Trapline cabins and fire preparation ?

[ROAD HAMMER]

Hi all I was wondering if you can prepare you cabin site for chance of fire ?
I have been trying to clear all brush and spruce trees within 100 meters of my cabin in hopes of it helpin . After seeing what a forest fire can't do with a 100ft wall of flames it don't look like much anything will slow down a fire ? I love my cabin and have given 3 years of my life building it from hand and would want to do everything in my powers to try and save it !! Any help or suggestions feel free

[parfleche]

That definately would be a concern for any trapper , Even IF you saved your cabin , you would likely be out of commission for a few years for lack of critters. I don"t know the law or rules on what can be done like a fire guard , But it would need to be quite wide in this case. Perhaps irrigation pipe all around if you have access to lots of water. Or maybe right around the house itself ? Perhaps someone else has had experience with this on here?

[pikeslayer22]

Fire jumps a double lane highway. Doubt there's much you can do to prevent it burned...looking into insurance for mine.

[Torkdiesel]

Nothing you can do if a forest fire comes through. Let it burn and build a new one. Hopefully you have insurance and it doesn't cost you a bunch out of pocket.

[jigs]

From my experience the only preventive measure is to do as you have done by clearing all combustable material within a reasonable area around the site.

Another great technique is to install a sprinkler system. You need to have a water source, pump, hose line and sprinklers on the structure roof. Obviously you need to be there to activate it.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Guys, with large spruce or pine trees hanging over you cabin, we have no chance to stop a forest fire taking it down. We are not even allowed to clear more than the 1 acre site.

[nimrod]

A metal roof might be the first step to take,

[Big Grey Wolf]

Nimrod we have metal roofs on all our cabins, but when spruce or pine trees are burning right beside your log walls no chance to stop cabin from burning.

[nimrod]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Nimrod we have metal roofs on all our cabins, but when spruce or pine trees are burning right beside your log walls no chance to stop cabin from burning.

so true, so true

[Big Grey Wolf]

Anyone planning a new cabin build should consider picking your site in reasonable open country. Brian B wrote good story in last months AO and I like site they chose by lake in open. A second consideration would be to use metal on both roof and walls. Those 3 factors could save your cabin during a fire. If I remember Martin N built his expensive mountain line cabins with metal cladding. Also those fury Freeman guys that do not pay rent would have a tough time chewing through metal.

[RobinB]

All though it's nice to have trees right up to cabin,I have mine 75 yards out into a clearing.I don't have a pile of big trees left as my land burnt about 10 years ago before I owned it.But I have my cabin walls and roof covered in tin.The one thing I didn't consider is from what I've read the Sparks blow underneath and burn it from bottom up.There is a company in Calgary that makes a fire resistant paint that's supposed to be good.Might be something to consider. Robin

[Big Grey Wolf]

Robin, a guy could put metal skirt around bottom with some good metal vents for circulation. It would also help to keep the Freeman with their little fur coats out as they do not pay rent. It should stop sparks from getting underneath the cabin.

[pikeslayer22]

Think I will stick with building in the trees, as it's no fun being in an opening with the wind howling when it's 40 below in the winter. Also you would have to control the vegetation in the clearing. In a normal year the chance of a forest fire burning you out is pretty remote.

[35 whelen]

here's what I've done with my cabins tin sides and tin roofs

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[RobinB]

I guess that skirting would be a good option ,I was thinking it would be better to have some airflow underneath for moisture.The best would be to sheath complete floor with tin.Probaly also help to keep critters out as well.

[35 whelen]

I have some vents and about 1in off ground on the tin .

[dugh]

Our cabin is in bush on private land. I doubt we would re-build if a fire rips through. The whole idea is a cabin in the bush surrounded by beautiful birch and aspen or white poplar. Ironically though if the forest burns, the land would go up in value for agriculture use. Tuesday the Little Smoky fire was about 20 miles away, Friday the snow brought down trees and power lines, no more fire hazard. Our neighbour checked and sent a picture of a tree laid across the roof, luckily it is a small poplar that looks like it missed the chimney and just dented the ridge cap.
Doug

[Flight01]

You would have no chance stopping a fire like this one I've seen. That being said, not every fire will be so intense. I think tin all around, clearing back 30 or 40 feet, and most of all is location. If your building from scratch pick a lake shore? If possible. As far as I know my cabin is standing. Fort McMurray fire stalled to the north and the Janvier fire is under control , on my line but 8km south west of cabin. That's just luck. Hope I can keep it. The cabin is right in the jack pine near a creek and big muskeg but that won't stop nothing.

[Richftmac]

Many trap line cabins and the Clearwater river lodge were lost in the Fort McMurray fire. There were many variations of fire protection around some and none around others. When a wall of flames comes up to an open area just the grass burning up to the side of the cabin can cause damage or destruction. I had cleared the under brush away from the cabin about 100 feet away, trimmed the spruce tree branches off 25 ft up the trees and had a metal roof and skirting. All is lost but I will rebuild because that is the life style that my family enjoys and keeps me grounded.