# Why can't we build a fireproof shelter for our Forest Firefighters? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 2, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-build-a-fireproof-shelter-for-our-forest-firefighters/662472 "2013-07-02T19:28:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-build-a-fireproof-shelter-for-our-forest-firefighters/662472/61 "2013-07-04T22:20:32Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Name a part of the country that _isn’t_ subject to natural disaster. We’re not totally impervious to natural disaster, but how often do you notice FEMA getting sent to New England? The only big disasters in my life time were the blizzard of 78’ and the ice storm in 2008. I swear to God if someone counters with a mention of hurricane Sandy I’ll lose it. New York and New Jersey are **not** in New England as much as some of their residents wish they were. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-build-a-fireproof-shelter-for-our-forest-firefighters/662472/62 "2013-07-04T23:39:55Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > We’re not totally impervious to natural disaster, but how often do you notice FEMA getting sent to New England? The only big disasters in my life time were the blizzard of 78’ and the ice storm in 2008. > I swear to God if someone counters with a mention of hurricane Sandy I’ll lose it. New York and New Jersey are **not** in New England as much as some of their residents wish they were. Hurricane Irene caused a fair bit of damage in my area. There are still a handful of houses in my (tiny, tiny) town that are sitting derelict because of it. The house three down from mine had to be completely stripped and the interior rebuilt. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-build-a-fireproof-shelter-for-our-forest-firefighters/662472/63 "2013-07-05T05:18:36Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > We’re not totally impervious to natural disaster, but how often do you notice FEMA getting sent to New England? The only big disasters in my life time were the blizzard of 78’ and the ice storm in 2008. > I swear to God if someone counters with a mention of hurricane Sandy I’ll lose it. New York and New Jersey are **not** in New England as much as some of their residents wish they were. Major flooding in Vermont a few years ago? It took weeks for my brother to be able to get to his house (they hadn’t moved in, yet) to see if it survived. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-build-a-fireproof-shelter-for-our-forest-firefighters/662472/64 "2013-07-05T05:25:16Z")
On Canadian _Dragon’s Den_ a while back a firefighter pitched the idea of a [remote-controlled tank](http://www.westernwheel.com/article/20120125/WHE0801/301259980/-1/whe/tank-turned-into-wildfire-fighting-vehicle), specifically a T-72 chassis, to tackle fires. Distance is the best armour, but the cost was prohibitive. My guess is that the optics required for navigation also wouldn’t stand up to the heat…although maybe they could use aerial navigation. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-build-a-fireproof-shelter-for-our-forest-firefighters/662472/65 "2013-07-05T05:49:47Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > On Canadian _Dragon’s Den_ a while back a firefighter pitched the idea of a [remote-controlled tank](http://www.westernwheel.com/article/20120125/WHE0801/301259980/-1/whe/tank-turned-into-wildfire-fighting-vehicle), specifically a T-72 chassis, to tackle fires. > > Distance is the best armour, but the cost was prohibitive. My guess is that the optics required for navigation also wouldn’t stand up to the heat…although maybe they could use aerial navigation. [ol] [li]The terrain with most US wildland fires would prohibit its use.[/li][li]Water is not the essential component in wildland fire fighting.[/li][li]The damage to the soil structure for vegetation regrowth would be tremendous.[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-build-a-fireproof-shelter-for-our-forest-firefighters/662472/66 "2013-07-05T14:29:47Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > It does not seem unreasonable to me that people living in high and constant risk areas live in homes built to withstand or avoid those risks. 95% of our problems in fire/tornado/hurricane prone areas has to do with our obsession with cheap ass above ground housing. if we built Hobbit holes instead the fire/hurricane/tornado would just roll right over, and we would save piles of money on heating/cooling. Granted the upfront cost for these homes would be higher. A hurricane’s storm surge would inundate a hobbit hole. In fact, the Gulf Coast gets so many slow moving tropical systems that most of our houses–even beyond the reach of storm surge–have pier & beam foundations & no basements. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-build-a-fireproof-shelter-for-our-forest-firefighters/662472.md?page=3)