Exterior Wildfire
Sprinkler Systems
Roof and perimeter wetting systems, engineered for Inland Northwest conditions and built to still work when the power and the water pressure do not.
How They Work
Raise the moisture, lower the odds of ignition
An exterior sprinkler system wets the roof, the walls and the ground immediately around a structure ahead of an approaching fire. Damp materials are far harder for wind-blown embers to ignite, and the humidity a running system puts into the air around the building works in your favor too.
These systems are a layer, not a guarantee. They work best on a property that has already had the defensible space work done, and we will tell you plainly if we think your money is better spent on that first.
01 — The Part That Matters Most
Independent water supply
This is where cheap systems fail. During a major fire, municipal pressure often drops hard: crews are drawing from hydrants, pump stations lose power, and every homeowner on the block has a hose running. A system tied only to city water can be dry exactly when you need it.
- Dedicated storage sized to the run time you actually need
- Pump sized to the number of heads, not guessed at
- Draw from a pond, cistern or tank where the site allows
- Designed so you are not competing with the fire crews for water
02 — Backup Power
The grid goes down in a fire
Utilities cut power during high-wind fire events, and lines burn. A system that needs household current is a system that will not run on the day it matters. Every install we design assumes the power is already out.
- Generator or battery backup on the pump
- Fuel capacity matched to intended run time
- Controls that do not depend on household current
- Tested under load, not just switched on once
03 — Activation
You will probably be evacuated
That is the whole design problem. Most people are not home when the order comes, so a system you have to be standing next to is close to useless. We set these up to be started from somewhere else, and to keep running without you.
- Remote activation from your phone where coverage allows
- Manual override at the equipment for when you are home
- Zoning so you can run roof, perimeter or both
- Cycling options to stretch a limited water supply
04 — Built For Here
It has to survive a Spokane winter
This is the piece out-of-area installers get wrong. A system full of standing water will split when it hits January, and you find out the following August. We have been blowing out and winterizing irrigation in this valley for two decades, and these systems get designed the same way from day one.
- Full drain-down and blow-out capability designed in
- Freeze-tolerant routing and component selection
- Annual winterization and spring startup service
- Pre-season testing so you know it runs
Worth Knowing
What these systems will and will not do
-
+
Good against embers
The most common way homes ignite, and the case where wetting helps most.
-
+
Buys margin
Damp surfaces and raised humidity around the structure work in your favor.
-
−
Not a guarantee
Under direct flame contact and extreme conditions, no system is a sure thing.
-
−
Not a substitute
On a property with brush against the siding, the clearing work matters more.
Site-Specific By Nature
Every property prices out differently
Roof area, water source, slope, power and how long you want it to run all change the design. The only honest way to quote one is to come look. The walkthrough is free.