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shingobeek
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2024 17:58
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In the past 5 years we had a large, by MN standards, forest fire on our doorstep. That made me read the news about these huge wild fires out west in different light. Now, on a headwater lake, in a large system, we have 4 ft water level floods nobody has ever seen before.......I am glad I live 50 miles away to monitor deal with things as they come about, cant imagine living far away.....it would eat me inside out not seeing and knowing whats going on! How do you monitor things up at the shabin?
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 01:15
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Know anybody close that can keep check on it and send you phone pics if needed?
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Fanman
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 02:07
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When a forest fire threatened our cabin a few years back, it was a nailbiter because the authorities weren't allowing anybody into the area and information was limited. Fortunately, my neighbor at the time was a park ranger and he pretty much stayed on site for several days fighting any part of the fire that threatened the cabins in the community. The fire got close enough to scorch the wall of one cabin and was within about 20' of the propane storage "tank farm" before it was put out.
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frankpaige
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 02:22
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I especially worry about fires. My next door neighbor does Hipcamp rentals of his property. I have even started leaving 5 gallon jugs of water ther to make sure they can extinguish any campfire coals. Insurance? Too expensive! If it happens, it happens. I worry more about someone breaking in. It will never be what we worry about.
I found cameras that give me semi real time information. Cellular and solar. I cannot stop anything. But I can watch it happen. lol
It certainly is a fear. Fire, floods, vandalism. Gosh, wishing you the best.
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Curly
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 02:40
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Quoting: shingobeek How do you monitor things up at the shabin?
As for floods, I monitor this website from NOAA. It shows readings from gauges on rivers throughout the US.
https://water.noaa.gov
Zoom in on your area of interest and then click on the dots to get flood info on rivers near you. In general if the dot's color is green, that is good. Any other color is bad. See that attachment for an example of the info available for Rock Rapids Iowa at the moment, which is a problem area this week
I suspect there is a similar resource to monitor fires, but I don't know what that is.
Another resource would be the county Emergency Management agency. They sometimes provide updates on emergencies via Facebook and/or Twitter (now X).
Also, state 511 sites should show when roads are closed due to floods or blizzards.
As for storms, tornadoes, etc, many local TV stations offer an app or a text sign-up and will send you alerts.
2024 has been a bad weather year for many people. In April I watched from my deck as a tornado passed about two miles east of my house. Let's hope things settle down soon.
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ICC
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 03:31 - Edited by: ICC
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I live in a forested area, a few miles out of town. Several members of my family and I co-own a chunk of forest about 1.5 hours away in a more remote area. Wildfire is my/our biggest concern. We've been in this area for many decades. I have been witness to many wildfires in that time. Windblown, they can move frighteningly fast. They can also be somewhat capricious in how they move.
As much as I like the cabin area I decided some time ago that the best thing I/we could do was to use firewise practices and work at prevention and then if a fire was to strike, stay away, and leave if I was there. It is only recreational property and not worth my life or the life of any other family or friends. The fire prep paid off handsomely a few years back. We lost thousands of trees to the fire and some sheds 30+ feet away from the cabin, and the propane blew up. But the cabin itself was not even scorched anywhere.
I don't care to have live-time video monitoring because if there is a fire I don't want to be there. There is a remote weather recording station a few miles away and I can access that data at any time to be able to see local-ish weather conditions.
At home, my approach is a bit different. The area is very clean and firewise. We also have a fire suppression sprinkler system on the house, barns, and grounds. I do have a multi-camera surveillance system and a robust solar power system, and can monitor live from anywhere, as long as the internet is up and working.
Fortunately, flooding is not much of an issue as far as the actual cabin or home goes. No rivers or lakes.
Drenching rains can, and have, caused issues with road washouts, but that has been less of an issue than wildfires.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 11:23
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Fire and break ins are my biggest concern. I'm 7hrs away from my cabin, so not much I can do. Cellular trail cameras give me a daily update and at the minimum put my mind at ease.
Fire prevention to the best I can and hope for the best is about all you can do. Cabins are for stress relief, if its going to stress you out too much, then your defeating the point.
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Curly
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 14:33
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Fires are not on the "top five list" for threats here, so I don't know much about fires. However, I did find a site that monitors fires.
https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/usfs/map
It appears that the red dots on the map are past fires and the flames are active fires. I do not know how often this site is updated, or what size fires are indicated.
I don't really see these sources as "security measures". These sources will not save my cabin. I see the sources more as "trip savers" or "awareness aids". Several times I have learned of potential problems near my cabin and have been able to get good information from those sites, and that info convinced me that I didn't need to make a special trip out there to check on the place.
As for awareness, I once found myself stuck on a high spot for 4 days because of flooding. I had clues that there might be flood problems but didn't bother to check for how real the threat was. Now I try to be more aware and check these sources for threats when I get a clue there might be a problem. Just tryin' to keep myself outta trouble.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 16:10
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There is No total security; ya do the best ya can for the 'threats' exposed to and be resolved to the outcome(s).
