- 3 hours ago
Homestead Rescue Season 14 Episode 1
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Short filmTranscript
00:00:00Our water supply, we can't grow and move for ourselves.
00:00:02I have been hovering around a breaking point.
00:00:05There was a 5,000 acre fire coming straight at us.
00:00:09It's the chickens versus the heat, and the heat is winning.
00:00:12Fire terrifies them.
00:00:14So the homesteaders just stand still.
00:00:15They're stuck here.
00:00:16Nothing's going to survive.
00:00:18Is that fire?
00:00:19Nothing's prepared to survive.
00:00:21This is worst case scenario.
00:00:24I have a guy to drive me to the airport
00:00:26so I can head back to Alaska.
00:00:28Please apologize to the family.
00:00:32Wow.
00:00:47A long, long time ago, someone said,
00:00:50go west, young man, and he did.
00:00:54There are black bears, there's mountain lions,
00:00:57there's coyotes.
00:00:58You're going to run into some wild animals on this homestead.
00:01:02Super dry, super arid, super warm.
00:01:05It's supposed to be 100 degrees the entire time we're here.
00:01:08That's odd.
00:01:12The rainies are traveling to a homestead
00:01:14perched in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
00:01:17A haven for wilderness attics, the region offers a blend of rolling hills,
00:01:22oak woodlands, and wildflower meadows, with the sunny climate providing a long growing season.
00:01:28However, record rainfall this year, followed by intense heat and drought,
00:01:34have sparked the most extreme wildfires in California history,
00:01:38paralyzing off-gridders, forcing predators to prey on livestock while deer decimate gardens.
00:01:45It is amidst this volatile mix that the Lytle-Hayes family find themselves struggling to hold on.
00:01:53Hi, my name is Stefania Hayes.
00:01:56I'm John Lytle, and we live on 30 acres in Northern California.
00:02:02This homestead is one of the most meaningful things I've ever tried to achieve.
00:02:08When we first looked at this property, it was a lot of first sight.
00:02:12There was just bare land, oak trees and grasses, and a well, and that was it.
00:02:18We thought we could just live in the RV for a year and then we'd have some kind of a
00:02:22house to move into.
00:02:23Eight years later, that is not the case.
00:02:26A big part of that is we screw up major parts of the build that have to then be rebuilt.
00:02:33And with every mistake, that means it takes years of progress away.
00:02:40And we're constantly worried about our water supply.
00:02:43The sun is brutal on plants.
00:02:46The drought is bad for several years at a time.
00:02:50Pretty scary.
00:02:51We've had very limited successes in growing food for ourselves.
00:02:56Though determined, the couple faced a series of setbacks that halted progress.
00:03:01But it's an ominous and growing threat that's left the homestead truly paralyzed.
00:03:07Fire is a way of life out here. I mean, we have fire season.
00:03:10It's more of a when rather than if.
00:03:13They've put so much into this homestead.
00:03:15They've put their hopes, their dreams, all their money.
00:03:19I personally have been hovering around a breaking point for probably three years.
00:03:25If you look around, there's a little bit of everything happening right now, which means a whole lot of nothing
00:03:30is getting done and it's very stressful.
00:03:32I can't even fathom walking away.
00:03:34But we don't know how to move forward.
00:03:37Greenies, we need your help.
00:03:43Hello.
00:03:45Hello.
00:03:47Good morning.
00:03:48Welcome.
00:03:49I'm Stefania.
00:03:49Nice to meet you.
00:03:50Marty Rainey.
00:03:51I'm John.
00:03:52John, who are these folks, please?
00:03:53I'm dad for John.
00:03:54This is your father.
00:03:55My dad, yeah.
00:03:56And?
00:03:56Irene.
00:03:57Irene.
00:03:58Now, what possessed you to live on a mountaintop?
00:04:02We love the land here.
00:04:04It's so beautiful to us.
00:04:06I grew up around here and we've always been drawn to the beauty.
00:04:10How long have you guys owned this property?
00:04:12We've been here for eight years.
00:04:14Eight years.
00:04:15That house looks pretty nice.
00:04:16Are you living in there?
00:04:17No.
00:04:17We'd love to, but no.
00:04:19Where do you live?
00:04:21Between an RV and what we call the pump house.
00:04:25Are you about to move in there?
00:04:26Are you going to move in there while we're here?
00:04:28How far along is it?
00:04:30We're stuck.
00:04:31Yeah.
00:04:31It's just one of those things where we're very close but very far away from moving into
00:04:35it.
00:04:35We've just hit roadblock after roadblock.
00:04:38But the elephant on the homestead, is this 30 acres prepared for a fire?
00:04:45Absolutely not.
00:04:46Why?
00:04:46Eight years.
00:04:47We have all sorts of structures we've been building, but we haven't been able to fireproof
00:04:55everything.
00:04:56It's just been too much for us to handle.
00:04:59We've been in California dealing with forest fires before on other homesteads.
00:05:03Every single thing is burnt to the ground.
00:05:05Where was your house?
00:05:06Right here.
00:05:06Right here.
00:05:07You're parked in our living room.
00:05:08There's nothing left.
00:05:10No.
00:05:11And I think for us, we know the devastation, the seriousness.
00:05:15We've experienced it firsthand.
00:05:17So you realize the importance of fire protection.
00:05:21And what do you guys think of these guys living out here?
00:05:24They need drastic help, to be honest.
00:05:27Yeah.
00:05:27They've had so many problems.
00:05:29We're a little embarrassed to admit where we're at.
00:05:32I think that, you know, you're coming here at a really great time.
00:05:36It's just hard to admit sometimes that we're in a place where we need help.
00:05:42Over the course of my life, I've moved 35 times.
00:05:45A lot of this had to do with, you know, being in a military family growing up.
00:05:50There was a lot of, you know, chaos and trauma growing up, which affected me really greatly.
00:05:56Finding the place where I want to spend the rest of my life was really important to me.
00:06:00I've been ready for a long time to find a place to put down roots.
00:06:06We have water.
00:06:07Our main goals for this homestead were to be more self-reliant and sufficient and secure.
00:06:16We had so much momentum going and it all just kind of came to a halt.
00:06:22Recently, I lost my job.
00:06:24Then there was a huge 5,000 acre fire coming straight at us.
00:06:29And that was paralyzing, terrifying.
00:06:34We thought we were going to lose everything.
00:06:37Definitely changed me.
00:06:39I felt quite broken and worried about the future, knowing our vulnerabilities.
00:06:47We've been on the edge of giving up.
00:06:49We're not sure how much longer it'll be.
00:06:51It's just so hard to look out at our unfinished homestead and feel like we can't make it.
00:07:01I mean, look at that.
00:07:02This is amazing.
00:07:04Very smart.
00:07:05I'm very impressed.
00:07:07I understand loud and clear what's happening here.
00:07:10You know, you're building it the right way, which is more expensive, and you ran out of money.
