Find Mitigation and Hoses
You may already have a hose to water your garden. If you don’t, it’s something to think about. This isn’t just to keep the garden looking beautiful, but to also manage fires that are outside of the home.
Commonly, you’ll find 50ft hoses outside. You want to get a 100ft hose attached to everything spigot around the home. It’s worth having everything already connected as having to connect will waste valuable time. You also want the hoses around the house as a 200ft run with a hose is hard. Even firefighters train for that job!
What Size of Hose Do You Need?
You’ll want to look for hoses that are 3/4in in diameter. Brass fastenings are going to be the best as they won’t rust with the water and they will withstand the heat from flames. Anything smaller isn’t going to deliver enough water to put out the fire.
Look out for hoses from Apex NeverKink, Gilmor Flexogen, and Tuff-Guard.
You’ll also want to look out for a nozzle that is designed to allow for high flow, often referred to as a fireman’s nozzle. They will set you back around $20 to $30, but they’re great options for safety.
How Much Will a Hose Cost?
The hose is a little more expensive. You could be looking at spending between $60 and $90 for a good quality hose. Anything below that isn’t going to do the job of putting out the fires.
You also need to think about the heat in the sun. Low-grade rubber is going to degrade in the UV rays. It is important to have them in the shade where possible, but for your south-facing walls, you need to ensure the rubber of the hose is the best quality.
Take Advantage of a Hot Tub
Have a hose by your hot tub or pool if you have one. Should your water or electricity go out, you still have the ability to get water when it comes to a fire. This is also good for fire crews that come out to the area. You will get a decent stream of water from these water sources.
You can also use your hot water tank if necessary. You’ll need to attach a hose to the spigot on the hot water tank, and you’ll get 50 to 80 gallons of water.