Trash pumps for fighting fires

[Maddog]

So my wife and I are considering a pump to have on hand in case of the forest around us catches on fire.
We live in the woods at the end of a 700 foot driveway with no hydrant in close proximity.
It's in the Puget Sound area and our summers have been rainy enough in the past to not be too concerned but you never know.
We have a pretty good sized pond that never goes dry about 100 feet from the house as a water source.
Anyway just started looking online at trash pumps and wonder if any of knowledgeable folks here have any input on this?
Definitely gas driven

2 inch?
3 inch?
Other suggestions?
Thanks

[Stwood_]

I've always been going to take a trailer, say one of a pickup bed trailer, and mount a 500g tank in it along with a gas powered water pump. 100' hose, maybe 1", and keep it filled in the simmer for those type of emergencies. We are out in the boonies....woods...pastures that get dry grass...

But, I've never got it done.

[Robert Adams]

Trash pumps are high volume pumps but they won't develop allot of pressure if you put a nozzle on the end like a jet pump would. But with a long 2" hose and if you have a large water supply you can flood an area pretty quick with it.

         The best thing to do is keep your property cleared out of excess fuel load IE brush and dead trees. Unfortunately our forests have been managed so poorly for over 100 years that they are now full of massive amounts of fuel load from stopping the natural fires that it will take a very long time and allot of manual labor to clear out the forests and let them take care of themselves again. Smoky the bear was not good to our forests. 

                I can't believe how many properties I have seen video of that have massive piles of brush all over the place. And we wonder why the fires are so big...

[Snipe Hunter]

Years ago I tried to put a shed fire out with two hoses from 2 different houses. I didn't have a chance. All I could do was keep it from spreading along the fence which was connected to the shed and to the house. I called the fire department and it took them about 10 minutes to get there. By that time the shed was fully engulfed. They pulled the hose right through the front door of the house and out the back door and had it out in about 1 minute. I had no idea the volume of water necessary to put out a decent sized fire.

We're in pretty dense woods here but I think it would be very hard to get much of a fire going. Lots of green underbrush and it stays pretty wet and humid here. I'm more worried about trees falling on the house in the wind. I think if I lived in a fire prone area, I'd push the tree line as far away from the house as I felt safe and probably get rid of foliage near the house and keep a wide clear path around it. And lots of hose.

[TDKPE]

And we wonder why the fires are so big...

Climate change.  That’s what they keep saying on the tube, at least.  

[fredhargis]

It's what Robert said, they move a lot of water but no pressure. I'd say there are better choices for the pump,  but I'm not sure what it is.

[JosephP]

https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fi...r-wildfire

The trash pump could work depending on ho much lift you need. Don't use it if you need a lot.

Fighting wildfires isn't about knocking down flames, it is about stopping the flames from progressing and/or building. So a "fuel free" zone around the house is very important. The point of water is to wet the fuel so it doesn't burn. When you see aircraft dropping water or retardant, it is rare they are aiming for fire...they are reinforcing a line that has been created on the ground.

So what does that mean for your water? Have a system where you can soak the ground/brush ahead of the coming flames. If it is in the canopy, you won't stop it with water. Nobody will...it is running so hot and fast that it pre-dries anything in front of it, that is why a fuel great is needed. A trash pump would be a cheap way to do that soaking.

Another thing you may look at is a sprinkler on the house. If it is getting close and you have to leave, just turn that on let it soak the yard and roof/walls and hope the fuel break you left around the house is enough to prevent the flames from getting close/hot enough.

[TDKPE]

Anyway just started looking online at trash pumps and wonder if any of knowledgeable folks here have any input on this?
Definitely gas driven

2 inch?
3 inch?
Other suggestions?
Thanks

Get a real fire pump.  2”, 105 psi, same cost as a trash pump, but with a pump specifically designed for the higher pressure required when using a nozzle.  Trash pumps are intended to have zero back pressure at the end of the hose, and minimal pressure drop through the hose, while fire pumps generate pressure mostly for the nozzle.  Using a larger hose than necessary means the pressure drop through the hose is less than a smaller hose with the same flow rate, and more pressure at a given flow to disperse through the nozzle.

https://westechequipment.com/product/2p5...23d0352263

Just screen the inlet with a very large basket screen.  Huge.  It’ll collect debris when in use, so the larger the inlet filter basket, the less likely it is to clog during the time you’re using it.

Common trash pumps with the same engine power can push much more water at zero head pressure, but will have a much lower max pressure (40 vs 100 psi, for instance) and therefore much lower output at higher pressures.  Like through a nozzle.  I don’t think just dumping water on the ground is the best use of such equipment, so some sort of crude nozzle with a wide pattern is probably what you want.  But there are current and retired firefighters here, and they would know boatloads more about this than I do.

[jteneyck]

I read a story a few years ago about a guy in NM who cut down all the trees within at least 100 yards of his house.  His wife almost divorced him - until a big fire came and their house was spared while all the others nearby burned.  If there's nothing to burn near your house you have a much better chance.  A metal roof would be a good idea, too.  

John

[Maddog]

Thanks
That dedicated fire pump
Looks like a good solution