00:07:17Yeah.
00:07:17I get it.
00:07:19That said, this looks dangerous.
00:07:24What is the plan to protect life and property from this 45-degree slope, which is covered with this dry,
00:07:32flammable grass, weeds, trees, bushes?
00:07:36Yeah.
00:07:37What's the plan?
00:07:38Clear as much as I can.
00:07:40And I've cut down some trees, but it is trees and brush all the way around.
00:07:46I put in water lines with little hydrants.
00:07:50Show me where that water's coming from, please.
00:07:51Yeah, you got it.
00:07:57All right, and here, there's a well that goes 400 feet into the ground.
00:08:01It runs about seven gallons a minute.
00:08:04That's probably why that 3,000-gallon tank's on the side of that mountain.
00:08:07Exactly.
00:08:08Okay.
00:08:08How much water's in that tank right this second?
00:08:10Right now, we have no idea.
00:08:12Don't take this personally, but I think I would always know how much water is in that tank,
00:08:17because I will never know when the forest fire is going to come knocking.
00:08:22If you choose to homestead in these mountains that are, frankly, a tinderbox,
00:08:30you can get all excited and make plans and even start a big home,
00:08:33but everything's at risk until you manage that property so that it can defend itself when comes the predator.
00:08:43Not bear, not mountain lion, not coyote.
00:08:46Fire.
00:08:49This resembles a garden?
00:08:51Yes.
00:08:52We started off calling this our practice garden just because we had really no experience growing stuff.
00:08:59It's not really enough space to grow enough food to get you through a year,
00:09:04Yeah.
00:09:04Um, but we've learned a lot here, which is helpful.
00:09:07And I have to say, for a practice garden, this looks pretty good.
00:09:10It's small, but, I mean, things are alive.
00:09:12I've seen worse.
00:09:13You have other gardens?
00:09:14Is there just one garden?
00:09:15Oh yeah, we have multiple areas that are getting this right away,
00:09:17getting started, I'd be happy to show you.
00:09:19Okay, take me to the next one.
00:09:21Okay.
00:09:22Hearing things like, this is our starter garden,
00:09:25this is our practice garden.
00:09:27Over here on the right, we started blackberries,
00:09:30raspberries.
00:09:31Somehow it's turned into this sprawl
00:09:34that has gotten out of hand.
00:09:36We have big dreams for this garden,
00:09:37but it's a little embarrassing.
00:09:41What's your plan? What's the vision?
00:09:43Because right now I see a sprawl.
00:09:45We really want to grow like 60 to 80% of our food.
00:09:49It's just been really hard to make it real.
00:09:52Like, yeah, you know.
00:09:54We're in California, folks.
00:09:56There's a ton of agriculture,
00:09:57and then you get to this homestead,
00:09:59and it's pretty much dead.
00:10:02Having this garden sprawl,
00:10:04you're required to be in too many places at the same time,
00:10:06and it's very difficult to maintain.
00:10:08It would be so much simpler, so much easier on her
00:10:12if it was consolidated, right out their back door,
00:10:16and maybe even offering their homestead fire protection.
00:10:20It's been a lot.
00:10:22You know, we just didn't expand the way we thought.
00:10:25It's on the back burner.
00:10:27Definitely back burner.
00:10:28And it's burned.
00:10:29Yeah.
00:10:30Yeah, it is. It is.
00:10:32When you look around the homestead,
00:10:33there's so many unfinished projects.
00:10:35I feel like Stefania and John knew,
00:10:38come the next forest fire,
00:10:39everything was going to burn to the ground,
00:10:40so they thought, what's the point?
00:10:42They're living in fear.
00:10:50Here's where the chickens are.
00:10:52The young ones are over here.
00:10:54Okay.
00:10:54And the adults are back here.
00:10:56This is like Alcatraz.
00:10:59They have to get down and crawl in.
00:11:00I'm not the tallest person in the world,
00:11:02but if I had to bend over in that, you know,
00:11:06like, actually, I might just get stuck down there.
00:11:08Yeah.
00:11:09You got to be able to build stuff
00:11:10that's not just manageable for the animals,
00:11:12but you have to be able to be in those coops,
00:11:15managing the animals as well, and be comfortable.
00:11:18I feel like this homestead definitely was started off
00:11:20on the right foot in a lot of ways.
00:11:22I think so.
00:11:23The heat is one big problem here.
00:11:25Yeah, this is an extreme area,
00:11:28especially this time of year.
00:11:29It's so dry, and this grass is so flammable.
00:11:34I can just see a fire just raging up this mountain,
00:11:37climbing that grass, I mean, going through here,
00:11:41and it's going to turn everything upside down.
00:11:45This homestead, it's a little mountainous,
00:11:48and it's a lot hot.
00:11:50Everything is dry as a bone,
00:11:53and they're having the worst two years of fire season.
00:11:56And this grass is definitely one of the most flammable
00:12:00ladder fields I've ever seen.
00:12:02I am not just going to try to help the homestead
00:12:04with the livestock issues before I'm going to worry
00:12:07about those chickens getting roasted in a fire.
00:12:10Sounds great.
00:12:11Thanks for showing me around.
00:12:12Okay, thank you.
00:12:20I think we're all on the same page.
00:12:23This evening breeze feels good,
00:12:25but it's really an omen for what can go wrong here.
00:12:29I mean, one spark in this whole entire 30 acres
00:12:32is on the side of the mountain.
00:12:34It's gone.
00:12:34So they're living in the RV and the pump house.
00:12:37Because they're so spread out, they have a garden sprawl.
00:12:40But the bigger concern, I agree with Dad.
00:12:44What is the fire protection?
00:12:45What is the evacuation plan?
00:12:47How are we protecting this homestead and the homesteaders?
00:12:51That's what I care most about.
00:12:53I looked at the chicken coop.
00:12:55There's a battle of what's really hurting
00:12:58these chickens right now.
00:12:59It's the chickens versus the heat.
00:13:01Heat is winning, which isn't something that's good
00:13:04for egg laying, making it safe.
00:13:06That, to me, is the biggest motivator.
00:13:09But I don't think that they've tried anything
00:13:12to protect their livestock from wildfires.
00:13:16Nothing's going to survive.
00:13:17Nothing's prepared to survive.
00:13:19On most homesteads, you hit the ground running,
00:13:24trying to get them set up with shelter, food, water,
00:13:28predator control.
00:13:29However, I find out in the first hour on this homestead
00:13:33that the problem is life and property.
00:13:37The first order of business is, how do you protect it
00:13:41from forest fires?
00:13:43Let's go have a chat with them.
00:13:52Didn't you guys all stand here this morning and say
00:13:55that the forest fire was just on the other side of that ridge?
00:13:58That's right.
00:13:58So if that happened again in this breeze,
00:14:01how long do you guys think it would take for that forest fire
00:14:03to get from that hill to this hill?
00:14:06Just minutes.
00:14:07We've got to do something, right?
