Help with Brush Fire Water Rig

[schmism]

lets be clear ...brush fire fighting and structure fire fighting are entirely diffrent.

do not confuse the min requirements for structure fire fighting with that of wildland firefighting.

The following list is presented in smallest to largest (size /heat out put of wildland firefighting)

-protective gear. long pants (carhart- denim... not zip off plastic REI hikeing pants), a leather winter jacket, face shield, wristed leather gloves.

a flat shovel is a good first tool to attack small short grass fires.
an upgrade is a flapper, aka a hunk of semi-mudflap bolted to the end of a shovel handle.

A flapper can be effectivly used in med tall thick grass although takes effort and good protective gear.

backpack sprayer or Indian pack. generally tall thick grass is to hot to work with mechanical methods, but even a small spritz of water will quickly knock down the grass fire. the standard backpack sprayer can cover 300+ feet of flame front when working with another person.

From here you can step up to a 20 gal sprayer on the back of a atv/utv 12v powered, covers 4-5 times the space as a backpack

and from that to a large 200+ gal tank on the back of a truck/tractor with a 1" hose and pump capable of 60psi.


The point is if your out with the brush pile, and watching things, small hot spots can be put out quickly with minimal tools before they turn into mulipul acer fires.

 

[boggen]

seeing schmism post.thought i best give a bit more explanation on push broom. remind you, i am no fire fighter or ever was trained. just having to call 911 enough times. and then being out there to help put out fire on the farm.

i never saw bush brooms being used. until a couple years back. when next thing i saw, everyone from fire department had bush brooms in there hand vs a garden metal rake, or shovel or 2 to 3 gallon air less sprayer. and within matter of minutes fire in fields (no crop just stalks remained) and fire that was going through finished mowed grass was put out, vs trying to use other things. that would of taken longer.

and then the big guns (tanker trucks) were down in pasture, dealing with the higher / taller / thicker taller weeds. and flames 6 to 15 feet high.

i am not saying a bush broom is correct tool of choice, but here on the farm, it has become poplar choice to keep on hand. along with a sprayer. vs shovels, and metal rakes

those after reading schmism note about a mud flap on end of a pole vs push broom.... i might have to rig something up. and hope i do not have to try it out.

 

[Artisan]

snip
part of my arsenal, is a "bush broom" a 1 to 2 feet wide, and has tons of bristles in it. to smoother fire out.

snip.

"Bush Broom" I did a search for that and got squat...except this;

Is this what you refer to boggen?

 

[CBW1999]

Firefighting professionals shop for helmets, flashlights, boots, badges and shields at TheFireStore.com - Brush Fire Broom, 5 Ft Length

This is what he is talking about. Heavy duty bristles that you wet down before using. We used them to sweep the edge back into the burned area on smaller fires/smoldering stuff. Not too useful on anything free burning.

 

[whitechevy]

Hypro - Hypro 4001C-A Roller Pump - Sprayer Depot

I too am looking for a similar setup. Around here most homes produce about 10 GMP. For small brush fires I figure it will do the trick. I have been looking at the Hypro 4001 that produces 9.1 GMP. (see link above) It also runs at 1800 RPMs which is what my 7hp engine produces. After reading this I am second guessing my decision to use a 9-10 gpm pump. With 250 gallons the simi-trash pumps will deplete my water in less than a minute. Please help me understand if I am under powering my system.

 

[RFB]

I suppose that there is a difference based upon experience and perspective regarding the term "brush fire".

I have never used a broom on a "brush fire". Here are a few photos of what I think of when someone uses that term:

 

[whitechevy]

This is more in line with what I am dealing with.


Just trying to not let "my version of brush fire" not turn into "your version of brush fire".

 

[Cat_Driver]

Can you even get permits to burn any more. I mean even if you can if an ember blows off an ignites, you will be liable for the price of putting out the fire.
I'd chip it no matter what the cost. It will still be cheaper than if it gets out of control. Oh, and they do get out of control. The last several fires that got out of control were set by professional Forestry Fire fighters.

Just mu .02 cents.

I just looked up rules in your are - YEP, your responsible if it runs.

A Burning permit, 9-13-11 of the 1975 Code of Alabama, is required for all forestry and agricultural burns. In general, the permit means the burner has the manpower and equipment to control the fire and agrees to stay with the fire until it is out. Burning permits may be obtained by calling the Alabama Forestry Commission. Even though the burner has a permit, he/she is still responsible for any damage to others that may be caused by the fire or smoke. Alabama has a Certified Burner Law designed to reduce burner liability.

Even though the law requires a permit for all "wood & field" fires, the AFC has administratively exempted fires smaller than 1/4 acre if it is more than 25 feet from a forested area. However, the burner is still responsible for the fire.

Upon requesting a permit, the burner will be asked about the burn. The approximate size will be needed along with what is to be burned, i.e. grassland/fields/forests, and the general purpose of the burn such as fire hazard reduction, regeneration, wildlife benefit, etc. The burn must not contain material such as vehicle tires, construction material, household garbage or other material prohibited by ADEM (Alabama Department of Environmental management)

There are some County and City Laws that also restrict outdoor burning. Burners are responsible for contacting their local government for additional information.

The permit may be canceled by the AFC for failure to comply with the terms of the permit, weather condition change which cause erratic and dangerous fire behavior, or if the burn produces smoke which becomes a hazard to others or contributes to a degradation of air quality.

 

[rflemens]

I'm sure some of you already know this but a backpack leaf blower makes a really good brush fire fighting tool and you don't have to tote water or drag a hose. Of course I wouldn't try it on over your head type fire, in a 20 mph wind or as a replacement for water at some point. But for containing smaller blazes before they become taller ones it's quite usefull. You actually blow the fuel back into the already burned area.

 

[TO_Bud]

Lots of great suggestions here, interesting dialogue, it's apparent we have more than a few firefighters on the forum. I couldn't resist adding my .02c to the mix. For pump priming issues place the water tank above the pump and allow gravity to maintain prime. For pump dead head or heating issues when not flowing water put a tee in just off the pump discharge with a quarter turn valve, run a short smaller diameter hose back into the tank to move water when the nozzle is closed. Best idea is to wait for rain and then burn if you are not in the drought zone. And last, rather than spend a lot of money on a water delivery system, just buy a grapple and transport your brush piles to your pond where you have an unlimited water supply.