The Gollings' story highlights the importance of preparedness in facing wildfires. Their custom-made water system, combined with preventative measures like brush clearing, played a crucial role in saving their home from the destructive Palisades Fire.
A father and son's ingenuity and preparation played a crucial role in saving their home from the devastating Palisades Fire. Gene and Patrick Golling, residents of the Palisades Highlands neighborhood, found themselves amidst a community ravaged by flames. While many lost everything, their property stood as a beacon of resilience.
The Gollings attribute their survival to two key factors: clearing brush from their property and an unconventional water system they had installed the previous summer. This unique system, consisting of a generator, pump, their swimming pool, hoses, and sprinklers, was purchased after Gene Golling saw an online advertisement for similar equipment. Costing just under $3,700, it was a proactive measure taken in anticipation of a potential disaster. Gene remembered thinking, 'I envisioned this being burning. I said to myself, this is a catastrophe to happen.' Although they couldn't have foreseen the fire's magnitude or proximity, the Gollings had tested the system months earlier. It was designed to allow them to utilize water from their pool to douse the surrounding area in case of a fire. When the flames approached on Tuesday, the Gollings activated their system, running it continuously for 10 hours, soaking the hillside surrounding their home. On Thursday, when they returned, the fire's path became starkly apparent. A tree that had caught fire and the scorched hillside below served as a testament to the intensity of the blaze. Patrick Golling reflected, 'That’s when it occurred to us, if this wasn’t soaking for five hours, that the fire would have lit up and burned everything.' Their home, along with a few others, emerged as a testament to their foresight and preparation. Patrick expressed his empathy for their neighbors who faced a tragic loss. 'People should be better prepared for future fires,' he urged. 'Fires aren't going anywhere.' Their story underscores the importance of preparedness in wildfire-prone areas. While their system may not be financially feasible for everyone, the Gollings emphasize other crucial steps homeowners can take. In addition to their water system, they cleared dead vegetation from their property and moved patio furniture away from their home. For those without a pool, they recommend investing in water storage tanks that can be connected to a sprinkler system, ensuring a readily available water source during firefighting efforts. The Gollings' experience offers a glimmer of hope amidst the devastation, but it also serves as a stark reminder of the realities of living in wildfire-prone areas. As climate change intensifies the risk of such catastrophic fires, preparedness may ultimately determine the difference between survival and loss
Wildfire Preparedness Home Safety Water System Climate Change
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