00:14:08Yeah.
00:14:09OK.
00:14:10Do me a favor.
00:14:11Get a good night's rest, because we're
00:14:12going to hit the ground running.
00:14:13OK.
00:14:14Got it.
00:14:15Fair enough?
00:14:31All right, kids, here's some crazy news.
00:14:35I'm having Kai to drive me to the airport
00:14:38so I can head back to Alaska and deal with something
00:14:40that's happening right here.
00:14:42Yesterday morning, my eye went blurry.
00:14:45I started getting no things right here.
00:14:47And it's hurting behind my eyes.
00:14:49So please apologize to the family.
00:14:54Whoa.
00:14:55Yeah.
00:15:06Hey, you guys.
00:15:07Hi.
00:15:08Hey.
00:15:08Good morning.
00:15:09It's early morning on the second day of a daunting rescue,
00:15:13one that's about to get even more challenging.
00:15:16We have some news that we need to share with you.
00:15:19Uh-oh.
00:15:19Uh-oh.
00:15:20So my dad had a medical emergency.
00:15:23Oh, no.
00:15:24And he is not going to be here today,
00:15:26and possibly not for the whole week.
00:15:28Oh, no way.
00:15:30After putting off concerning symptoms for several days,
00:15:34Marty made the difficult decision
00:15:35to seek medical attention in hopes
00:15:38of returning before week's end.
00:15:41This is worst case scenario, right?
00:15:42We're on a homestead.
00:15:44My dad's not here.
00:15:45Everybody's got to step up.
00:15:46But those are some pretty big cowboy boots to fill,
00:15:49and I think we have a pretty busy week,
00:15:52because no matter what, these homesteaders
00:15:55still need our help.
00:15:56I think he did the right thing by getting care,
00:15:59and we're glad that he did.
00:16:00And we're grateful for any help that, you know,
00:16:03we can get here.
00:16:04OK.
00:16:04So full steam ahead?
00:16:05Absolutely.
00:16:06OK.
00:16:06So we just have to say one more thing.
00:16:09I think this is going to be kind of weird,
00:16:10but in honor of my dad, Clint!
00:16:17He responds quicker to me and you than he does to dad.
00:16:21We know Marty is a workhorse.
00:16:23However, the rest of the team, Misty and Matt,
00:16:26are, like, super expert homesteaders, too.
00:16:29So this is Clint.
00:16:31These are the homesteaders, Clint.
00:16:32Nice to meet you.
00:16:33Nice to meet you, too.
00:16:34And we're just so grateful that they're able to be here
00:16:36to see the rescue through.
00:16:38We definitely, you know, will miss Marty
00:16:40if he can't come back.
00:16:42But we feel, like, really stoked
00:16:44about having everybody here.
00:16:47So I think between the three of us, we got it.
00:16:50Ready?
00:16:51Yeah, we are totally ready.
00:16:55Before Misty and Matt can begin to make a game plan,
00:16:58they've called in critical support.
00:17:02How's it going?
00:17:03Good.
00:17:04How are you?
00:17:04Good.
00:17:05We're bringing in Scott, the fire chief, in Copperopolis.
00:17:10He dealt with the Arrow fire.
00:17:12And bringing him onto this homestead
00:17:13and getting as many fire safety tips
00:17:16as we possibly can is the thing we need
00:17:18to make this homestead safe.
00:17:20So how many fires are happening in California right now?
00:17:24Do you know?
00:17:25Right now, there's probably over two dozen active fires
00:17:28throughout from San Diego up to Oregon.
00:17:30Oh, wow.
00:17:31Various stages, the largest one being over 400,000 acres.
00:17:35Due to its native dry climate,
00:17:38California has become one of the top states in the country
00:17:40to see widespread wildfires, with an average annual property loss
00:17:45of over $117 billion between 2017 and 2021.
00:17:51The deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California's history,
00:17:56the Camp Fire of 2018, consumed over 150,000 acres and left 85 dead.
00:18:03The mountainous regions of Northern California are especially at risk
00:18:07due to katabatic winds that fan flames, quickly consuming ladder fuels such as dry brush
00:18:13and dead trees, leading to an uphill wildfire spread almost 15 miles per hour.
00:18:21So what advice do you have for us?
00:18:23So best advice is we look at the defensible space.
00:18:26So 100 foot is what the state of California requires.
00:18:29Oh, wow.
00:18:30Within that 100 feet, ideally you have 5 feet around your structure
00:18:33to remove any type of vegetation.
00:18:35So we look at bare mineral soil, pavers, gravel,
00:18:39anything that won't sustain combustion for it to creeping up against the house.
00:18:43From the 5 to 30, we want to reduce those fuels as best we can.
00:18:46So any dead, dying grasses, brush, sticks, limbs,
00:18:50remove them out of that 30-foot zone.
00:18:53That's a plane.
00:18:54That's one of our air techs.
00:18:55So there's a fire right here somewhere that he's tracking?
00:18:58And here comes the air tanker.
00:19:00This guy?
00:19:00Yeah, it's probably 8-2 or 8-3.
00:19:02So that's full of retardant, 1,200 gallons of retardant.
00:19:05We had planes flying over that were, like, filled with fire retardant.
00:19:10Here's another one?
00:19:11Yep, tanker 8-2 and 3.
00:19:14Cal Fire is on such high alert right now,
00:19:17anything can happen at any second.
00:19:20Let's talk evacuation plans.
00:19:22So what's the number you should shoot for?
00:19:2510 minutes.
00:19:2510 minutes?
00:19:26Yep.
00:19:26From the moment you get that call, that warning?
00:19:29Correct.
00:19:29On your phone, you should be gone in 10 minutes?
00:19:31Ideally.
00:19:33After speaking with Scott, and just that wealth of knowledge,
00:19:36the plan that I had in my head needs to be modified.
00:19:40Yay, nice to meet you.
00:19:41Bye.
00:19:42The last fire that swept through this homestead,
00:19:44the homesteaders did not evacuate.
00:19:47I don't even know if they have an evacuation plan,
00:19:49but we need to find out.
00:19:54Hey, you guys, step on out here.
00:19:56Oh, hey, guys.
00:19:56Step on out.
00:19:57So here's the deal.
00:19:59OK.
00:19:59We want to see firsthand the evacuation drill,
00:20:04starting now.
00:20:05Oh, what?
00:20:06OK, let's do it.
00:20:07Uh, OK.
00:20:09Chickens.
00:20:09Chickens?
00:20:10Go.
00:20:10OK.
00:20:12I was really surprised to be caught so off guard,
00:20:16but we are incredibly grateful for the test,
00:20:19for the stress of it even, because this is going
00:20:22to set us up to be safer on the homestead.
00:20:25Get the grates.
00:20:29That one.
00:20:31What I really like about what they're doing right now
00:20:33is they went straight to life, right?
00:20:36Yeah.
00:20:36Protect life and property.
00:20:37There you go, girl.
