I've got a great idea for a business, one which may make a bit of profit for some entrepreneur, as well as provide a useful product and service which would be of great value to the customer. I've never been psychologically or temperamentally suited for running my own business, and I'm busy doing other things anyway, so I'm placing it here for anyone who might be interested in trying it out in the marketplace, no strings attached. Good luck.

When I lived in California, I noted how frequent wildfires often caused severe property damage and a personal threat to homeowners in rural areas. Whe a fire comes through, the emergency services are usually overwhelmed, power is interrupted, municipal water pressure drops drastically and roads are cut, making travel in and out of the area difficult and dangerous. California is particularly vulnerable, but this can happen anywhere in the country. Other than appropriate landscaping, there is little a homeowner can do to protect himself.

My idea is that pumping water through the home's lawn sprinkler system may offer some protection from fire damage. If the house and landscaping are soaked thoroughly, and the sprinklers are appropriately spaced and deliver high volumes of water, it may keep the house safe for the short period it takes for a typical wildfire to pass through a property. The interruption in utility water and electricity can be dealt with by using a home generator for power and a family well or swimming pool as a source of emergency water.

The business end would involve installing the plumbing, pumps and generators needed to carry this out, and upgrading the home's existing internal and external sprinkler systems to meet fire-fighting needs. All mechanical components of the system would be fire-hardened, of course. The last step would be the installation of a control panel allowing the home owner to switch between municipal and domestic utility water and power sources and to operate the system in several different modes, depending on the severity of the fire. Part of the installation cost would include training and documentation on how to use the system, and there would be an optional annual maintenance and testing service.

Installation of such a system would be expensive, but I'd be willing to bet the insurance companies would be willing to give homes so equipped a break in their premiums, which might make up for part of the expense. Besides, people who live in rural California and own swimming pools can probably afford it.