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Post by woodyz on Sept 7, 2015 16:48:55 GMT -7
Fire! My water comes from a well! I am in an unincorporated area with only a volunteer fire department! I am surrounded by pine trees owned by a lumber company who no longer control burns! I have about 3 to 5 thousand gallons of stored water but that isn't much in a fire. I have an irrigation type gasoline driven pump to pull water out of my pool or cisterns but its going to be my house saver, not to put out a grass/brush/tree fire. I have fire breaks between the house acreage and the timber but I doubt the gap is wide enough for a sure enough pine tree burner. I have some and am adding 55 gallon barrels of water on the house side of the fire breaks but while they will be a help for a ground fire, if it gets into the trees they will be worth less. I have cleared most trees away from the house and all pine trees off of the house acreage. My roofs are tin. any suggestions? here is a good site with good references. www.cyber-sierra.com/oakrun/ |
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Post by marc on Sept 7, 2015 17:36:35 GMT -7
I was raised on a ranch in the redwoods above Half Moon Bay, CA. I learned early that controlling "ladder fuel" is the key. THAT is why my house stood when 1700 homes around me burned to the ground here in my neighborhood.
Most fires in tall forests don't run as "tree top" or canopy fires. They spread as ground fires in the needles/duff then climb up using the ladder fuel. The towering pines immediately around my house didn't burn, because they had no fuel under them to stoke the ground flames. A couple of hundred feet out burned furiously.
Think about why a brick/rock house with a tin roof burns to the ground.
It's the windows. External heat breaks the glass, flames roll inside and accelerate as the windows on the other side blow out. Double pane tempered glass rated for fire resistance are the key. I have burn marks on my foundation, and the PVC pipe coming through the walls was melted flat and the door mats were cinders. The windows are the key.
Marc
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Post by Cwi555 on Sept 8, 2015 3:49:39 GMT -7
Marc,
Hadn't considered the point about the windows before. Thinking further on that, what about the frame of the window? Any possibility of it being pushed out from thermal expansion?
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Post by marc on Sept 9, 2015 12:03:55 GMT -7
I hadn't even thought about the frames until you mentioned it. Some of mine were melted a little bit, others stayed in place with new glazing installed into the frames.
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Post by sirderrin on Sept 9, 2015 12:41:48 GMT -7
I just had this reinforced.... One of the guys that works with me almost lost his home due to the neighbors house catching fire ... The privacy fence between them burned to the ground and his single pane aluminum framed windows burst due to the heat... luckily his house did not catch fire but it was a near thing. His neighbors house was a total loss sadly enough...
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Post by Cwi555 on Sept 9, 2015 12:53:19 GMT -7
Well that pretty much settles it. Hadn't considered the window frame in light of fire though I apparently should have.
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Post by sirderrin on Sept 9, 2015 14:00:18 GMT -7
I hadn't even thought about the frames until you mentioned it. Some of mine were melted a little bit, others stayed in place with new glazing installed into the frames. Was it vinyl frames? Heat transfer is minimal from those compared to aluminum... I had windows installed when I bought my current home and went with vinyl for that reason primarily... Add in argon filled UV double pane glass and it makes for a fairly efficient window...The walls around them transfer heat/cold more then they do .... |
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Post by woodyz on Sept 9, 2015 17:58:08 GMT -7
my windows came gas filled triple pane (fairly new house) we had replaced all of the windows but one at my Sons house with vinyl dbl pane gas filled (I assume arcon), several years ago.
but I hadn't considered it as a fire protection upgrade.
The one not changed happens to be in the room I keep at his house. It was bigger than the rest and we had planned to remodel the room before his accident. Just has not happened yet since I moved into it. Window is still in the garage. May have to speed that process up.
And I am going to make a point to change out the lone two windows in the "cabin" at the retreat out. I know they are old style single pane glass, they were used when I put them in 20+ years ago.
But trimming everything back and all will negate the hide/invisible factor it has, as will fire breaks. Any new fire breaks will stick out like a sore thumb both line of site and from the air.
Its embedded in the hillside with only a little roof and one side open to fire but I am going to have to consider working on that. I do have a whole lake of water to use and a good pump and plenty of 1 1/2 hose there. I need to pay more attention to how the timber company and one neighbors land butts up to the one side.
a new fence line ie fire break may be required.
i would rather lose a little visibility then have a fire burn up a years worth of supplies.
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Post by marc on Sept 9, 2015 18:26:36 GMT -7
I hadn't even thought about the frames until you mentioned it. Some of mine were melted a little bit, others stayed in place with new glazing installed into the frames. Was it vinyl frames? Heat transfer is minimal from those compared to aluminum... I had windows installed when I bought my current home and went with vinyl for that reason primarily... Add in argon filled UV double pane glass and it makes for a fairly efficient window...The walls around them transfer heat/cold more then they do .... Yes, Sir. Some sort of vinyl or other type of plastic type material. I do agree about the efficiency of these modern windows, especially with low "E'" type glass. I have a LOT of glass area, so that is important - even though our power is dirt cheap here. We are all electric. |
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