00:20:39Can you come over here, and I'll try to hand you chickens?
00:20:41Yeah.
00:20:42I know you'll, you're my baby.
00:20:45OK, medals, here we go.
00:20:46Careful.
00:20:47I got her.
00:20:49And when you go on the cat carrier, I know you're not a cat.
00:20:5310 minutes for this area is what the fire chief recommends.
00:20:56Get out in 10 minutes when you get that evacuation notice.
00:20:59We're halfway.
00:21:00We have five minutes.
00:21:02Right.
00:21:02Uh, OK.
00:21:08In you go.
00:21:09OK.
00:21:09Come here.
00:21:10I know, this is so weird, right?
00:21:13Oh, my gosh.
00:21:1410 minutes is a short amount of time.
00:21:16Oh, I'm stressing you guys out.
00:21:19Oh, no.
00:21:20Come on, now.
00:21:21I actually feel really bad in this moment.
00:21:23Like, I can't believe we're putting the homesteaders through this,
00:21:25but they look like they're not even close to getting ready
00:21:30to evacuate this homestead.
00:21:31We're at almost eight minutes.
00:21:33This needs improvement.
00:21:36Are we getting them just in the car?
00:21:38Yeah.
00:21:38I think they know what they need to do.
00:21:40I don't think they're prepared at all.
00:21:42Stay.
00:21:46She's got her bag.
00:21:47What's in the bag?
00:21:48The bird?
00:21:49Yeah.
00:21:49Where's John?
00:21:51They didn't load the chickens.
00:21:52I want chickens.
00:21:54Oh, my gosh.
00:21:54I'm so stressed out right now.
00:21:56Are they coming to you?
00:21:57No, they're not.
00:21:59Five, four, three, two, one.
00:22:07Oh, no.
00:22:09That's it.
00:22:10Time's up.
00:22:11Time's up.
00:22:12I think we lost.
00:22:20Here's the deal.
00:22:21We've heard from the fire chief for this region.
00:22:24You have, from the moment you receive the evacuation on your phone, ten minutes, ideally.
00:22:30No longer, if anything, less than.
00:22:33We gave you ten minutes and this is how far you got nowhere near ready to evacuate this
00:22:38homestead.
00:22:39Yeah.
00:22:40Yeah.
00:22:40This is, I think, eye-opening for all of us.
00:22:43This is what preparedness looks like.
00:22:45You know, this is our first time trying to do that with this situation and it just really
00:22:49brought to light how problematic this poop is and, yeah, all of it.
00:22:54That's good.
00:22:54Yeah.
00:22:54Right?
00:22:55Yeah, it is.
00:22:55Because if you don't know what the problem is, you don't know how to solve it.
00:22:57Yeah.
00:22:57I think your livestock needs to be evacuated quicker.
00:23:01So this area is going to change drastically and there's going to be a very quick evacuation
00:23:08plan for all the livestock that's going to be here when I leave.
00:23:11I want you to be at a place where you feel safe, you feel secure, and you're comfortable
00:23:17to evacuate.
00:23:18I mean, it feeds a lot to me.
00:23:19I mean, yeah.
00:23:20Yeah.
00:23:20It feeds a lot to both of us.
00:23:22Yeah.
00:23:22Okay.
00:23:22Let's put the animals back in the house, take a deep breath, have a glass of water, and
00:23:26get to work.
00:23:26Yeah, you got it.
00:23:27Yeah.
00:23:29These chickens are way harder to get out than I thought.
00:23:40All right, folks.
00:23:42So, one of the biggest red flags that I saw during the attempted evacuation was this chicken
00:23:51coop run area.
00:23:54It's just too short, not really conducive to the whole evacuation aspect.
00:23:59You did a lot of good stuff over here, and then you did what anybody would have done.
00:24:03You cobbled together some pallets and hardware cloth and a kennel.
00:24:08But you can't even get in the chicken coop.
00:24:10You can't even get the chickens.
00:24:11It's not going to work.
00:24:12So, here's what we're going to do.
00:24:14Out with the bad and copy what we did with the good.
00:24:20Matt will double the size of the existing coop to increase air flow and allow for easy
00:24:25maintenance.
00:24:26Then, he will install an extended roof to provide shade cover designed to keep the chickens cool
00:24:32and increase egg production.
00:24:34Finally, he will install a full-size door, improving evacuation times in the event of a
00:24:39fire.
00:24:42That's a lot of wood right there.
00:24:50Now, we can get to work.
00:24:59Oh, I love this wind.
00:25:01I love this wind so much.
00:25:0430 feet from the Lytle Hayes cabin in progress, Misty walks through her defensible garden plan.
00:25:10Yeah.
00:25:10You have the previous fire coming from that direction.
00:25:14You have the ladder fields with the branches and all this dead grass and this mountain slope.
00:25:21I constantly feel the wind blowing from this direction.
00:25:25Yeah.
00:25:25And there is all of this grass.
00:25:27Right.
00:25:27I want to get rid of the grass, back blade with the skid.
00:25:29And I would love to start a berm that is shaped like a horseshoe.
00:25:34Oh, yeah?
00:25:35That is essentially your garden space slash firebreak.
00:25:40Uh-huh.
00:25:41That you can plant on, that you can grow in, that you're watering constantly because it's
00:25:47a garden.
00:25:47Okay, yeah.
00:25:48And I'm ready to start if you are.
00:25:51Yeah.
00:25:52First, Misty and her team will clear the space around the house, creating a level foundation
00:25:58for the firebreak garden.
00:26:00Then, to defend against the most prevalent wind direction and the hillside of ladder fuels,
00:26:05she will frame out the firebreak dimensions with reclaimed logs before covering them with
00:26:10organic material collected by clearing the property of flammable tree limbs and dead grass.
00:26:17Finally, she will cover the whole structure with a fireproof mulch designed to protect
00:26:22the organics while maintaining moisture.
00:26:27We have such a tight area when it comes to putting in this berm, but there's no room on
00:26:32one side of the house and the other side of the house has the shed in the way.
00:26:36So, we're going to hook up to this thing and yank it out of here and allow access for
00:26:40the berm.
00:26:45I've moved structures before.
00:26:47Let's go.
00:26:48But usually, I rely heavily on my dad.
00:26:51Ready when you are.
00:26:54Cut it loose and get out of the way.
00:26:57Not having him is not great, but the shed is in the way of me continuing on with my build.
00:27:04It's got to be moved.
00:27:05It's just full steam ahead.
00:27:07Let's see what happens.
00:27:08Okay, gentlemen, here we go.
00:27:16Wait.
00:27:18I think we're going to have to hook it lower.
00:27:23The attempt number one looked like we were going to crush the building.
00:27:27I don't know, guys.
00:27:29I think I'm going to break that strap.
00:27:31The guy who made it delivered it on a kind of a small thing.
00:27:35Yeah.
00:27:35I'm wondering if the skid would handle it.
