Sprinklers Help Prevent Landscape Fires
In September we had a tree catch on fire at one of our accounts in West Eugene. The fire appeared to be human-caused and completely engulfed a nearby pine tree. This particular account is next to a couple hundred acres of dry grass, and fires are always a concern during the summer months.
Luckily, in this instance the fire actually put itself out. As it spread throughout the pine tree, the fire worked its way through one of our valve boxes and melted through the electric valve that was hooked to the sprinkler mainline. Mainlines have constant water pressure whenever a sprinkler system is activated, so naturally water began spewing out of the pipe and quickly put out the fire.
While this case is an extreme and rare occurrence, it is not the first time that sprinklers have hindered damage from landscape fires at one of our accounts. In fact, this was not even the only instance this summer where sprinklers helped put out flames at one of our accounts.
This occurrence was remarkable because if the fire had not been put out it could have easily spread a few miles. We are thankful that it all worked out in the end. Please remember that frequent watering helps prevent fires like these and even if a fire does start, the sprinklers can help put it out.
Contact us today if you have any questions regarding sprinklers, irrigation, or landscape fire prevention.
