Could this be the answer to preventing and fighting forest fires ?

J

jimintoronto

Well-known Member
A Canadian company has designed a new type of wild fire prevention device, that combines a 100 foot high tower mounted on a portable trailer that can be towed by a one ton pick up truck, that sprays a thousand gallons of water per minute onto the tops of the tree canopies to "make it rain". The company is based in Alberta, and their rain towers are in use in both Canada and the USA.

Here is a link to the website, Take a look at the animation which shows how the system can be used to pre soak or wet down burning areas. I have NO connection to this company. link. https://www.wildfireinov.com/ JIM.
 

johndoe said:
It's a good idea but it would not be applicable to some of those fires in California on mountainous terrain.
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If you can drive to the fire location, the rain tower trailer will work just fine. It needs a level area of 30 feet square to be positioned on, and it can be deployed in 30 minutes time, after arrival on site. JIM.
 

Twostep said:
What water source are you suggesting?
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Lakes, rivers, or municipal fire hydrant systems, or wells. The systems that are all ready in service in Canada are being bought by First Nations communities that are in isolated locations by lakes or rivers. Others have been bought by small towns to bolster their volunteer fire departments. Individual fishing lodges, ski resorts and recreation businesses are buying these systems to be able to "make it rain" on their buildings and lands.

The Canadian Armed Forces has bought a number of these rain towers to wet down the firing ranges at CFB Wainright's artillery training base, as well as the air bombing ranges at CFB Cold Lake, also in Alberta. This prevents wild fires started by military explosives uses.

If you have not looked at the company's website, go back to the top of this post and read it, and watch the videos that show the rain towers in operation. Its self explanatory. JIM.
 
jimintoronto said:
Lakes, rivers, or municipal fire hydrant systems, or wells. The systems that are all ready in service in Canada are being bought by First Nations communities that are in isolated locations by lakes or rivers. Others have been bought by small towns to bolster their volunteer fire departments. Individual fishing lodges, ski resorts and recreation businesses are buying these systems to be able to "make it rain" on their buildings and lands.

The Canadian Armed Forces has bought a number of these rain towers to wet down the firing ranges at CFB Wainright's artillery training base, as well as the air bombing ranges at CFB Cold Lake, also in Alberta. This prevents wild fires started by military explosives uses.

If you have not looked at the company's website, go back to the top of this post and read it, and watch the videos that show the rain towers in operation. Its self explanatory. JIM.
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LA basically had no water.
 
johndoe said:
I'm thinking the best application would be in an urban environment. You could save a whole neighborhood.
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That is the intention behind the patented rain tower trailer, to fill the need between conventional fire trucks and water bombers. By misting at 100 feet in the air, the prevailing winds are used to wet down the trees and structures down wind. This system actually "makes it rain" onto trees, ground, and structures that are in danger of burning. Take a look at the video I posted at the start of this thread. JIM.
 
It sounds like it could be a cost effective way for many private citizens and businesses to protect the multi million dollar homes and commercial structures.

Sort of an outdoor sprinkler system.

It reminds me of a land based version of a fire tug boat.

fireboat-in-harbor-w1280x853.jpg
 
Jules said:
This has lots of potential, especially for municipal systems. So much better than your average citizen trying to hose down their own property and/or not leaving.
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Plus the rain tower is mounted on a trailer that can be towed with a one ton truck, and it can be in service within 30 minutes of arrival at a site. If a fire is moving towards a town, the rain towers can be deployed ahead of the path of the fire and use the winds that usually accompany a wild fire to carry the mist onto the area in front of the fire's path. JIM.
 
Aunt Bea said:
It sounds like it could be a cost effective way for many private citizens and businesses to protect the multi million dollar homes and commercial structures.

Sort of an outdoor sprinkler system.

It reminds me of a land based version of a fire tug boat.

fireboat-in-harbor-w1280x853.jpg
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To me it makes a lot more sense for towns and cities to buy OR rent the rain towers so that the towers can be used for the good of the community. If a remote fishing lodge or Native American band wants to buy one, that can be done, too. Here in Canada a number of First Nations bands in Alberta and British Columbia have all ready done that to protect their buildings and lands. JIM.
 
Global warming is having an effect on the fire prone vegetation around and in L.A. There will be more deadlier fires. L.A. has to "ember proof" its dwellings. Tar shingled, all wood frame homes are not the best type of homes to have in a known fire zone. And maybe, having lush, ornamental foliage, and palms is not a great idea.
 
johndoe said:
It's a good idea but it would not be applicable to some of those fires in California on mountainous terrain.
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Also not especially helpful for fires driven by 80+ mph winds that ferry "seed fires" a mile or two ahead of the main fires. 3-4 acre coverage sounds like a lot until

This might work well in areas with immediately adjacent, accessible lakes. Sad to say, they won't work in So Cal.
Twostep said:
LA basically had no water.
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Not true. Water wasn't the problem, hurricane force winds spreading the fire rapidly and grounding air support were.

Like most cities, LA has its share of daily run-of-the-mill fires that rarely make local, nevermind national, news.

Wind driven fires, as also occur periodically in Canada (including the 2016 Fort McMurray fire that destroyed 2400 homes) present unique fire fighting challenges.
fuzzybuddy said:
Global warming is having an effect on the fire prone vegetation around and in L.A. There will be more deadlier fires. L.A. has to "ember proof" its dwellings. Tar shingled, all wood frame homes are not the best type of homes to have in a known fire zone. And maybe, having lush, ornamental foliage, and palms is not a great idea.
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Agree.
 
I can't tell you how much man power is used ineffectively fighting forest fires, and then just stops when it starts to rain. A week on the fire line getting thwarted every day, and it always made me wonder what the point of it all was when it rains and we go home. Now fire in an urban area, yes there is a point to fighting that. I'll be interested in watching how the rain tower thing turns out. Will it be judged on effectiveness, or by unfamiliarity and politics? Nothing will be perfect. All we can hope for is something better.
 
jimintoronto said:
Lakes, rivers, or municipal fire hydrant systems, or wells.
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Those are precisely what we don't have on the mountain-ridge slopes where wildfire is now occurring all too frequently in British Columbia. From the upper slopes, winds spread fire down toward farms, homesites, villages, and towns. The firefighters are very lucky to have even a creek nearby, and many of those don't have a sizable flow in mid or late summer.

Generally, the most appropriate tool, besides chainsaws, skidders, dozers, and excavators, is obviously the water-bombing plane and helicopter, and sometimes planes that spread fire retardant.
 
As the fire chief in LA explained it would have taken 26,000 fire trucks to handle the fires. There aren’t that many trucks in the entire state. The experts in California can determine if these devices would be helpful and I’m sure will buy some if they will work in their terrain.
 
CarolfromTX said:
All the towers in the world won’t make up for empty reservoirs and useless fire hydrants.
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There were no problems with Altadena's hydrants or reservoirs and as of today that fire has destroyed 9,391 buildings and damaged another 1063.

The bottom line is that a delayed rainy season this year and hurricane force winds preventing airborne fire fighting support is the true explanation why both this and the Palisades fire have been so devastating, destructive, and nearly impossible to start containing until the wind died down.
Teacher Terry said:
As the fire chief in LA explained it would have taken 26,000 fire trucks to handle the fires. There aren’t that many trucks in the entire state. The experts in California can determine if these devices would be helpful and I’m sure will buy some if they will work in their terrain.
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Exactly so.
 

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