00:27:37Yeah.
00:27:38We don't have the right rigging and it looks like we're causing damage.
00:27:42So, we'll just man down.
00:27:44Hopefully, we can move it in the skid steer.
00:27:45We're moving this thing.
00:27:47Trust me.
00:27:48Yeah, oh yeah.
00:27:49I'm moving it.
00:27:49I'm going to pick it up by hand if I have to.
00:27:52Yeah.
00:27:54Jumping out.
00:27:55Get in the skid.
00:28:10Okay.
00:28:11Here we go.
00:28:16Good job.
00:28:18How do I look straight back?
00:28:20Pretty good.
00:28:23Hold tight.
00:28:25No, come up.
00:28:28Good.
00:28:29Back her up.
00:28:37Hold tight.
00:28:38Hold tight.
00:28:38Hold tight.
00:28:39Hold tight.
00:28:41Hold tight.
00:28:41Hold tight.
00:28:41Okay, good job.
00:28:42That's like homesteading right there.
00:28:43You have some drill pipe.
00:28:45You got some traffic cones for pads.
00:28:47That's right.
00:28:47You don't have the right rigging, but you just get the job done.
00:28:49Okay.
00:28:50Ready to start building the firm?
00:28:52Yes.
00:28:59Hello?
00:29:00There he is.
00:29:01The man of the hour.
00:29:03Hi, Marty.
00:29:04Do you think you're coming back to this one, okay?
00:29:06I've got some good news and some bad news.
00:29:18Okay, I'm going to grab a log.
00:29:19Our mission is to not hit the house.
00:29:22Okay.
00:29:22Okay.
00:29:22In the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas.
00:29:25Okay, here we go.
00:29:27Perfect for our garden.
00:29:29Yeah.
00:29:30So this new section of coop is going to look just like that size.
00:29:35Misty and Matt are down their best man as their dad has returned to Alaska to seek medical treatment.
00:29:42How are you looking, Stefania?
00:29:43You're doing great.
00:29:44Woo!
00:29:45Now, in the midst of one of the most destructive fire seasons on record, Matt modifies the existing chicken coop
00:29:52to allow the homesteaders to evacuate more efficiently.
00:29:56We're fast tracking.
00:29:58While Misty lays out the foundation for her firebreak garden.
00:30:02Okay.
00:30:04There's so much going on in this homestead for Matt and I, because there just isn't enough time without my
00:30:09dad.
00:30:10But with or without him, we're getting the job done.
00:30:14Woo!
00:30:16Come on, Stefania.
00:30:18So, we went from one log to a rainbow.
00:30:22What do you think?
00:30:22It's going pretty fast.
00:30:24I love it.
00:30:24It looks amazing.
00:30:25I'm so excited about Misty's plan.
00:30:28It's shaping up to be larger than life, which is amazing.
00:30:32She's come up with this idea for a berm that will not only protect us from fire, but be a
00:30:39more centralized location for a productive garden.
00:30:42Which really does double duty for the needs on this homestead.
00:30:46In my mind, since I've landed, I'm like, man, if there was a fire evacuation today, right now, I'm out
00:30:54of here.
00:30:54Yeah.
00:30:55But are you out of here?
00:30:56Not yet.
00:30:56Okay.
00:30:57There's some really, I think, exciting things to come that are going to secure your house so that the next
00:31:04evacuation morning, you're out of here.
00:31:06And you're like pumped.
00:31:07You're like, oh, we're ready.
00:31:09I want to get you to a place where you're ready.
00:31:11Yeah.
00:31:12It's a stretch for me right now to get there mentally, but I think that maybe we could get there.
00:31:19I've seen this before on a homestead where there's been devastation with forest fires, so the homesteaders just stand still.
00:31:26They man down because they know that everything they do could be for nothing come the next fire.
00:31:31And that's where Stefania and John are at.
00:31:34I think together we work on getting rid of this.
00:31:38Uh-huh.
00:31:38And getting rid of that.
00:31:40Yeah.
00:31:40Like all of the ladder fields when it comes to the trees.
00:31:43And then I have a plan when it comes to all of this debris.
00:31:46Ready?
00:31:46Yeah.
00:31:46Let's do it.
00:31:49Okay.
00:31:50Okay.
00:31:50So this is what we're talking about when we mean accessibility.
00:31:54I'm walking in this building.
00:31:56I have lots of room where the chickens can thrive, but they can also be easily accessed.
00:32:01During an evacuation.
00:32:03Okay.
00:32:04So we're just going to throw on some paint to match the existing coop.
00:32:09We're moving real fast.
00:32:10We got no second to lose.
00:32:12So back to work.
00:32:15The real key is to not get purple paint all over yourself.
00:32:19The homesteaders painted their first original chicken coop purple because they call it the eggplant.
00:32:27I wish I would have thought of that.
00:32:30We're going to paint this thing.
00:32:31Then we'll start slapping on some wire, put the door on, and put a roof on this thing.
00:32:45So it's basically, you have a battery, you have a safety and a trigger, and a brake.
00:32:52All right.
00:32:53Okay.
00:32:54Stefania has never used a chainsaw.
00:32:55And I think in this location, lemming is going to become your favorite pastime.
00:33:01So her using a chainsaw for the first time, her getting comfortable enough with a chainsaw,
00:33:05is pretty key when it comes to fire protection.
00:33:22Yeah, and then the sky.
00:33:23Nice!
00:33:25Do you feel like you're at a place where I could cut you loose?
00:33:29Yeah.
00:33:29Okay.
00:33:29Thank you so much, Misty.
00:33:33Seems on the surface like a small skill, but it does have a huge benefit.
00:33:38And it was actually a relief to me to learn how to use it.
00:33:41Don't forget your brake.
00:33:43Oh, thank you.
00:33:46It's actually a huge deal to be able to contribute in that way to the homestead.
00:34:04Okay, we're ready to move these chickens over there.
00:34:06Yeah.
00:34:06Hopefully, this will be the last time you have to climb in there.
00:34:09Yeah.
00:34:10Okay?
00:34:11Let's go, team.
00:34:13Come on.
00:34:16There we go.
00:34:18Okay, one chicken down.
00:34:20We don't have any time to waste.
00:34:22There's extreme fire danger, and we've finished our addition to the chicken coop.
00:34:27We've got to move those little chickens over there so they can be in a nice, accessible spot
00:34:30right now in case the fire blows through.
00:34:39This shows you how hard it is to get chickens out of a place when you're crawling around the
00:34:42on your hands and knees.
00:34:43Yeah, right?
00:34:44Oh, the last one.
00:34:49That's it.
00:34:50Woo!
00:34:52Look, they have such a nice place.
00:34:54It's really good.
00:34:56It's beautiful.
00:34:58They're getting used to it.
00:34:59This is going to be so nice.
00:35:03It's just a huge improvement over the way it was, and we weren't ever going to be able
00:35:10to do this anytime soon.
