Hidden Hills, Yorba Linda, CA

[alanmcorcoran]

The sprinklers on the roof is not a bad idea. Here's what else I think might help:

1) Equip all homes that are occupied by healthy, fit (men or women) with a standard set of fire fighting gear including breathing apparatus and goggles.
2) Allow them to become "instant" junior volunteers with their garden hoses under the same rules of engagement as the firemen.

It might backfire and result in the misguided or overconfident getting occasionally cooked (this happens with the pros as well) but many of the homes that did not burn were saved by the homeowners, neighbors, or, in one case, an off duty policeman, that simply kept the flames from getting a foothold. Often, they simply stationed themselves up on the roof with nothing more than a garden hose.

When you have very high winds, this approach is dangerous, but a number of these houses that went up caught on fire from a stray ember blowing into the eaves, or through an open window.