Plan a dedicated fire-fighting water reserve
In rural areas there is often no hydrant. A locked reserve of water that firefighters can reach may be required and can save the house.
How
- Ask your local fire authority what volume and fittings they require. Requirements are local, not universal.
- Example, El Dorado County, California: a local standard based on NFPA 1142 asks for 9,460 L (2,500 US gal) for a home up to about 110 square metres (1,200 sq ft) without sprinklers, rising to 18,900 L (5,000 gal) up to about 230 square metres (2,500 sq ft).
- The same example requires the tank at least 9 m (30 ft) from buildings, a hose outlet with standard fire thread fittings, and a draft hydrant 15 to 76 m (50 to 250 ft) from the protected building beside fire truck access.
- Larger or unusual buildings may be sized with the NFPA 1142 formula (building volume times a construction factor divided by a hazard factor), as Fresno County explains.
- Keep the fire reserve separate from daily storage, or fit the domestic draw-off above the reserve level so daily use can never empty it.
- Coordinate with the safety module's wildfire plan and add the volume to the storage calculator.
Do these first
Sources
- Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire Fighting (local standard based on NFPA 1142). Cameron Park Fire Department, El Dorado County, California, accessed 2026-11
- Guidelines for Calculating NFPA 1142 Minimum Water Supply. Fresno County Fire Protection District, California, accessed 2026-11