00:35:11And it just feels like such a relief.
00:35:14I guess that's where the tears are coming from.
00:35:16Like, I'm just so grateful.
00:35:17And this is such a relief to be able to have a better situation for them and safer for,
00:35:22you know, evacuation.
00:35:23And it's just a huge burden, like, lifted.
00:35:27You're hot?
00:35:28You having a day?
00:35:29Okay.
00:35:30I'll put you down.
00:35:32Come on.
00:35:36My talk with Misty today really made me, like, think about it.
00:35:41I'm like, what am I doing here?
00:35:42Like, what is the most important thing?
00:35:44And sure, there are some big important things, but like the biggest thing I've realized is
00:35:49just feeling safe where you're at.
00:35:51You know, I bounced around place to place a lot.
00:35:54You don't have the same sorts of life experiences that other folks are having.
00:35:59You don't know what it's like to be in the same place for more than a couple of years at
00:36:02a time.
00:36:03You don't settle.
00:36:04After a while, it just kind of gets to you.
00:36:08Although I'm really tired, I'm just really excited to see what's going to happen tomorrow.
00:36:14Yeah, that's all I'll save for this evening.
00:36:17I'm going to sign out and try to get some sleep.
00:36:20Okay, big day tomorrow.
00:36:21Bye.
00:36:34It's day four on the Lytle Hayes homestead, and Misty and Stefania inspect the Firebreak Garden.
00:36:41Okay, Stefania, what do you think?
00:36:44Misty, I am feeling the berm.
00:36:49Right now, I've started with the problem area when it comes to this berm,
00:36:52right in front of that last fire, the Arrow Fire a month ago.
00:36:55And the plan of giving this homestead fire protection and feeding them at the same time is coming together.
00:37:02Wow.
00:37:02Right?
00:37:04So we've been, we're making topsoil.
00:37:08Got our logs, our branches, our leaves, some like wood chips, straw, and like your native soil.
00:37:14And we're just kind of mixing this together.
00:37:15And over time, it breaks down and you have like amazing topsoil.
00:37:20Cause I don't see a lot of topsoil here.
00:37:22No, it's a lot of rock.
00:37:23It's a lot of rock.
00:37:24And we've had to ship stuff in.
00:37:25So it's, it's really exciting to see stuff that was processed on the property.
00:37:29But clearly all of this is flammable Stefania.
00:37:35I was wondering that.
00:37:36Okay.
00:37:37So when it comes to this, like leaving all of these branches, all these leaves, this straw, like this is
00:37:44all incredibly flammable and has to be covered.
00:37:49Yeah.
00:37:50This is not the traditional homestead, so the fixes are not going to be traditional.
00:37:57I'd love to be able to add mulch on top of this berm, but it is flammable.
00:38:03So we're doing something I've never done before where we use gravel as mulch.
00:38:22It's been a second since I've seen what 50 yards of gravel looks like.
00:38:26But folks, it's a lot.
00:38:27But guess what?
00:38:28That's the cherry on top when it comes to this berm.
00:38:31It's creating fire defense with non flammable material.
00:38:36And that's why the gravel is here.
00:38:38Yes!
00:38:40Okay, Stefania, we're almost ready for the gravel.
00:38:43Super exciting moment.
00:38:44Cherry on top.
00:38:45But to prevent that gravel from mixing into the soil, into these berms, we're going to roll out some landscape
00:38:50cloth.
00:38:55I think this is the safest spot for livestock.
00:38:58With the evacuation-ready chicken coops good to go, Matt also has removing fire fuels on his mind.
00:39:05When it comes to this homestead, you guys have done so much work to get to where you're at, and
00:39:11you're still not safe.
00:39:13Alright.
00:39:13So, I'm saying we bring in livestock.
00:39:16That's going to make your life here so much easier.
00:39:20I think that if you've got some sheep or goats, you'll have amazing livestock that'll do a ton of work
00:39:26for you.
00:39:27I mean, if you get a weed whacker, you could spend your whole life weed whacking your property.
00:39:31Oh yeah.
00:39:31And you're never going to get ahead of it.
00:39:33But if you just have this passive animal out there grazing on fire fuels, that right there seems like a
00:39:42real game changer.
00:39:44Goats are part of a group of herbivores with four chambered stomachs, allowing them to eat a wide variety of
00:39:50foods to extract nutrients.
00:39:52Their hardiness and strong resistance to parasites make for a low-maintenance existence, allowing goat owners across the country to
00:40:01capitalize on their landscaping prowess when keeping flammable grasses at bay.
00:40:08That's what I'm proposing.
00:40:10And anything that we bring on the homestead, we want to make sure we've got a 100% survival rate,
00:40:14okay?
00:40:15So, I want to build one big, movable livestock structure.
00:40:22Literally.
00:40:23Mobile, on wheels, hitched up to the truck.
00:40:25Hey, there's a fire out there.
00:40:27Back this thing up.
00:40:28Beep, beep, beep.
00:40:29Hook it up and drive it out of here.
00:40:33Matt's plan.
00:40:33Establish a large, fenced-in livestock area next to the chicken coop, which he will fill with a herd of
00:40:40grazing goats that will extend the defensible space by 20 feet.
00:40:44Then, he'll build a barn on a large trailer chassis which can be hitched to a truck for quick evacuation.
00:40:51And finally, he will install a solar-powered mobile grazing fence, allowing for strategic movement of the goat herd when
00:40:58creating a fire defensible barrier up to 100 feet from the cabin.
00:41:03It's got to be enough to house what we need and get the animals away safely.
00:41:10Well, I like the idea of having it mobile, just put it on a hitch and go.
00:41:14I think it's the way to go.
00:41:16I like it.
00:41:23At the edge of the homestead...
00:41:24Okay, so I have to hand it to you and John. Everywhere you look, there's materials.
00:41:31Misty has a plan to add an upgrade to the Firebreak Garden.
00:41:36I collect stuff that I find at estate sales and free stuff and, yeah, like these pipes here.
00:41:42I'm interested. In the eight years Stefania and John have been here, they've been collecting various materials.
00:41:47I have a plan when it comes to the Firebreak Garden.
00:41:50So, I have an idea with the tires. If we want to roll a couple down.
00:41:53Okay, yeah.
00:41:54And then come back for some of these pipes.
00:41:58Ooh, should we race them?
00:42:01Who's downhill from you?
00:42:02This is the one homestead where you can get away with not having a greenhouse.
00:42:06So, we abandon that and we focus on how we create shade.
00:42:11I think we do reinvent the wheel.
00:42:13Yeah.
00:42:13And we create shade using these tires, a post, and some shade cloth.
00:42:17And I don't think we overcomplicate it.
00:42:18Yeah.
00:42:19So, I'd love to create kind of like a tetherball situation.
00:42:23Did you ever play tetherball in school?
00:42:25A little bit, yeah.
00:42:26Are you any good at it?
00:42:27No.
