like an inch. A brick wall don't rely on the structure of the house, it relys on its own structure, that is why it requires its own footing. That air gap on top of having flame resistant bricks will ensure the home is safe. No heat transfer no flame transfer, etc...

  • @johnmalaihollo
    @johnmalaihollo День назад +1

    Thanks for this Ray be safe!

  • @rosemariestef7538
    @rosemariestef7538 21 час назад +3

    This is excellent

  • @tbix1963
    @tbix1963 День назад +1

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts, ideas and videos. I’m lucky not living in a fire zone but have been following the tech behind survivable homes for years. Every big fire in California is followed by months of publications about what worked and failed. Perhaps you might want to dig into the building trade magazines in the public library from the past fires. One thing I remember was that having an air tight well insulated house made a big difference in the past. There were reports of fire fighters coming upon badly singed houses only to open the door and find a haven of cold air inside. The takeaway was keeping the hot air and heat out of your house can make a big difference. They also talked about the installation of mist heads instead of regular sprinklers since they add a point of cooling besides wet and use less water multiplying your affective capabilities with limited water supply. Wishing you and your family the best.

  • @leed9480
    @leed9480 День назад +3

    Thanks for this!

  • @sba5415
    @sba5415 20 часов назад +1

    Thank you! Great content hope it saves some people and theirs houses.

  • @calvinjohnson7806
    @calvinjohnson7806 20 часов назад +3

    I think that siding is hardy with is concrete board

  • @b_uppy
    @b_uppy 10 часов назад +1

    Several things you can do that also hardens your property is getting a cistern that fills from roof runoff; using bioewales that uses streetwater runoff to increase the watertable under plants, keeping stuff greener and well hydrated; usung raingardens alsk to keep moisture in the yard.
    Use succulents as mulch, the moisture-filled leaves can actually can snuff out embers. Had a friend who hated iceplant and complained about how heavy it was to remove it but it saved her house during a wildfire. Succulents can replace mulch and be an excellent deterrent. Be aware that stone "mulch" reduces water permeabilityand can make a yard drier increasing water _shed_ and decreasing the water table levels. Opting for low growing succulents is the better choice.
    Sprinkler system installed to the undersides of eaves would be a good retrofit. Would have a battery system for it away from other buildings and plantings.

  • @jamesdubben3687
    @jamesdubben3687 День назад +6

    The back flush function on our pool is a bypass valve. Install a fitting on that outlet pipe that can go to two garden hoses and run those to temporary PVC pipe on sprinklers on the house roof.

    • @eh1702
      @eh1702 День назад +1

      Will you get metal pipe eventually?

  • @jessicatymczak5852
    @jessicatymczak5852 День назад +1

    Same issues came about in a fire in Los Alamos, New Mexico . There would be house on streets where every house was burned to the foundations but for a single house. Depended on how close brush was to the house, its roof, and how the house was built.

  • @tom.jacobs
    @tom.jacobs День назад +8

    Funny to see the high-end house has woodchips to the house, so owner was scared but still not wanted to go for hardscape.

    • @blipco5
      @blipco5 День назад +4

      Yes, the guy has a $20k+ system yet still has built a campfire around his house. I don’t get it?

    • @OneWildTurkey
      @OneWildTurkey День назад +3

      @@blipco5 There are a lot of plants that won't go up in flames and are strong against most fires. But these fires were like blow torches and a lot different than usual because so much fuel / homes were included.

    • @jasonk125
      @jasonk125 День назад +1

      Not sure "funny" is the right word.

    • @kstricl
      @kstricl День назад +4

      If the woods chips have been treated with phos-chek or borax (old school method that does work) then might not be an issue. But yeah, 5ft no fuel buffer would make that system 10x more effective, cause it will run out of supply and then that poly water tank becomes fuel as well.

  • @dobsonimages
    @dobsonimages 23 часа назад +2

    Do not use pvc use metal for the sprinkler system. If you have a pool get the 1 1/2 or two inch gas pump. With 1 1/2 fire hose. Test it out every 6 months and run the motor until the fuel is out of the carb.
    Added safety is to have a contractor partition your pool 1/3 and 2/3 use the 2/3 to pump out of and the 1/3 to jump into with scuba gear and tanks to stay under water and breathe until the danger dies down. If you have the space on the property you can a a pool to dive into for safety agin with scuba gear wet suit tanks to breathe. Good luck , Also you stay at your home you will not have to worry about getting permission to return. Fire trucks with a crew only carry 500 gallons of water many pools have 20,000 gallons. I film the aftermath of many of the largest fires in California Tubbs, Camp , Malibu ,Thousand Oaks and all the swimming pools were still full of water only a few were used to save homes. If you live a community that supplies its own water the storage tax should be metal and all lines should be underground and buried to supply hydrants . Water from this source should never have any above ground plastic that will melt and drain the main tank. You can check out my fire videos. Be smart and safe.

