The Wildfire Threat

The threat of wildfire is a major concern to more and more homeowners as construction of homes moves into the Wildland Urban Interface. Periods of drought are frightening times for residents of suburban and rural areas across the country, including the Northwest.

For those of us who live near natural areas of brush or forest the dry seasons are especially hazardous. Experts advise us to plan firewise landscapes of widely spaced plantings (at least a 30 foot radius of “Green Zone” around the house), keeping dry combustible plant debris cleaned up, and maintaining low, well-watered groundcovers and lawns.

But there is a further step we can take to stop wildfire from destroying our property.

Keep Barricade Fire Gel Retardant on hand!

Barricade Fire Gel Retardant has saved hundreds of homes in the United States, earning the gratitude of property owners in California, Montana and South Dakota, where firefighters have “Barricaded” homes and businesses ahead of the approaching flames. See – In the News.

Barricade Fire Gel Retardant is now available to homeowners who can apply the water/gel coating on their own property in front of an approaching wildfire, before retreating to a safe area. When mixed with water at the end of a garden hose, superabsorbent polymers in the gel concentrate trap water molecules and suspend them in millions of tiny “bubblets.” Sprayed onto the flammable surfaces of roofs, windows, eaves and walls of a house, vehicles, or propane tanks, a “wet blanket” wrap of Barricade Fire Gel Retardant can be applied up to 24 hours before an approaching wildfire. Homeowners can evacuate safely, and firefighting resources can be focused on the wildfire rather than on the already protected structures. Barricade can be washed off with plain water after the fire danger has passed.

Fire Brakes for Barricade® Fire Gel Retardant

My son spotted the smoke. Winds of 40 mph were gusting in every direction. We raced home. By the time we pulled into the driveway, the flames were already licking the top of the hillside above our home.

I quickly broke out the Barricade, and I will tell you the truth, my hands were shaking. My fifteen year old son and I were able to get the gallon jugs attached to garden hoses and began to spray down the home. I started on the propane tank, while my son hit the side of the house nearest the flames. While I was spraying the tank, I heard two explosions in rapid succession to the west of us. One neighbor’s propane tank had blown and a car’s gasoline tank had exploded. Those two homes were lost to the flames.

It took about 30 minutes for the two of us to get the home covered. The Barricade coated all sides of the house, including the windows and the eaves. My son got our pets into the Jeep, which he drove to a safe location across the street.

Then the winds shifted. The flames came racing in, driven by 45 mph gusts. I attached three garden hoses together and went out into the brush that surrounds our house. It’s mainly sage brush and cheat grass, and the flames were moving fast.

Thick smoke made it hard to breath. I laid a line of Barricade down in a trench I had dug the previous year to divert rain and snow runoff away from the back of the house.

The winds continued to blow and the fierce brush fire exploded down the hillside. When it reached the line of Barricade—it stopped cold! The winds fanned the flames to the west of us and over past the neighbors’ homes but the fire never made it past the Barricade gel I had laid down in the dried-out brush.

Our whole family breathed a sigh of relief. The flames had come within 50 feet of our home! The photos I took afterwards show the dramatic power of the Barricade to stop the flames. I don’t believe I’ve ever had so clear a demonstration of the effectiveness of the technology behind a product. Nor a more timely one!

A neighbor’s home burns to the ground, while the flames were stopped by the Barricade firebreak around my home!

Barricade Home Fire Defense System

The Barricade Home Fire Defense System comes complete with everything you will need to apply Barricade A garden hose is quickly connected to the nozzle attached to the container of Barricade concentrate. Fire Gel Retardant to your home with a regular garden hose. Simply follow the instructions and coat eaves, walls, windows, roofs, surrounding landscape, and even vehicles. Barricade can be applied many hours before a fire approaches allowing you and your family to retreat to a safe place until the threat passes. If necessary, the Barricade protective coating can be maintained for several days by simply re-misting with water.

The Complete Barricade Home Fire Defense System comes with eductor nozzle, pickup tube, quick connect, (4) 1 gallon containers of Barricade Fire Blocking Gel, and an instruction video.

“Barricade saved our home. Everyone, including experienced firefighters, who has seen our house is amazed. There was no damage to the house at all – even the vinyl eaves were protected. It was as if the house had been sealed in a wet blanket, keeping it from burning and keeping the smoke and heat out.”

Bucket Applicator for Garden Hose

Now the homeowner has the option of using a 4-gallon bucket of Barricade Fire Gel Retardant with this new eductor nozzle. Simply attach it to a Eductor nozzle for garden hosestandard garden hose and put the pick-up tube into the bucket. The bucket can be carried by hand, or in the new BucketPak back pack. The back pack for carrying the 4-gallon bucket adds flexibility to your Barricade applications.