Ron Ward, a resident of Cohasset in northern California, made a smart move when he was forced to be evacuated from his historic ranch.
He previously established a fire protection system using water from a nearby pond and a set of sprinklers he set up himself. The water effectively hydrated and cooled nearby forests and saved his home from being burned to the ground.
The 100-Year-Old Ranch
Ward’s home was originally settled by his wife’s great-grandfather in the year 1905. Recently, a large wildfire raging in California known as the Park Fire has threatened the structure.
The fire soon came within 70 feet of Ward’s ranch before suddenly stopping.
Recent Fires Sparked an Idea
As the wildfire season in California has been getting progressively worse, Ward decided that he would enlist the help of his son to create a sprinkler system to save his home in the event of an emergency.
After the Lahaina fires in 2023 showed that a leaving your sprinkler on in the event of an evacuation can save your home, Ward had an idea to create his own massive watering system around his property.
An Ingenious System
Ward had just finished the sprinkler system when he heard of the evacuation order. A pump that he and his son ordered has just arrived a few days before to get the system fully functional.
He says that the fire immediately “hit our sprinklers and kind of died down and then went around our property and missed all of our structures.”
This Invention Could Save a Whole Community
According to Ward, many of his neighbours have been questioning if staying in the area would be safe in the long term.
However, Ward and his wife have a long family history in the area, and he was determined to find a permanent solution to protect his home and the surrounding structures. “There’s a lot of history here. So we live on this ranch and we’re committed to this ranch and preserving the ranch.”
Lending a Helping Hand
After his sprinkler system successfully saved his own ranch, Ward and his friends turned their sights to the rest of the neighbourhood.
After the initial fire warning passed, Ward and his friends were “just cruising around and putting out fires.”
Massive Damage in Nearby Communities
Many other homes were already destroyed in the devastating Park Fire, which continues to burn right now.
The blaze is the largest wildfire in California so far this year. One man is said to be responsible for burning thousands of acres of forest and hundreds of homes. A man is under arrest by state authorities and has been charged with felony arson.
The Park Fire
The Park Fire has already consumed more than 575 square miles of forested land, including more than 100 buildings and threatening thousands more.
The National Weather Service has already issued a red flag warning across several states. California, Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming have all been reached for alert that the fire could easily spread.
Help From Other States Called In
Firefighting teams in California hit a breaking point when officials called in emergency services from Texas to help fight the raging blaze.
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a public thanks to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: “Thank you to Texas and Greg Abbott for sending aid while California battles wildfires across our state.”
Wildfires Are Getting Worse in California
Environmental observations note that summer burned area northern and central California have increased five times from 1996 to 2021.
The 10 largest wildfires in the Golden State have occurred in the past 20 years, and five of those alone were in 2020.
Droughts and High Heat
Over the summer, the heat index in California reached well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in several places where dangerous fires were growing.
The incredibly warm daily temperatures have several negative implications for fires. The heat dries out vegetation, which creates more kindling for wildfires. As well, the warm winds speed up the flames already growing.
Massive Wildfires Result Have Destroyed Important Ecological Areas
In early July, the massive Thompson wildfire that crews had a difficult time controlling led to a well-known tourist spot being destroyed.
The famous orange and purple wildflowers of the North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve were completely lost. Hopefully the area can recover in the coming years, but fire damage can often be difficult for plants to recover from.