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hattie
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 16:49
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Quoting: ICC We also have a fire suppression sprinkler system on the house,
We have done the Fire Smart course with our house/cabin. I have been curious about the sprinklers. Were they difficult to install and what water source do you use (just a garden hose?)? Do they need removing in the winter months due to snow? My husband and I are getting up there in age, and I am hoping to find something that won't involve going up on the roof every year.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 19:10 - Edited by: ICC
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Quoting: hattie I have been curious about the sprinklers. Were they difficult to install and what water source do you use
I did not install the system I purchased. System design and installation were all part of the package. Not inexpensive. Expect to spend $20K, or more nowadays for a typical home up to 2000 sq ft.
Our water is supplied from 2 cisterns that are buried in the hillside the house backs up to. I already had the cisterns. Power is from solar and/or backup propane generator.
The sprinkler heads and exterior piping are dry normally. There is a two-level arming and triggering system. The system also has zones. Before a fire arrives on scene it is possible to soak the environs with plain water for a while and then add a bio-degradable foam additive that provides extra protection against embers. Manual onsite or remote control or automatic triggering.
I had thought of doing my own system with rooftop and under-eve sprinkler heads fed by piping that would be fitted with drain valves for winter draining. Then a friend in CO had one of these professional systems installed and a couple of years later his home survived a wildfire while neighboring properties did not.
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hattie
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 20:32
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ICC - That sounds like an amazing system!! Unfortunately, it is out of our price range. I really like the idea of being able to add the bio-degradable foam if needed. I have never heard of that before.
I'm not sure if we will end up doing anything or not. Our Fire Chief said we could just put up an under eve sprinkler system. She said that it was more to increase the humidity around the house instead of putting out a fire.
There are so many things you can do. Our house is all sided in wood with a metal roof. If I ever won a lottery, I would reside it all in something fireproof. Unfortunately, my husband says we need to actually buy a lottery ticket first. 
Thank you for the information!!!
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 21:05
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Quoting: hattie She said that it was more to increase the humidity around the house instead of putting out a fire.
Yes, just creating a more humid micro climate can help as does being able to moisten the ground and wood siding for a few hours before a fire hits the location.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2024 18:25
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Hattie,
This site has some good ideas and a lot cheaper (still pricey though).
https://www.flashwildfireservices.ca/products/sprinkler-perimeter-package-6hp
My setup is a fire sprinkler up on my roof, fed by my water pump I already have to move water from the lake. I plumbed in a separate 5gal fuel tank.
Not going to run for too long, and I'd have to be there, but the plan is before I flee for safety I'd soak the entire area down, then leave this running and hope for the best.
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spencerin
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# Posted: 27 Jun 2024 02:26 - Edited by: spencerin
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I monitor with a cellular game camera. My biggest fear is a break-in. A tornado or fire is possible, too, but I don't worry about them much because if they were to happen, insurance would get me a new cabin. A break-in, on the other hand, would feel more like a personal violation, and also result in a long list of "nuisance" repairs.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 27 Jun 2024 15:27
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Quoting: spencerin monitor with a cellular game camera
Me too. I have a couple of old Spypoint Link Micros, those things have been more trouble.. I guess they have newer, hopefully better ones now, afraid to try. And have an even older Moultrie, solid as a brick.
I’m also insured through Nation Woodland Owners Association. Had that even longer. No idea what they cover, maybe just the trees! Only about 100 bucks a year last I checked.
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frankpaige
Member
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# Posted: 27 Jun 2024 18:07
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Quoting: paulz I have a couple of old Spypoint Link Micros, those things have been more trouble..
I have had the Spypoint FlexS for about 6 months.
I love it!
Easy to program, consistent in operation and the photos are very clear.
Now? Down the road? Time will tell.
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hattie
Member
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# Posted: 27 Jun 2024 22:59
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Quoting: FishHog Hattie, This site has some good ideas and a lot cheaper (still pricey though).
Thank you for the link FishHog!! 
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spencerin
Member
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2024 01:04
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paulz, I have the same camera. I actually had the solar model first, had to replace it twice (under warranty, thankfully), because water was getting through/around the solar panel and through the wiring hole into the camera, ruining its internals. Spypoint never got it figured out, so they eventually stopped selling the solar model. My second replacement was the battery model, which has been fine.
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paulz
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2024 12:28
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Yeah Spypoint has replaced both my Link Micros for free (one is watching the house), I’ll give them that, and their online tech support answers quickly enough. But going through the ‘reformat sd card, change out batteries, try another location..’ is a hassle when it was working fine before and never the problem. No wonder they replaced that model with the Flex that Frank has.
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shingobeek
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2024 18:57 - Edited by: shingobeek
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Interesting, as always, to hear the differing situations. Net net, having year round neighbors close to watch and be able to call is nice, fire wise of course and the weather resources many mentioned. Cameras for peace of mind.
I am water access and pretty remote, so being broken into is not too much of a worry. I study watersheds, so water issues are part of my work, and my work area is in the same part of the state of the cabin! It is very abnormal to get a headwater lake in flood conditions, but 8" in 22 hours will do it. I learned quite a bit from lots of various government sites and conversations and workshops after and during the fire.
Thanks for sharing its always cool to hear about the different settings, which obviously drives the biggest fears/worries of owners, especially recreational owners who are not on site always.
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