The recent Los Angeles fires have caused widespread devastation, destroying approximately 20,000 structures and displacing tens of thousands of residents. Despite this destruction, some homes have managed to survive the blazes. One such example is a mansion in Malibu owned by Waste Management CEO David Steiner, which was saved likely due to its fire-resistant materials.
In Palisades Highlands, Gene and Patrick Golling attribute their home’s survival to a homemade water pump and their swimming pool. Before evacuating, they used the pump to spray 20,000 gallons of water from their pool onto their house and nearby hillside. Upon returning two days later, they found their home intact. Patrick Golling expressed his surprise: “This tree that had caught fire and this hill below… if [the property] wasn’t soaking for five hours, that the fire would have lit up and burned everything.”
The water pump was purchased from Brushfire Battle Systems, a small company in South Pasadena founded by David Whitman. Whitman explained the pumps are self-contained sprinkler systems designed to draw water from swimming pools to protect properties. The demand for these pumps has surged recently with hundreds of back orders.
Whitman began creating these pumps in 2019 after noticing that many Los Angeles residents had unused water sources during fires. His experience as an environmental science teacher informed his awareness of climate change impacts, leading him to develop a solution using high-pressure water pumps.
According to Brushfire Battle Systems’ website, the pumps can deliver 90 gallons per minute over a 200-foot radius. They range in price from $1,895 to $5,895 and are powered by a Honda engine. The pumps also require mandatory training for proper use.
Despite the increase in demand for his product, Whitman advises against untrained homeowners attempting to fight active fires themselves: “Do not fight a raging brush fire yourself,” warns his website.
Looking ahead, Whitman is collaborating with partners to streamline production as demand continues to grow. Reflecting on past struggles with selling his product and receiving skepticism from potential buyers like housing communities in Marin County last year, Whitman feels validated now that people recognize the importance of proactive fire defense measures.
“California needs to get its act together,” he states. “These fires are unmanageable. Neighborhoods need to fight for themselves.” It appears Whitman’s company will remain busy addressing these challenges for some time.
