Bought or Home-brew Fire Rig......What do you have?

[Parks 788]

So, I'm curious. For those that live out in the country, have any of you bought one or put together a self contained firefighting apparatus? Meaning something similar to a trailer or rig with water tank, pump, hoses and sprayers? I ask because we are outside of town on 45 acres and one of the wealthy guys with a ton a acres burned his pastures last Saturday. Apparently he didn't check the weather reports for Sunday with heavy south/southeast winds. It whipped up the fires and started to burn onto adjoining properties and eventually burned the 160 acres directly north of our property we share a fence line with. Had the volunteer fire dept not shown up keeping it on his side of the fence it would have burned approx 20 acres of some heavy cover and woods area and right up to our guest house on our land. Speaking with my neighbor last weekend after the incident, he told me that several of the neighbors have them at the ready if needed. I'm guessing if we called the fire dept for help they would be as long as 30 minutes out.

I'm not looking to stop a raging brush fire or put down a giant blaze but a system or rig that could assist a larger effort or keep flames at bay until further help arrives. Though my work we have what are referred to as 500 gallon water trailers or water buffalos. Typically has a 500 gallon tank, water sprayers on the rear for dust control and 2" pump with 1.5" fire hose and nozzle. Mostly use in construction but they are approx $8K new. Used ones are hard to find and pricey when you do find them.

Looking to get something I can keep at the ready in the winter and into the spring and can be towed with my pickup or my ATV. Post up a pick of what you have or use. Would like to get ideas especially if it's something you made yourself.

 

[PBramble]

Old intermediate bulk container (plastic tote in a cage), a trash pump and a hose. Put it on a small trailer.

 

[Chief Sapulpa]

A swimming pool is the best water source for residential home fire fighting. I had a cheap above-ground that we'd use just about every other year for fighting springtime grass fires.

 

[HiredHand]

It’s not a bad idea to put something together.

Also, it might be a good idea to do some prescribed burning based on what you described.

 

[264killer]

Clean out that or those fence lines. Have a trail you can drive down.

 

[cowadle]

you live in the country. learn the customs and cooperate with the rich guy land owners around you and help them every year burn their pastures. also do your part and develop a fire break on your own property. a disk or plow around the property and short grass no ceder trees etc. this will happen again next year and from now on so get used to it.

 

[SoonerP226]

short grass no ceder trees etc

After my old boss fought a grass fire near his house about ten years ago, the firefighters told him that he probably hadn't had much to worry about because his house had a brick facade and he kept the area around the house clean and the lawn trimmed. IIRC, they told him what normally gets brick houses in a grass fire is having combustible stuff piled up next the the house or having tall shrubs (or even worse, cedars) that can bring the flames up to the roof, so your best insurance, as Mark Novak would say, is "do the maintenance."

I wouldn't mess with anything small enough for an ATV to tow; water is heavy in quantity (roughly 8 pounds to the gallon), plus you have the problem of running the pump. The idea of an IBC tote on a trailer is good, but I'd consider coupling it with a PTO-driven pump and pulling it behind your tractor.

 

[Powerman620]

So, I'm curious. For those that live out in the country, have any of you bought one or put together a self contained firefighting apparatus? Meaning something similar to a trailer or rig with water tank, pump, hoses and sprayers? I ask because we are outside of town on 45 acres and one of the wealthy guys with a ton a acres burned his pastures last Saturday. Apparently he didn't check the weather reports for Sunday with heavy south/southeast winds. It whipped up the fires and started to burn onto adjoining properties and eventually burned the 160 acres directly north of our property we share a fence line with. Had the volunteer fire dept not shown up keeping it on his side of the fence it would have burned approx 20 acres of some heavy cover and woods area and right up to our guest house on our land. Speaking with my neighbor last weekend after the incident, he told me that several of the neighbors have them at the ready if needed. I'm guessing if we called the fire dept for help they would be as long as 30 minutes out.

I'm not looking to stop a raging brush fire or put down a giant blaze but a system or rig that could assist a larger effort or keep flames at bay until further help arrives. Though my work we have what are referred to as 500 gallon water trailers or water buffalos. Typically has a 500 gallon tank, water sprayers on the rear for dust control and 2" pump with 1.5" fire hose and nozzle. Mostly use in construction but they are approx $8K new. Used ones are hard to find and pricey when you do find them.

Looking to get something I can keep at the ready in the winter and into the spring and can be towed with my pickup or my ATV. Post up a pick of what you have or use. Would like to get ideas especially if it's something you made yourself.

If the wind is not blowing 40 mph use a backpack leaf blower. You can put out a lot of fire. High winds and heavy fuel takes a LOT of water to stop. If trying to save home, no shrubs under eves and short grass. Sprinkler heads around yard with independent water supply. Power goes out due to fire damage, no water.

 

[Parks 788]

I should clarify that our guest house on the property is surrounded by about 30-40 yards of manicured lawn as defensible space. On the North side of that is steep gully that starts to get fairly thick with brush in some areas and when coming up of the far side of the gully it gets thicker. I do have my entire north side of my fence line where the fire burned the other property with a fire break. It's currently about 20' wide but need to get it a bit deeper and clearer. The East fence line needs to be cleared up but is mostly tall grass and the neighbors land is cut very short. I should be able to get my tractor and new Rhino rotary mower about 2/3rds of the way down it to clear it up. The back half of the property does need a good burn but is not something I would take on by myself unless I had a lot of help from neighbors and people more knowledgeable than I. After the fire last weekend my property on the back half of it is the last property on most sides that hasn't burned yet.

Looks like I'll start looking to put together some sort of IBC tote, trailer and pump with all the necessary plumbing. Better to have it and not need it than not have it and need it.

 

[xseler]

I'm thinking an old cropduster airplane might just do the trick......