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In another topic, the idea of using sea water to prevent growth of fires in California is on record.
This suggestion is one of many that appear to me to be worth considering for dangerous living environments on Earth, where fresh water is in short supply, and sea water is close at hand.
Sea water is used for fire fighting at sea, and it is used for fire fighting in coastal cities, although that use case tends to use brackish water from river estuaries.
This topic is available for contribution of other useful ideas for developing city architecture going forward.
This topic will be free of emotional condemnation of other human beings.
The entire planet Earth is going to have to make massive investments to deal with the consequences of the burning of fossil fuels for centuries, and dealing with fire is just ONE of the concerns.
It seems to me that any technologies or practices developed for Earth in this area will be useful for life away from Earth, where conditions will tend to be even more dangerous.
(th)
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This post is reserved for an index to posts that may be contributed by NewMars members over time.
The posts I'm looking for will provide suggestions for best practices for safety of population living where danger lurks.
Danger on Earth comes from many directions, and it tends to develop slowly so that humans do not notice the increase of potential for harm.
(th)
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A relative sent this link ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1N2BwcAT-s
I haven't watched the video yet .... apparently it is about using sea water to fight fires...
I decided to post the link because the comments below the video are uniformly positive.
I'll make time to watch the video later.
Comments are welcome..
Update 2025/01/16.... this seems to be a balanced report on the effect of climate change to increase risks in California ahead of the January fires.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather- … uage=en-US
Update 2025/01/16 ... Here is another look at the situation in California.... this one is a big picture look at water...
https://www.vox.com/climate/394817/cali … wtab-en-us
Among the details included are reports of contamination of potable water supplies due to the fires (many causes).
(th)
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This post is about sprinkler systems for fire suppression, with a nod at California ...
The city where I live has an ordnance requiring sprinkler systems in all new multi-family buildings, and more importantly, requiring the owners of existing buildings to add sprinkler systems before they can rent an apartment.
It seems to me that something like that would be needed (and wanted) for off-Earth housing, because fires of any size would be quickly fatal.
Let's consider Los Angeles ....
A sprinkler system for the entire area would be expensive.
So what!
The lack of a sprinkler system is expensive.
I read a news report that there were (?are) over 100 water reservoirs already in place in the area around Los Angeles.
It would seem reasonable to deduce that the number of reservoirs was insufficient to deal with the present emergency.
Assuming that anyone wants to live in the burned out areas in coming years, what might renovation look like?
The topic is available if anyone would like to think (and write ) about planning to deal with danger as great as was present on New Year's Day.
I just read a preliminary report of the investigation of the Palisades fire. A fire occurred on New Year's Day in the same area where the Palisades fire later erupted. The fire fighters reported that the earlier fire was 100% contained.
There are multiple possible explanations for the fire that erupted 7 days later, and re-ignition of the earlier fire is reported to be possible but unlikely.
A hiking train runs through the area where the fire started.
A local home owner actually smelled the fire in progress, but he misunderstood what he was smelling and thought it was left over from the New Year's Day fire. That gentleman lost his home shortly afterward.
From this little glimpse, I deduce that if automation is installed to detect future fires, it needs to be ** smart ** automation.
Furthermore, if such a fire detection system is installed it needs to be accompanied by water delivery systems that can respond with pin point accuracy within minutes of the report of an open flame.
I'll bet that leaders in California will be thinking along these lines.
(th)
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This post is about forensic analysis of homes that survived the recent fire storms in Los Angeles.
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/17/nx-s1-52 … wtab-en-us
A particular home was given focus in this article. It is a newer home that was built according to the most recent regulations for home building in Los Angeles.
There are many factors in the survival of the house, so read the article if you are curious. However, strict attention to the proximity rule was clearly a factor in the survival of this home. The five foot rule seems worth considering for all buildings where fire might be a risk.
A detached garage ignited, but since it was 30 feet away from the main house, the radiant heat produced was not strong enough to overcome the resistance of the materials of which the house was made.
Here is a tiny detail... mesh coverings in the gutter system were tight enough to prevent wind driven embers from entering the house. The size given for openings was that of a common golf tee.
***
Here's another detail.... a relative lives in an area that did not burn. The family is living in a camping trailer because the house itself filled with smoke driven by the strong winds. The family left in a hurry and did not lock the doors or windows. The hope is that the aroma of smoke will decrease over time, but the smell of the fire must be a factor in everyone's lives out there right now.
(th)
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This post is about a possible strategy for selected locations on Earth where conditions would support it.
The conditions I'm thinking about include forest land with plenty of trees and vegetation that becomes tinder dry during part of each year, and bodies of fresh water that occur naturally due to topography of the landscape and winter precipitation.
The idea (in a nutshell) is to use modern drones to mist the area at night, using fresh water from the resource to gently soak the area.
Here is a copy of a message sent to an entity where this idea might make sense.
This is a follow up to my earlier contact about possible non-explosive "fire" works. This time, I am writing about the risk of fire in landscape you (all of you) provide me as a view while I am working. I was born and lived/live most of my life in Ohio, but at age 11 my Uncle and Aunt took me on a hike of the John Muir Trail with their Corky (wearing little booties). I've not been to <site>, but certainly have an affinity for the landscape. I am writing to you today because my earlier message about how drones might be useful for a festive occasion came back to mind as I watched your camera operator scanning the terrain around the <site>. I had a vision of (not so little) drones carrying water from the lake to the surrounding countryside and misting that water down over the pines and other vegetation. I would appreciate your taking this vision as inspiration, and passing it along to individuals who might be able to do the calculations to see what the water flows would be. I would start with the question of how much water is flowing out of the lake. I have no idea, but ** someone ** does. That water is no doubt valued by many as it makes it's way down stream. That would have to be taken into account, for sure. The power for the drones will have to come from somewhere, and I doubt anyone is going to want a source of energy anywhere near the valley. Still, I'm hoping that this idea will prove helpful ahead of the inevitable fire that will happen without preparation. (th)
Update: The organization at <site> wrote back, suggesting the idea might be better offered to the US Forestry Service.
While this means the idea is going nowhere at <site>, it does show that it was considered worthy of a reply. <site> must receive thousands of emails/contacts over a year, and there wouldn't be time enough to reply to more than a few.
(th)
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