    • @clockworkvanhellsing372
      @clockworkvanhellsing372 18 часов назад

      Scuba gear would also be verry handy while fighting the fires, sincesmoke poisoning is an issue too.

    • @dobsonimages
      @dobsonimages 12 часов назад

      @ right

  • @Marcos-ri4he
    @Marcos-ri4he 21 час назад +3

    Rain water tanks you need to develop houses that have the capability to capture rain water. Use a filtration system that provides the water to your main house utilities like flushing the toilet or water the grass and so forth. Add a high GPM pump for emergencies.

    • @AtSafeDistance
      @AtSafeDistance 13 часов назад

      Places I checked won't allow you to collect rainwater even if you bury the containers. I would suggest this was passed so the water companies can continue to collect the absurd prices they get for lawns watered. A big plastic container buried next to the gutter on each corner of the house would be an excellent supply of water for the lawns and for fire prevention. But no.

    • @Marcos-ri4he
      @Marcos-ri4he 13 часов назад

      @@AtSafeDistance 😲🤬 Of course they wont allow the system to be broken!! A guy has invented a dehumidifier in large scale. Produces huge amounts of water from dehumidifying the air or we can start to look into what Peru has don on the mountain coast with Mesh to collect the incoming fog from the ocean. the mesh serves as a barrier and transforms the fog into water droplets,

    • @DNTMEE
      @DNTMEE 4 часа назад

      @@AtSafeDistance
      Actually such laws/ordinances are usually in place to keep the flora and fauna "downstream" from your house alive. Also in helping to replenish streams and ground water. If just a few houses did it, no problem. But if a number of people in the same area did so it could cause a major supply problem further on.
      That being said, it seems to me it would not be all that bad if you only collected the water once and never used it until a fire struck. But, of course, since we are talking about government control here that would probably never happen. The government usually employs a "one size fits all" paradigm with little or no room for one time exceptions. If they did in this case, they would likely charge a hefty fee for a permit to collect that water one time.

  • @stanf9070
    @stanf9070 16 часов назад +1

    I remember as a kid we lived in Azuza California in the foothills and our house had what I believe is called shaker wood roof shingles and I remember my dad set up a sprinkler system one on each end of the house that came up on a pipe and would water the roof in the event of fires And I’m talking in the early 1980s

  • @ravener96
    @ravener96 23 часа назад +5

    You could imagine something like a neighbourhood firefighting militia. Its easier keeping the fire out of a large group of homes than a single home uf working as a group. Also empowers you to do more drastic measures in preparation. Bulldoze trees and bushes for fire breaks, move cars away from the edges to keep the fires from jumping. Investing in more serious water storage in advance of the fire makes some sense etc.

    • @lominero5
      @lominero5 21 час назад

      @ravener96 That's how it used to be in the beginning of the US

  • @kevinc-727
    @kevinc-727 22 часа назад +1

    Thank you for talking about defensible space. This is promoted heavily in Oregon, but seemingly not in California

  • @EterpayKugml
    @EterpayKugml День назад +4

    So would it be safe to assume that a large reservoir full of water could have helped with the fire effort?

    • @florencejessup2432
      @florencejessup2432 День назад

      Not really, as Ricky discussed in an earlier video, the issues was with pumps being able to keep up with the demand.

  • @geoffap0
    @geoffap0 День назад +1

    Thank you for focusing on the prevention aspects! The metal privacy fence of the home that survived stands out as a relatively inexpensive, easily erected fire break that I’m considering to replace my fence with now.
    I would study the techniques used by our friends from the land(s) down under who appeared to be way ahead of the US in building to withstand wildfires.

  • @blipco5
    @blipco5 День назад +3

    Vinyl framed windows are a big mistake. The heat of a nearby fire will melt the plastic frame until the glass falls out leaving the inside of your home exposed to the flames. Aluminum would be the smart choice here.

    • @OneWildTurkey
      @OneWildTurkey День назад +2

      I wonder if the aluminum would have lasted in these cases. Remember the aluminum wheels on that truck in the video?

    • @ge2719
      @ge2719 День назад +2

      @@OneWildTurkey i'd imagine the aluminum wheels was able to melt because the rubber of the wheels caught fire and became like a furnace.

    • @florencejessup2432
      @florencejessup2432 День назад +2

      @@OneWildTurkey The melting temperature of aluminum is much hotter than that of vinyl.

    • @OneWildTurkey
      @OneWildTurkey День назад +1

      @@ge2719 The tires burn at about 750 to 800 degrees F, so they probably melted off and burned up a long time before the aluminum melted.

    • @OneWildTurkey
      @OneWildTurkey День назад

      @ Yep. I was meaning that I didn't think even aluminum would have survived. Better to go with something that has a much higher melting point.

