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Maybe the firefighter out west should take that course.
Seems even with airplanes they have a hard time.
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Crazy had a good point. I used to do rural firefighting.
Building materials make a HUGE difference. Stone, brick and metal (especially roof) do not tend to burn like petro-based shingles (or even worse Cedar Shake "kindling.")
Same on the siding. Brick, stone, concrete -- all good. Have you ever seen a burnt out area and looked at what survives?
A pool or water tank with their own powered pump (and/or generator) is a good source for emergency fire water -- these need their own power source -- overhead electric lines tend to be lost early in a fire. House sprinkler and irrigation systems are very helpful, too.
... to incorporate distances which would retard that kind of assault by way of sheer inconvenience.
This has always been my first choice theory for such a scenario. Make it an 'out of sight, out of mind' situation or simply a matter of making it not worth the effort of others to bother plundering you--their potential gain does not make up for the energy expended to get it.
Of course, living so far from civilization isn't exactly easy and not all that palatable in the first place for most folks (for instance, living in the middle of the northern Nevada desert somewhere, or within the vast expanse of the great divide region of Wyoming, or interior Alaska). Some people do it though. Assuming they have sufficient provisions, they probably have a good chance of not being targets in a meltdown. It's just not worth the effort.
Last edited by ChrisC; 05-24-2010 at 10:48 AM..
Reason: speeling misteak
Maybe the firefighter out west should take that course.
Seems even with airplanes they have a hard time.
They do--every two years. That should give you an idea of how difficult it can be to thwart a fire. Of course, the situation is made more difficult by homeowners who do not do thier part.
Of course, if you think it is so easy, there are plenty of positions open in Fire and they pay excellent money. Or you can hire on specific fires at a lower wage. If you have your red card.
Seriously, I don't know if I subscribe to the mauruading groups of arsonists. However, I also realize that if you are trying hard to prepare for almost everything and protect what you have worked hard for, that this would be a troubling "what if." I think that out-of-control wildfires, whether by lightening or campfires, would be a bigger issue.
So here is what I know: Make sure you have a defendable space around your house and any important outbuildings (i.e. barns). This means keeping the woods away and keeping the grass short. Make sure that trees within that space do not overhang your house or sheds. Keep any possible fuel (dead bushes, burn piles, etc.) out of your zone.
If you do find yourself with a fire coming close to your property you need to create fire breaks. Fire breaks are lines (I am unsure how wide they should be, but I think a quick web-search would tell you) made in the earth that remove all detrius, leaving only dirt. Make sure no tree limbs overhang the fire break. This is hard, long work, especially if you don't have a dozer to use. Therefore, see if there are any natural firebreaks on or around your property: rivers, lakes, roads, cliffs. It makes sense to meet up to these natural breaks. Just make sure they are wide enough. Finally, create a backburn on the other side of the fire break (the side away from your property, burning toward the fire). Of course, you have to question the ability to do so if there is a high wind blowing toward your property. Doing all of this will remove the fuel for a fire to consume. If a fire does not have fuel, it can not burn. This is not full-proof, though. If it is a canopy fire, the backburn will not help and it can still easily jump your fire break. If your zone area is extremely dry, embers can be blown into your area and start a new fire. Also, extremely hot fires can burn for days after the flames are gone, so you need to stay alert and patrol your breaks, putting out any smoldering areas.
I think my last word would be to make sure your zone is large enough to protect your buildings and belongings from the intense heat of a fire (which could cause spontaneous combustion), but not too large to be able to properly defend, as stated above. Also know your escape route if the fire becomes too much. You can also buy fire shelters (small, one person tents) to use if you plan on fighting to the end or don't have a good escape route. They do 'go bad' after a few years, though. You should also practice deploying one before ever actually needing to use one.
I think that if you are really concerned about maurauders, you could create a cellar away from your immediate living area, one that is hidden more or less. You could use it as an additional storage area, while keeping needed things to restart your homestead (additional food, tools, seeds...).
I think that if you are really concerned about maurauders, you could create a cellar away from your immediate living area, one that is hidden more or less. You could use it as an additional storage area, while keeping needed things to restart your homestead (additional food, tools, seeds...).
I don't know... just threw the idea out there. I suppose if I were to set a place on fire, I wouldn't stick around too long. After all, everything is burnt, so what good is there in staying? If a person has a large tract of land (or abuts to federal land that is seldom used ), you could build a cellar in your main hunting area. That way, you have extra supplies while out for a long hunt and you have an emergency storage area.
If only there was some past period in history when single families were in a hostile environment surrounded by a group of people who wanted nothing more than to kill them.
If such a period in history did exist,perhaps we could take lessons from those people...
If only there was some past period in history when single families were in a hostile environment surrounded by a group of people who wanted nothing more than to kill them.
If such a period in history did exist,perhaps we could take lessons from those people...
There was a period when this happened. It was during the American Revolution, particularly in the South where there was essentially a civil war. It was a real civil war, that is, there were locals on both sides. Both sides engaged in killing, burning, torture, etc. There were many pitched battles fought by British troops and their Tory allies against American militia groups. But there were plenty of guerilla incidents. Thankfully the Americans (I'm sure that the British would have called them terrorists, had that word existed) won.
Burning the enemy's buildings was standard practice.
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), you could build a cellar in your main hunting area. That way, you have extra supplies while out for a long hunt and you have an emergency storage area.
