Showcase of a smart sprinkler putting out a fire.

In November 2018, the Woolsey fire in Southern California burned about 97,000 acres, burned down 1,643 homes, and forced 295,000 people to leave their homes. The Santa Ana winds were a big reason why the fire’s path was so hard to predict.

SiteOne Landscape Supply is the biggest wholesaler of landscaping products in the United States. It works with tens of thousands of homes, many of which are in Southern California. This drought-affected area has its own irrigation needs and the chance to use smart irrigation technologies as a kind of fire protection. Because there is a chance of wildfires in the area, many homes and businesses have built specific watering systems into their plans in an attempt to prevent fires. TJ Raden is a SiteOne technician. He worked with a client in the Malibu area during the Woolsey fires, so he knows how smart irrigation can help prevent fires.

The customer’s 10+ acre property backs right up to an open area that was being evacuated and was soon engulfed in flames near the Pacific Coast Highway. WeatherTRAK smart irrigation controllers run over 100 irrigation stations on the property, which water trees, tropical plants, an orchard, and a large vegetable garden. In addition to the irrigation system, twelve valves were set aside for impact sprinklers to prevent fires. The sprinklers were placed all over the property on four-foot risers for better coverage. Impact sprinklers were put around the property’s edge to wet the ground near where the fire was most likely to spread. They could be put to work right away because the controller had their own stations and valves. As the fire spread and many people had to leave, Raden tried to get in touch with the homes to find out what was going on.

When he couldn’t get to them, he turned on the fire sprinklers with WeatherTRAK Central. He made a new cycle and soak programme for their fire sprinklers while he was logged in remotely and away from the fire zone. The new programme watered each valve for five minutes and then let the water drip for 55 minutes to keep the whole perimeter moist day and night. Raden made a new programme that would automatically continue the fire sprinkler programme if the power went out. This made sure that no one had to do anything to keep the property safe. Luckily, the house didn’t burn down, and the Woolsey fire wasn’t put out right away by this clever use of water. But as climate change continues and drought conditions get worse, this may become a more common part of irrigation plans in the future.

You’ve been lucky that there haven’t been any fires. Think about a fire accident. What would you do? If there’s a fire, do you know what to do? The solution is to know how to use a fire extinguisher correctly. Because of this, everyone needs to know how to use a fire extinguisher to avoid both small and big problems in their home or place of business. So, I’ll talk about the fire extinguisher guide, which explains how to use one correctly. This article will show you the right way to use a fire extinguisher. You will also learn how to get out of the building safely if the fire spreads despite your best efforts.