Homeowners have new options to protect from wildfire

March 19, 2011

fire officials are bracing for what could be the state's worst fire season in decades. but one retired new mexico firefighter says there are some new, innovative ways to protect your home -- along with some old techniques that are often overlooked. jeff maher is live in the newsroom with the details. jeff. one of the easiest things you can do to protect your home is exactly what is done on a regular basis here in the bosque -- where crews make sure trash and debris are removed, and large spaces are cleared near the trees to prevent a fire from easily jumping, but if you're willing to spend some money, there's a lot more you can do. "you have some branches over there, but those can easily be trimmed" gerald trainer lives near cedar crest. fires, are a constant threat. and after last week's destructive quail ridge fire in grant county, many homeowners are gearing up for what will likely be one rough fire season. "it's always in the back of your mind you know." kurt bowker, retired firefighter, and general manager of k-t-m contracting, says homeowners like trainer have many new options to protect their homes, including a water pumping system --- where rain-water collected from your roof is funneled to these water storage cubes beneath the ground. "and when a fire is coming, the homeowner hits a button, and then it puts the water back up onto the roof, which then surrounds the house itself" that's about 15- hundred bucks for a one-thousand gallon tank. adding a metal roof and metal siding is about two-to-five dollars per square foot. the most expensive option, is adding these concrete, and foam walls -- which bowker says are supposed to be totally fire-proof. "fully fire-proofing your home can cost tens of thousands of dollars, but, the most inexpensive way is to trim the trees and clear the brush, and that can cos- hundreds" "knowing where your shut-offs are, what your evacuation methods are, how you're going to get out is so important for any emergency of any size" more than 125 square miles have already burned across new mexico this year--- and the fire season doesn't traditionally start until may. live in the newsroom. jeff maher. kob. eyewitness news 4.