confining prescribed fires
An RxFire (Prescribed Fire) is an intentionally set fire that is used to consume fuel on the ground so that a real wildfire will be slowed/stopped due to a lack of fuel.
The figure below shows how the spray hose system can be used to confine an RxFire. Only selected segments of the hose are enabled to spray. Manual valves on each hose segment can enable spray only where it is needed
The spray hose system can enable Rx Fires to be set when less than ideal weather and terrain would prevent doing an RxFire.
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selectively confining spray on an escaping prescribed fire to conserve water
Segmented Spray hose
Above, the green main-hose is connected to the purple hoses by the white Valve Boxes which represent a manual valve. When a valve is opened, it causes a spray from its respective purple hose. This arrangement is being used to confine an RxFire by spraying only locations where spray is needed.
Below, the Ball Valve allows the pressure seen by the Rx Spray Nozzles to be varied by hand. The flow of water can be fine tuned to meet the needs of water vs. water conservation.
Above is a very low cost version of the valve box shown in the previous photo. The yellow 2.5 inch hose can be the Trunk hose that supplies water to all of the 100 foot, 1.5 inch brown Spray Nozzle segments.
10 nozzles spraying which can confine an rxfire
Each nozzle delivers 7 gpm at 100 psi.
Nozzle flow at different pressures
The above video shows spray at 100, 200, and 300 psi
The spray nozzle array can prevent prescribed fire escapes in different landscape settings.
For a field of low brush, a 50 psi pressure will create a spray that is 10 feet high.
The above video shows that the nozzles can go to great heights for stopping an escape that is heading for a forest of tall trees.
At 300 psi, the spray goes 40 ft into the air.
The nozzle array might be used as a fire break when a fire is heading toward a housing development.
Above: Two low cost clamps are used to hold the nozzle at the desired angle.
the fire resistant hose that connects the nozzles
The hose that connects the nozzles is HFX 15, a 1.5 inch fire hose from Snap-tite.
It is an extruded nitrile rubber attack hose.
HFX™ is a nitrile thru-the-weave, rubber covered fire hose that utilizes polyester and nylon 6.6 yarn in the reinforcing jacket. Under pressure, the polyester keeps the hose from snaking, while the nylon allows for controlled dilation, reducing friction loss, and generating higher flow rates. Our special rubber compound provides a tough cover that resists heat, abrasion, snags, and hot embers. The interlocking matrix also means no adhesives are used and there is a permanent bond to all the warp and weft yarns. The Snap-tite HFX™ is highly resistant to both conductive and radiant heat.