James is an Alpine customer and fulltime cattle rancher here in California.
James came to Alpine Skids looking for an affordable fire suppression system for his property. He currently operates a cattle ranch on 1,500 acres just north of Sacramento and he first handedly knows what it is to live through a wildfire and endure loss. James grew up on the farm and it's been with the family since the 1950’s. Throughout James' life, he has experienced the force and effects of multiple wildfires.
In 2019, a wildland fire came through his property and burnt a large section of forest and grass land as well as a large storage barn. Having lived through many experiences wishing he had a fire suppression unit at the time, James knew he had to invest in a reliable, durable Alpine fire skid.
After taking delivery of his custom fire skid, he decided to purchase a trailer to mount the unit to. By mounting the fire unit to a trailer, James was able to more effectively respond to incidents and not have to worry about loading it into a truck each time with pallet forks. Both ways are effective but one will make more sense to you depending on your use and application.
The Wind Came
In November of 2020, after the area had received a few days of rain, James decided it was time to implement forest management on his own property by cleaning up some of the dry wood and slash laying around in view of next year's fire season.
James prepared a burn pile and followed all regulations including, obtaining a burn permit, clearing away burnable fuel from the perimeter of the burn pile, and having a fire suppression system on hand.
After igniting the burn pile, things were as planned and everything was safely under control. The weather was favorable and the surrounding area was still slightly damp from recent rainfall. A couple hours into the burn, a sudden gust of wind came and took burning embers from the controlled fire into an area of dried grass and star thistles outside the burn area. Even though the ground was damp, the dried grass and light vegetation were no match to the heat of the burning embers. A light vegetation fire quickly ignited and was spreading fast.
“The heat ignited the surrounding star thistle and it started to go fast.”
The wind was pushing the fire towards the Fish and Game area on the property which is loaded with fuel. James knew how critical it was to suppress the fire before it could reach that area.
By having his skid unit on a trailer with him, he was able to quickly put down water. With the strong wind gusts, the fire was able to spread about half an acre before being fully controlled and eliminated.
“I had it all out in under 5 minutes but it totally saved the day.”
After controlling the fire, James went around the burn area to wet the unburnt fuel to make sure it wouldn't reignite.
More Than One Use
This is one story of many where an Alpine Skid has been invaluable in an unexpected situation. Investing in a fire suppression system is something to not take lightly especially if you work or live in a wildfire prone area.
Alpine water pump units have more than one use. For example, James purchased a custom fire skid unit for fire suppression but has found it useful in many applications including, dust control, cleaning equipment, remote water supply and much more.
“It's a great unit! I also use it for building fences and it's my water supply for mixing concrete.”
Alpine Equipment
Alpine has a strong focus on manufacturing and supplying water pump units and accessories that are made in the USA from the highest quality components available. Reach out directly for a custom build quote or look at our standard options online. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or inquiries. Contact Us