Pumps draw pool water to douse wildfires
That’s where Poway contractor Bart Tuttle hopes he can help. He’s designed a high-pressure pump that draws water from backyard pools. It’s a tool homeowners can use to dampen their property prior to evacuation. It’s also an extra weapon for professional firefighters.
“Small portable pumps placed where the water is — hence swimming pools — is the best approach to wildfire preparedness,” Tuttle said, adding that an average swimming pool holds 20,000 gallons, while a typical fire truck carries 500 gallons.
Locals can see free, no-obligation demonstrations of the pump at this Sunday’s Poway Street Fair on Midland Road.
Tuttle, a general contractor licensed in 1993, constructs the pumps by hand in Poway. The size of a handcart, each pump is built on a wheeled dolly. It’s powered by a gas or diesel motor. A fire department grade hose, 50- to 100-feet long, hangs in front, and a heavy duty mining-grade suction line is secured in the back.
The device can pump 125 gallons per minute and shoot at a pressure of 80 PSI. It can reach heights up to 40 feet, saturating fuel commonly around homes, like eucalyptus, sage and dry brush. It’s designed for single-person operation. Adjustable throttle settings make it possible for a petite person to use.
Although useful for fire preparation, the pump isn’t guaranteed to save one’s home and should not replace professional firefighters, Tuttle said. Residents should always leave their homes if told, he added.
“These pumps are only one spoke in the wheel,” he said, adding that homeowners should cut back trees and clean up their yards to remove combustibles.
That’s why the pumps come with a yard sign so residents can evacuate their homes and notify firefighters a pump is available for use.
Depending on the model, the cost of the unit starts at $2,900. This includes a one-year warranty, home delivery and regular cleaning and maintenance.
A foam dispenser attachment is available for additional money. Foam and gels, which can wet area for 30 minutes to hours, can be used with the water pump.
Tuttle sells locally and nationwide, via his Web site, www.poolsideportablepumps.com. So far he’s sold two dozen units, from residents in RB’s Trails neighborhood and as far north as Malibu.
In addition to the ones he makes, Tuttle also is a distributor for fire pumps by Davey and C.E.T. Fire Pumps. He sells all three lines under Poolside Portable Pumps, a business he started last fall.
Tuttle, who grew up in Poway, said he saw a need for a local representative who could supply, service, and demonstrate the pumps at residents’ homes. This was apparent after the 2007 San Diego wildfires ravaged areas including Rancho Bernardo, Poway, and Ramona, and nearly threatened his own canyon-adjacent Poway house.
So far he has heard good feedback from firefighters, he said. He hopes one day to meet officially with local fire departments and municipalities to familiarize them with the product.
“A lot of homes burned down,” Tuttle said, regarding the 2007 wildfires and the 2003 inferno. “If [residents] had something to prepare the home before evacuation, it would be a great help to themselves and firefighters.”
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