00:42:29Hopefully, this is not going to be as hard as that, I hope.
00:42:34There's not one thing to tie a shade sale to because it's that sunny.
00:42:38There's not shade, there's not trees, like within a mile of this berm.
00:42:43So, I want to create these tetherball stands.
00:42:46Did you ever play tetherball when you were a kid?
00:42:48That's what I want to create in order to support shade sales.
00:42:52We've got all this amazing drill pipe, right?
00:42:55Yeah.
00:42:55So, we'll create those tetherball stands.
00:42:58Yeah.
00:42:58With a tire, concrete, and this drill pipe.
00:43:01Wow.
00:43:02I'm so stoked.
00:43:03I've been collecting this stuff for years, like fence posts and pipes and tires
00:43:08and all kinds of stuff.
00:43:09And feeling like one day we'll put it to use when we have the time and mental energy
00:43:13to solve problems, but we just haven't been there yet.
00:43:16So, for Misty and the crew like putting their brain power to use to like create solutions
00:43:20that use the material feels really good.
00:43:22That's what we wanted out of this stuff.
00:43:24I wouldn't have thought to use the tires for that.
00:43:28I just think it's genius to, you know, put that together in that way.
00:43:31It's going to be awesome.
00:43:36Hello?
00:43:37There he is!
00:43:38The man of the hour!
00:43:40Hi, Marty!
00:43:41Dad, I've never seen you in sunglasses in my life.
00:43:43What's going on?
00:43:44So, I just had some tests done and my eyes are light sensitive.
00:43:48So, you know, we're trying to rule out, you know, brain tumor and high blood pressure
00:43:53and a few other things.
00:43:54But short version, they're saying that it's headache related.
00:43:58Do you think you're coming back to this homestead?
00:44:00Frankly, no.
00:44:02But I don't really need to be there because you've got a good team, all the best equipment
00:44:08in the world, all the materials.
00:44:10I mean, that is the A team.
00:44:13Without my dad, I am up against it because not only am I trying to offer fire protection
00:44:17with the berm, but we need water.
00:44:19So, what started as a hard week for sure is now harder.
00:44:24Looks like it's hot and sunny there.
00:44:26How's fire burns and forest fire activity?
00:44:29Guess what you're missing right now?
00:44:31You're going to be sad.
00:44:32Look what we're doing right now.
00:44:34Look familiar?
00:44:36Oh, you're pouring concrete without me?
00:44:39Dad, we mix concrete.
00:44:41How long do we have in 100-degree temperatures while I stand here and talk to you before it's
00:44:46not going to be usable?
00:44:48You got to get back to work.
00:44:49And I want you to get back to work.
00:44:51Let's go!
00:44:52Yeah!
00:44:53Yes!
00:44:54Stefania, what are you doing standing around?
00:44:57Yeah, you heard the man, Stefania.
00:44:59Get back to work!
00:45:00Go!
00:45:01Go!
00:45:02Go!
00:45:04Are we reinventing the wheel right now?
00:45:06Yeah, I've never seen anything like this before, so I think it is.
00:45:09It's a new invention, yeah.
00:45:11I think we try to beautify this ugly tire.
00:45:14What do you think?
00:45:14I'd love to do that.
00:45:16We have a bunch of these we have to build because I'm pretty sure this berm is 200 feet long.
00:45:20Yeah.
00:45:21Okay, so this is the first one and we'll just keep on mixing and keep on pouring.
00:45:24Yeah.
00:45:24Like it?
00:45:25I love it.
00:45:26Easy?
00:45:26Yeah.
00:45:33What do you think of my trailer?
00:45:35It's cool.
00:45:36I like it.
00:45:37Yeah.
00:45:38It looks like it's a big trailer.
00:45:40We found a local trailer that was very inexpensive.
00:45:43It's old, but it's big enough for a goat barn.
00:45:46Is it going to fit?
00:45:48Almost.
00:45:49It's pretty much the ready-made foundation for a barn that will be built on top.
00:45:53It's movable and we need it right now for these goats.
00:45:57Let's take the gate off.
00:45:59Yeah.
00:45:59Take the gate off.
00:46:01The trailer we have is pretty big.
00:46:04It's long.
00:46:04It's wide.
00:46:05And our fence opening is like maybe an inch and a half on both sides.
00:46:10Very tight.
00:46:11There we go.
00:46:13Alright.
00:46:17Straight back.
00:46:20What skill?
00:46:23Oh, it's close.
00:46:25It is close.
00:46:26It's a tight fit.
00:46:33What is that noise?
00:46:35It's hitting this side.
00:46:38Oh no.
00:46:39Now I'm stuck.
00:46:41It is so tight in here.
00:46:42I don't know about this.
00:46:44Heck, getting it in here is so tight.
00:46:46Yeah.
00:46:46It's too tight.
00:46:47It's like maybe like two inches on both ends.
00:46:48I'll shoot.
00:46:57I'm totally freaking out.
00:47:00On the Lytle Hayes homestead in Northern California, Matt's dream of a mobile goat trailer is stuck at the starting
00:47:07gate.
00:47:08Here's the deal.
00:47:09That's an eight-foot gate.
00:47:10Man.
00:47:11And you have this is a 10 and this is a 12.
00:47:13We turn this eight-foot opening into a 12-foot opening right now.
00:47:16Yeah.
00:47:17I'm getting a chainsaw and I'm going to cut my way out of this thing right now.
00:47:21Okay?
00:47:23Sometimes when I find myself stuck, I'm able to go, hey dad, you know, like what do I do?
00:47:28And so I'm at this crossroads where I have to think, what would dad do?
00:47:42You know, I don't have a cowboy hat.
00:47:44I don't have a mustache.
00:47:45I don't have those luxurious eyebrows.
00:47:49But I do have a lot of time spent with my dad fixing everything with a problem.
00:47:54And so that's what I'm going to do.
00:47:57Okay.
00:47:57Don't hurt your fingers.
00:47:59Don't, don't pinch yourself.
00:48:0212 feet is a way bigger space to be able to get in and out with the movable structure.
00:48:08Yeah, that's better.
00:48:08Good head signals.
00:48:10Those are good head signals.
00:48:13And it's going to be a lot easier to deal with in an emergency.
00:48:16We got fencing done.
00:48:17We got the gate done.
00:48:19Here we go.
00:48:20Now we got to build a barn.
00:48:22Ready.
00:48:22Yeah.
00:48:23Ready to go.
00:48:23Let's keep working.
00:48:24Come on.
00:48:27Okay.
00:48:35Here we go.
00:48:37I'm going to let you lead.
00:48:40With word that Marty is unable to return, Misty takes on double duty.
00:48:45She races to finish the firebreak garden.
00:48:48But first, she must solve the homestead's critical water problem.
00:48:52The berm's coming right along.
00:48:54It's just, we might be like missing the main thing, which is water.
00:49:00How much water do you have?
00:49:02Um, the water is actually pretty low right now because we ran out again.
