THE astonishing and devastating fires in Los Angeles have shocked us all, to see such completely unexpected catastrophic fires wipe out whole suburbs, virtually with no warning.
Even Cal Fire, the fire service, was unable to deal with the fires largely because of lack of water.
The whole catastrophe was exacerbated by the flammable material that most of the houses were built from.
Yes, we saw aerial fire fighting efforts made that obviously had major impact, especially when we saw the red fire retardant billowing from the aircraft in an effort for fire control.
THE AUSSIE APPROACH
The thing we noticed was it appears that none of those households that were burnt out in the Palisades or Malibu, appeared to have had any preparation for a fire of that magnitude.
There wasn’t any water tanks or pump installations that would enable the householder to make some effort to save their property.
We saw valiant efforts to try and control the fire with garden hoses, with the expected poor results.
THE DIFFERENCE WITH AUSTRALIA
In Australia, Australian Pump Industries keeps on promoting the idea of preparation, particularly in what’s known as the “urban interface”.
The urban interface is that 1,000,000 maybe 1,500,000 or even 2,000,000 households that are built between the city and the bush.
Some capital cities are surrounded by “blockies” often with small acreages and pets or livestock.
These are adjacent to National Parks and are poorly prepared.
Many people in the urban interface are smart enough to have invested in a water tank and a fire pump, along with sprinklers on the roof and an ability to block downpipes so gutters around the house provide a “moat” to defeat an ember attack.
BLESS THE FIRIES
In California we saw professional fire fighters come into action only to be “hamstrung” by lack of water supply.
That’s a subject for Cal Water to deal with, but it showed very clearly what happens in a situation like that where there is simply not enough water to protect property, and life.
We have a huge debt to the volunteer fire fighting brigades right across Australia who are prepared to give us their time to train and practice supporting their community.
Yes, they’re equipped by state governments but, the credit goes to them for their strenuous efforts to be prepped and put themselves in the “fire line” when the chips are down.
Fortunately, most state governments are providing adequate funding for the volunteer’s equipment and backing it up with professionals who are fulltime trainers.
THE AUSSIE PUMP APPROACH
Aussie Pumps are famous for their range of high pressure fire fighting pumps.
They believe both single and twin impeller configurations of the pumps provide the best performance and the best value for money in the firefighting pump business.
“We’ve got the biggest product range and we sell it through top quality and responsible distributors who realise when they sell the Aussie Fire Chief or its big brother - the Mr T twin impeller pump - their customers are getting the very best available," said Aussie Pumps chief engineer John Hales.
Aussie Pump distributors around the country are all geared up to provide not only the best pumps, hose kits and advice, the Aussie Bushfire Survival Guide is also readily available from distributors.
Thousands of these are printed to provide homeowners with advice on how to properly prepare their properties.
2024 - HOTTEST YEAR YET
It is no surprise that the latest bulletins from the United National Global Compact have claimed 2024 was the hottest year on the planet since records were logged.
That’s a sobering thought and obviously relates to not only climate change but the growing global population.
When it’s predicted we’re going to see up to 12 billion people on the planet by 2050 we have to start thinking about how we’re going to deal with the dramatic changes in climate.
It's not just about fire but also the escalation of major weather events that result in floods and, extended droughts.
PRACTICE FIRST
“Getting set up to defend a property is a big decision," said Hales.
"Buy the right pump first and then more importantly, train to use it with the family and where appropriate, neighbours."
Pumps should be fueled and ready to be used and primed with water so they start immediately.
“Make sure the pump has no air leaks in the suction line as that can slow down the priming process and can inhibit performance," said Hales.
It’s the dry fuel, the high temperature and worst of all the unexpected gale force winds that create true disasters.
Aussie’s message is, be prepared with the best pump, adequate water supply and of course quality high pressure hoses and nozzles suitable for the job.
PROTECT YOUR STOCK
Many who live in the urban interface have animals - horses, some cattle, sheep, goats and even alpacas.
These animals need to be protected in the event of a fire.
Basic rules for protection are as follows.
1. Spray paint your phone number on the animal’s rump, so it can be identified.
2. Remove rugs and halters made of plastic or with metal buckles.
3. Animals should be placed in open paddocks with minimal growth but with access to water and fodder.
Animals should have the ability to run and be loose because they will instinctively run from a fire.
SELECT THE RIGHT PUMP
Australian Pump Industries engineers work tirelessly to produce the best products of their kind in the world.
The latest addition is a big twin impeller pump powered by a 13hp Honda petrol engine.
Called the Mr T QPT305SLT, this big pump will produce flows of up to 200 litres per minute at a 80 metre (m) head.
That’s quite extraordinary performance and provides two or three times more capability than the standard 5.5hp Honda powered fire pump.
Even Aussie’s Fire Chief, claimed to be the world's best lightweight portable fire pump, has a maximum flow of 450 lpm and a top pressure rating of 75m head.
That equates roughly to 100psi in pressure.
PAY THE RIGHT PRICE
Buying the right product is key but so is paying the right price.
Some pumps are on the market at ridiculously high prices, many of them more than double the price of the Aussie Fire Chief.
The Aussie Fire Chief is the only pump of its kind that comes with a five year warranty.
That covers the pump end only.
Honda cover the engine with their three year warranty.
"We work with Honda engineers to make sure our pumps are perfectly matched to the power of the Honda engine selected," Hales said.
"We take a lot of trouble to make sure that we are perfectly aligned in terms of horsepower consumption and engine capability.
"It’s a credit to Honda that they give us so much support and help us to make sure customers get the very best in terms of pump/engine combination.”
Australian Pump Industries is working hard to make sure the urban interface dwellers and even seasoned professional farmers as well, are adequately protected for fires.
John Hales advice is to do your homework.
"Go talk to your local Aussie Pump dealer and make sure you’re buying the right equipment, paying the right price and getting a pump with a five year warranty," he said.
For further copies of Aussies free Bushfire Survival Guide call on your local dealer or contact Aussie Pumps direct in Sydney.
Visit aussiepumps.com.au