Wildfire suppression foam service for homes

[natopotato]

A service that comes to your home when a wildfire is encroaching on your house and sprays your home and surrounding area with fire retardant foam.

-Charge a (low-ish) membership fee to homeowners to keep them on the fire suppression list (this membership fee helps you maintain equipment outside fire season, and gives you an idea of how many people you have to plan to service during a fire event)
-One time (emergency) users get billed at a higher rate
-Tanker truck arrives at your home before wildfire, sprays foam, and you get billed for the service
- Homeowner saves their home and belongings, rather than go through the pain of rebuilding a home

I can see this being a success due to the rising occurrence of wildfires and the possibility that it would be in the homeowner's insurance company's interest to pick up the tab for this service.

 

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[biophase]

A service that comes to your home when a wildfire is encroaching on your house and sprays your home and surrounding area with fire retardant foam.

-Charge a (low-ish) membership fee to homeowners to keep them on the fire suppression list (this membership fee helps you maintain equipment outside fire season, and gives you an idea of how many people you have to plan to service during a fire event)
-One time (emergency) users get billed at a higher rate
-Tanker truck arrives at your home before wildfire, sprays foam, and you get billed for the service
- Homeowner saves their home and belongings, rather than go through the pain of rebuilding a home

I can see this being a success due to the rising occurrence of wildfires and the possibility that it would be in the homeowner's insurance company's interest to pick up the tab for this service.

How long does the foam last? What happens if I pay for your service and you don't show up and my house burns down?

 

[OldFaithful]

@natopotato have you begun testing the market? What has the response been? Any interest? The forum members aren't your target market, those living in the fire prone areas are. You'll find a lot of good threads here, but the real feedback will come from you target market.

 

[MidwestLandlord]

Most suppression foam is R-102.

The EPA has tried on several occasions to limit it's use. Just an FYI. Big government regulation risks.

Also, it's very, very expensive.

Not a bad idea though. Why not a permanent exterior system like some municipalities require on gas station canopies? (much like the fire suppression system over grills and such at restaurants)

Edit:

Also, would emergency responders let your truck near the house during a wildfire?

 

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[jon.a]

Also, would emergency responders let your truck near the house during a wildfire?

This. During wildfires, it's a war zone.

 

[458]

What's the shelf life of the foam? Can I get insurance companies to give me a better rate if I buy through you(This assumes you install an automated system onsite)? Those two questions would be what i would ask if I was in the market for this type of solution.

 

[natopotato]

How long does the foam last? What happens if I pay for your service and you don't show up and my house burns down?

The foam last for several hours, Type 1 protein based foam can last 12 hours or more. Type 1 and 2 foams have long drain times, meaning the bubbles do not burst and give up their water quickly, and long duration. Wet foams, such as type 4 and 5, drain more quickly in the presence of heat.

Obviously your house burning would be the worst case scenario and would be avoided at any and all costs, but would enforce the need for a hefty insurance policy on the fire foam company's side.

@natopotato have you begun testing the market? What has the response been? Any interest? The forum members aren't your target market, those living in the fire prone areas are. You'll find a lot of good threads here, but the real feedback will come from you target market.

No, I was listening to a report about wildfires on NPR a while back and have been rolling this around in my head for several months. I am an industrial chemist and have sorted out the foam part with some research, but I do not live in a wildfire zone so I don't have a lot of firsthand knowledge of what happens in communities when wildfires come through.

Most suppression foam is R-102.

The EPA has tried on several occasions to limit it's use. Just an FYI. Big government regulation risks.

Also, it's very, very expensive.

Not a bad idea though. Why not a permanent exterior system like some municipalities require on gas station canopies? (much like the fire suppression system over grills and such at restaurants)

Edit:

Also, would emergency responders let your truck near the house during a wildfire?

R-102 is an indoor fire suppression foam that is stored in pressurized tanks (think restaurant kitchens, gas stations as you mentioned) so there are some unsavory ingredients such as PFC's in there to keep it viscous with a long shelf life.

The foam used to prevent wildfires from burning down to the edge of rivers and streams is biodegradable and relatively safe, being protein based. They spray this before a wildfire comes through to prevent the fire from hurting the fish and surrounding ecosystem.

I thought about some sort of permanent installation, but that would most likely be MORE expensive for homeowners to have installed and upkeep. Then what happens if the power goes out during the wildfire, preventing the system from working?

I didn't think about not being able to get to the homes. I don't have firsthand knowledge of what the scene looks like during firefighting operations, I just assumed the ability to race to your home. We would use some accurate prediction and forecasting models (or speak with the Forest Service) and try to be at your house at east 6 hours before the fire is expected to reach your home.

What's the shelf life of the foam? Can I get insurance companies to give me a better rate if I buy through you(This assumes you install an automated system onsite)? Those two questions would be what i would ask if I was in the market for this type of solution.

Shelf life of foam, do you mean after it is sprayed or before it gets mixed?

And yeah, i think it would be great to carry some weight with insurance companies, so that if you buy our service or install the system, your wildfire insurance rate goes down.

 

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[amp0193]

I thought about some sort of permanent installation, but that would most likely be MORE expensive for homeowners to have installed and upkeep. Then what happens if the power goes out during the wildfire, preventing the system from working?

I think some sort of permanent installation is worth looking into. You can sell/install at anytime of the year, not just when things are bat-shit crazy. I wouldn't be surprised if a number of wealthy homeowners would be willing to shell out the cash to have the peace of mind of having this taken care of.

 

[natopotato]

I think some sort of permanent installation is worth looking into. You can sell/install at anytime of the year, not just when things are bat-shit crazy. I wouldn't be surprised if a number of wealthy homeowners would be willing to shell out the cash to have the peace of mind of having this taken care of.

Good point. Maybe even do installs, and have a couple trucks on hand to sell the last minute foam coating service for people who hadn't planned ahead or couldn't afford the installation.

 

[natopotato]

Putting this idea out there has helped me think of a few solutions to things I saw as roadblocks.

-Install a standalone power system to power the pump and mixer in case of power outage. (battery bank or small generator)
-Offering both install of fire suppression systems and last minute foam applications targets both kinds of homeowners, the think-aheaders, and the people who aren't concerned until the smoke is in the air.

 

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[MidwestLandlord]

Expensive initial installation = low monthly payments via seller carried financing.

 

[amp0193]

Most suppression foam is R-102.

The EPA has tried on several occasions to limit it's use. Just an FYI. Big government regulation risks.

Also, it's very, very expensive.

Not a bad idea though. Why not a permanent exterior system like some municipalities require on gas station canopies? (much like the fire suppression system over grills and such at restaurants)

Edit:

Also, would emergency responders let your truck near the house during a wildfire?

Do you know everything about everything @MidwestLandlord ?

You have so much detailed information to contribute to every random thread on this forum.

Including government regulations on fire suppressant foam.

I mean, really.

 

[MidwestLandlord]

Do you know everything about everything @MidwestLandlord ?

You have so much detailed information to contribute to every random thread on this forum.

Including government regulations on fire suppressant foam.

I mean, really.

Haha, well...I've done a lot. And I own a canopy with external fire suppression, so some experience with it.

And I've literaly spent over 6 figures in the last 12 months fighting the EPA for a different environmental issue.

 

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