  • @AndrewKuntzman
    @AndrewKuntzman 20 часов назад +1

    Some of the big companies in Colorado require metal flashing on a wood deck, they also require no computable mulch within 10-15 ft depending on the company

  • @__Andrew_
    @__Andrew_ День назад +3

    Smoke hoods/ evacuation hoods inc filters. - thats one essential i have and i hear no-one talk about them. LIFESAVERS !!

    • @lyndelgado6138
      @lyndelgado6138 20 часов назад +1

      @@__Andrew_ i tried search but get firefighter hoods. What brand has these 4 homeowners?

  • @ColoradoKrone
    @ColoradoKrone 17 часов назад

    This session is so wonderful. Powerful positive message. No politics. Proactive methods and practical tips.

  • @teresajsherrick5099
    @teresajsherrick5099 День назад +4

    Woodchips decompose creating good quality soil. Concrete absorbs heat in the sun... pavers would allow rainfall to drain into the soil... unequal absorption of rainfall around the foundation of your home can create instability/cracking/shifting of the foundation under the house... expensive to repair, IF it is repairable.

    • @OneWildTurkey
      @OneWildTurkey День назад +2

      Rocks work well and disperse the sunlight in random patterns.

    • @teresajsherrick5099
      @teresajsherrick5099 День назад +1

      @@OneWildTurkey Agreed...

    • @ge2719
      @ge2719 День назад

      woodchips are typically spray painted with toxic garbage. unless they are just raw chips. but even those are sprayed to stop them from rotting quickly because theyre not supposed to be to fertilise your soil, they're supposed to be made to last. so the products people buy as "wood chips". arent just sawdust from a factory.

  • @blue_beephang-glider5417
    @blue_beephang-glider5417 7 часов назад +1

    I'm from Canberra Australia and was a postman when we in what would be a small town in the US lost 500 plus houses.
    I spoke to many people who defended their homes. People think a bush fire is a wall of flame coming for you, the embers you showed is the reality. Many saved their homes with a wet mop!!! Our house was 400 meters from the fire then and in 2020 the fire was close again. I have a metal water tank (Plastic melts and empties) a pump and sprinklers are my next job.
    I have also defended rural homes with no water just shovels again, just stop the embers 😎👍

  • @brentnevius2849
    @brentnevius2849 День назад +4

    location, location, location!

  • @nickreno644
    @nickreno644 22 часа назад +2

    I would suggest that anybody who’s got a pool or a cistern that the use of a high pressure pump and the use of fine mist nozzles and just let the wind do the job. The wind will transfer that water on a continual basis and you can save a lot of water on top of it. 😊

  • @PetesGuide
    @PetesGuide День назад +3

    Stucco is not a 1-2 inch thick layer! I grew up in a stucco house, and it’s perhaps a one-quarter-inch layer of grout-like material spread over chicken wire. Some is plaster and some is Portland cement, but it’s basically a textured version of lath and plaster, but using chicken wire or expanded metal as the lath.

    • @OneWildTurkey
      @OneWildTurkey День назад +1

      I've built homes with stucco siding. You're right.

    • @PetesGuide
      @PetesGuide День назад

      @ Any tips for a DIY guy who was always frustrated when trying to mount things like hose reels to the wall and then patching the holes when the reel broke or I goofed up the mounting?

    • @OneWildTurkey
      @OneWildTurkey День назад +3

      @@PetesGuide Try mounting it to a pole/post in the ground instead. Poking holes in stucco is a bad idea. Bugs love them. Plus, it provides access for moisture and other things you don't want.

    • @ge2719
      @ge2719 День назад +3

      that depends on the system though. some have a insulation board installed to the outside of the building first, then plastered over. So overall it's 2 inches thick. Though the insulation board you'd think would be fire resistant, some of them seem to be foam based, and would go up the moment the render fails, and turn into boiling hot black goo that falls off the building and become an issue when fighting the fire. or for people trying to escape out of doorways/windows who get molten plastic goo fall on them.
      So there's fire resistant cellulose based boards that are far more fire resistant. and even when they do eventually burn they don't turn into toxic good that will burn you to the bone.

  • @luisgoffjr464
    @luisgoffjr464 20 часов назад

    You can also add hardscaping boundaries at your backyard, like a fire buffer to keep fires from getting to close. And maybe use your sprinkler system as a fire sprinkler backup.

  • @jameskidd7328
    @jameskidd7328 День назад +4

    That's not wood it's Hardy board a Kinda fire-resistant like dry wall but for outdoors.

    • @OneWildTurkey
      @OneWildTurkey День назад

      It was the cement type instead of gypsum.

    • @RetGMTech
      @RetGMTech День назад +1

      Yes, I believe Hardie board is about 90% cement. Great idea to use in fire prone areas.