EAGLE, Idaho — It’s been an active wildfire season in Idaho, with multiple fires threatening homes across the state. In Eagle, neighbors are reflecting on last year’s foothills fires and looking for ways to better protect their properties.
“We prepare for it — not because it’s something that we want to do, but it’s part of living in Idaho,” said Jim McMahon, who lives in the Eagle foothills.
McMahon says he's seen fires burn just across the road from his home and worries about protecting both his property and his extensive system of beehives.
“This goes like crazy, and the fire goes up the hill, so if you’re sitting on top of the hill like this, that’s a potential danger for you,” McMahon said, pointing out dry grass and sagebrush on a steep hillside.
WATCH | See how McMahon is using fire retardant to protect his property—
“When it happens, the fire gets out of control very quickly," he added.
McMahon said he recently discovered Clore Wildfire Defense, a company run by two California teenagers that sells a household fire retardant designed to help protect homes and vegetation.
“We could go ahead and spray this and if you had a fire come through here, you’ll see everything here burn except this,” Clore Co-Founder Sebastien Burkhardt said, while spraying sagebrush with the retardant.
Burkhardt said the retardant can be sprayed on any flammable surfaces or plants near homes.
“It’s decks, it’s wood fencing that’s attached to homes and it sagebrush and all those things within 15 feet of a property,” Burkhardt said. “It helps make vegetation either have a harder time to burn or be unable to burn."
The company said the retardant can withstand up to 3 inches of rain before washing away.
“It’s primarily made out of salt and fertilizer so it’s safer use around pets humans and also the environment,” Clore Co-Founder Barrett Deng said.
For McMahon, the do-it-yourself kit offers another layer of preparation during wildfire season.
“Well, I can’t control a major fire, but I can control how it approaches my house and how close it gets to it,” McMahon said.
Clore Wildfire Defense kits range from $350 to $1,000 and are one of a few different options on the market. The retardant costs about $65 per gallon, which can be used on homes and surrounding vegetation.
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