How can this system possibly work against the intense flames of a wildfire?
The Frontline Wildfire Defense System is a preventative system that combats the threat of wind-borne embers. The automated wildfire sprinkler system is designed to be turned on when fire is within seven miles of your home, well ahead of fire showing up at your doorstep. Embers can travel for miles and threaten your home long before a wildfire is visible from your property. By running your Frontline system early, you allow your property to become fully hydrated and create an environment where embers are unable to cause a fire. Our system is not intended to address direct flame contact or radiant heat risk. These risks should be mitigated through vegetation management, defensible space, and home hardening. While both direct flame contact and radiant heat are real threats to a home, the number one reason homes burn is ember ignition, which our system is specifically designed to prevent, backed by years of research and innovation.
Doesn't this take water from firefighters?
Our system is designed to be run early, well ahead of fire being on your doorstep or firefighters requiring a high volume of water close to your home. It is a preventative system that pre-wets your property to create an environment that is too wet for wind-borne embers to ignite your home or items surrounding your home.
Our system is digitally connected and we are actively engaging with fire departments throughout the Western US to understand how we can be used as an additional resource when they need it most. Our fleet of systems can be remotely monitored through our digital platform, so fire departments can see where systems are located if they are running, and even how much water is being used at any given moment. If needed our systems can be activated or shut off remotely to ensure water is being used most effectively during major fire events.
Our systems use significantly less water than the fire department uses on a single home. We use between 15 and 25 gallons per minute as opposed to 600 gallons per minute used by a single firehose. If the fire department has to address a home that has caught fire and uses two hoses for 30 min to try to save a home, it would be the same amount of water as running our system constantly for 24 hours. Since our system is preventative, it can actually save a home from catching fire, reduce the workload on fire departments during a wildfire, and use less water than if the fire department has to be deployed to a home after it has ignited.
If water pressure drops during a fire, will my system still be effective?
The Frontline system is designed to use water intelligently. Each system has dedicated zones and the system will cycle through each zone when it is turned on, much like a home irrigation system. Each zone will run for 5 to 7 minutes. Once the full cycle is completed, the system will stop running for 20 to 30 minutes and then run again. Our system is designed to run effectively with low water pressure, which helps conserve water resources and allows the system to work even if pressure drops during a fire.
We will always use your home’s primary water source first. Typically this is municipal water. We also like to consider backup water options in case your primary water source becomes unavailable during a fire. Common backup water sources include pools, tanks, wells, or even ponds. Backup water sources require a pump and a backup source of power such as a generator or home battery like a Tesla Powerwall.
When power is shut off during a fire, will my system still run?
Every Frontline system comes with WiFi, cellular, and satellite connectivity as well as more than four days of dedicated backup battery power to allow communication with the Frontline software platform. If the power is shut off and local cell service fails, you can still stay connected to your Frontline system and defend your home from anywhere. If your system’s primary water source is something other than municipal (city) water, it will likely require a backup generator or home battery to ensure your pumps can run if the power is shut off.
How does wind impact the system?
To account for wind we custom-design every system with more than 100% overlap in coverage between each sprinkler head. Our system is intended to be run well ahead of fire being on your doorstep, to allow your property to be fully hydrated before the peak risk and highest wind speed occur. Additionally, during a fire embers tend to accumulate where they are blown by wind. The wind has the same effect on the water being distributed by our system, so the wind can help distribute water to the places where embers are most likely to be present during a fire.
How does the Class A firefighting foam help?
The Class A firefighting foam is a surfactant, designed to break down the surface tension of water. It allows water to be absorbed into your property more quickly and reduces the rate of evaporation. The foam makes more efficient use of the water being applied and reduces the total volume of water required to keep your home safe.
Is the foam safe?
Our foam is non-corrosive, non-toxic, readily biodegradable, and has no flash point. It does not contain any fluorinated surfactants such as PFOS/PFOA, which are found only in Class B foams. It is a surfactant that breaks down water tension, allows water to be absorbed into the property more quickly, and reduces the rate of evaporation (which reduces the amount of water needed to be effective against ember ignition). It can be washed away by simply running your system for a few minutes without foam, which is an option through the Frontline Wildfire App.
