Response Preparations-Water Delivery

It looks like a short breakup for loggers and the tree-planters are on the move. If your work is in the High Risk category that requires a water delivery system it is time to finalize wildfire preparations.

In previous posts I talked about pumps as well as hose maintenance and replacement. Here are some suggestions for the business end of the system.

Practice

Conduct drills with your system at the start of the season and through the year. Fire the system up and move water. This will ensure everyone is familiar with the tools and identify any deficiencies before an actual incident. There is nothing worse than finding out you are missing a key widget when there is smoke in the air.

Practice at the start of the year and as the fire risk increases.

Equipment & Skills

Unless you have an unlimited supply, maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of water is a very important consideration for firefighters. The pump operator and nozzle person must be in constant communication to minimize waste and to ensure adequate water, at the required pressure, is available where and when needed.

Everyone must know the objective for the response and adjust their water use accordingly. The person at the nozzle has three decisions : Where to put the water, what pattern to use and what pressure/volume to use.

• For lower intensity, small fires extinguishing is likely the objective. Water will likely be applied directly to the fire
• For larger, more intense fires containment may be the objective. Water will likely be used to soak fuels outside the control line, hitting spot fires and/or cooling flare-ups close to the guard
• For larger, very intense wildfires, falling back and protecting values or trying to keep escape routes open may be the objective. Water may be applied using sprinklers or other devices.

Jet streams are used to reach distance and drill into duff and soil. Semi-fog and fog are used to cool fires and soak adjacent fuels. Always spray from cool into hot to reduce the chance of spreading embers outside your control line.

Always try to spray water at a right angle from the fire edge into the heat. This will reduce chances of spreading embers outside your line.

Consider the water source. The smaller the source, or if you are delivering water by skidder, tender or helicopter, the more careful with water use you have to be. Consider the cycle time for refilling and adjust your use accordingly. Set up a bladder or portable tank and shuttle water into it to maintain as constant a flow as possible.

Turn the nozzle or pump off whenever water is not going onto the fire.

Shuttling water by tender

Filling a bladder by helicopter. Efficient water use is paramount.

In most of BC, avoid spraying water directedly from a 1.5″ hose. A 100 ft length of 1.5″ can weigh 80 to 100lbs when full and can behave like an angry anaconda when pressurized. If you decide to utilize a 1.5″ line it can be difficult to conserve water so again know the suppression objective and make sure you have an adequate supply. Get a helper to assist the nozzle-person in handling and moving the line.

Get a helper if using a 1.5″ hose as an attack line

Have and install a water thief to switch the working hose to econo to make hose handling easier and improve the efficiency of your water. Even econo can turn into a rats nest when charged. Coil it neatly at the water thief before charging.

Install a water thief to reduce to econo (5/8″ or 3/4″).

Mopping up using econo.

When chasing deeper heat during mop-up dig before you spray.

Everyone working on a hose lay should have, and be trained in the safe use of, a hose strangler to avoid spilling water unnecessarily if a hose bursts or when adding hose sections.

Econo nozzles and Adjustable Hansen type nozzles (above) are the best for water conservation and effective suppression actions.

Avoid straight bore and red fog nozzles (below) unless unlimited water is available.

Just like first aid equipment you may go years without needing your water delivery system. If/when you do need it, you want the right equipment in a ready to go condition and your workers to be competent in its operation.

Fingers crossed for the rest of spring and summer.

Talk soon.

Doug