00:49:06You ran out again?
00:49:07Yeah.
00:49:07When?
00:49:08Two days ago.
00:49:09We have to get to the bottom with what's happening.
00:49:12I think we start by inspecting the only tank on the homestead, which is up this mountain.
00:49:18What are you trying to do with the flag?
00:49:19That's your gauge?
00:49:20Yeah.
00:49:20So when the flag is high, that's supposed to mean we have a lot of water.
00:49:25Okay.
00:49:25When it's low, that's trying to tell us that we need to fill it.
00:49:29Okay.
00:49:29Yeah.
00:49:30Oh, the bucket fell off.
00:49:32That could be a problem.
00:49:34That's a problem.
00:49:34So the thing that's supposed to float is not on there anymore.
00:49:39Here's where we're at.
00:49:40Their well is producing, but we've had a pump that's burned out for some reason in the past.
00:49:44There's no water gauge.
00:49:46There maybe is a limited supply.
00:49:49So yeah, it's a big freaking deal.
00:49:51And hopefully without my dad, I can piece that together.
00:49:56This is a time to really follow modern technology to the point where you know exactly down to the ounce
00:50:03how much water is in here.
00:50:04Yeah.
00:50:06We kind of knew our situation wasn't great for the water.
00:50:09So hearing that the rainies recognized this so quickly and identified it as a problem was, I don't know, humbling.
00:50:16But I'm also really grateful because water is life.
00:50:19It's the most important thing that we need to have functional here, not just for growing food, but just for
00:50:25keeping us safe.
00:50:26Here's the deal.
00:50:27Number one, the fire department has implemented a system where if you get the right size storage tank, the right
00:50:34fittings, they come out and inspect it and they log you into their system as being a legit water source.
00:50:40Secondary is how are you watering the homestead?
00:50:43And I think definitely a gauge, definitely using modern technology because it's something so serious for this location that things
00:50:52like this are just, it's too risky.
00:50:56On this homestead, the fire breaks out and you go to turn on the water and it's dry, that's a
00:51:02life and death situation.
00:51:04No more flags.
00:51:06No more flags.
00:51:08And that is something we're changing today.
00:51:13We have a local water expert.
00:51:15Rob's here to help.
00:51:16I hope.
00:51:17Yes, thank you.
00:51:18I'm so incredibly grateful for him because I don't have a ton of time to devote to this.
00:51:23And I think he just steps in and takes over where my dad left off.
00:51:27Yeah, so 400 feet down is our pump.
00:51:31Okay.
00:51:31The water level sits at 100 feet down.
00:51:34Okay.
00:51:35And that is pumping water all the way up the hill into a storage tank.
00:51:41Okay.
00:51:41What controls it to turn it on and off?
00:51:44Me.
00:51:45Okay, so there's a remote monitoring system that we can put on the tank that you can actually monitor on
00:51:52your phone
00:51:52and tell exactly what water level it is.
00:51:55You can set it to alarm.
00:51:57When it gets so low, it will let you know.
00:52:00Oh, wow.
00:52:00Yeah.
00:52:01So, I believe the minimum CAL FIRE requirement is 2,500 gallons of water.
00:52:05Oh.
00:52:05You have the 3,000, it sounds like, up there.
00:52:08But it's not accessible.
00:52:10Really, we need another tank down here close by with a fire department connection on it.
00:52:16We're trying to put in a garden, perhaps there's more livestock coming, and there's a lot of needs when it
00:52:22comes to water,
00:52:23and it sounds like it's not very reliable.
00:52:25I would love to be able to just turn you loose.
00:52:27I will do my best.
00:52:28Okay.
00:52:28Well, I'm so glad to have you.
00:52:30We have so much work to do, so we're going to leave you to it.
00:52:32Go ahead.
00:52:37Later that day, on the new trailer...
00:52:39I don't want this to be, like, eight feet tall or ten feet tall.
00:52:45Matt tackles housing for the family's incoming goats.
00:52:49We're just going to build a very small, full-length barn where you can put these goats in at night,
00:52:55and they'll be protected from the predators.
00:52:57But also, if there's a fire or an emergency, you can load them up in there and get them off
00:53:03the homestead quick.
00:53:04Lift!
00:53:06Before, we felt like we were stretched in all these different directions,
00:53:09and we don't have a lot to show for it.
00:53:12It feels much more secure.
00:53:14And now we're getting established.
00:53:17But Matt keeps talking about these goats as if they're right on the way.
00:53:20So we've got a lot of work to do.
00:53:33It's just such a 180 to experience the kind of energy that's been here for the last few days.
00:53:40We've had a lot going on and a lot to process.
00:53:44And we've had so many negative experiences through, you know, the build process being here for eight years.
00:53:54That I'm kind of coming to the realization that maybe it's just kind of been a little bit harder than
00:53:59it's needed to be.
00:54:01There were a lot of, like, lessons that we needed to learn.
00:54:05And we're still learning them.
00:54:06Things are moving around and everything's kind of getting shaken up in a good way.
00:54:15The next morning, over at the Firebreak Garden.
00:54:19Is that heavy?
00:54:20It's a bit.
00:54:21Do you think it's blowing away?
00:54:22It's not blowing anywhere.
00:54:25Oh, yeah, you guys are going to have a good time.
00:54:27This is pretty good once you start rolling.
00:54:30Stefania and I are building these little tetherball stands to create some shade.
00:54:34They're nice and sturdy, and they'll be able to support the shade sails.
00:54:37And they're movable.
00:54:38That's kind of important.
00:54:40Sleep!
00:54:40It's too heavy.
00:54:41Go down, go down.
00:54:42There you go, babe.
00:54:43But the steel pipe is so heavy, almost 200 pounds, we cannot muscle it in place.
00:54:48Okay, guess what?
00:54:49We have to cut it.
00:54:50Yeah, that's okay.
00:54:51Because this is not going to be manageable for you.
00:54:53Yeah.
00:54:54I'm going to take two and a half feet off that end.
00:54:56Yeah.
00:54:57Here we go.
00:54:58All right, let's do it.
00:54:59Some of these have to be cut, and when we cut them, it's going to be really sketchy.
00:55:04So, this drill pipe is so hard.
00:55:07Only way we're going to cut that pipe is with this.
00:55:09The problem is, is sparks.
00:55:12A lot.
00:55:13Okay.
00:55:14So, I think we just come up with a plan, but maybe building a little box, a little jig,
00:55:18where we can cut and capture the sparks and maybe even hose an area down.
00:55:22Yeah.
00:55:22I don't want to start a fire in all seriousness.
00:55:30Okay.
00:55:31I'm going to just do this.
00:55:33My worst nightmare would be to start a forest fire while I'm on the smoke pit this week.
00:55:38We got our little box in place.
00:55:40We've closed it down with water.
00:55:41We have the fire extinguisher.
00:55:43I'm going to, like, cut into one of these pipes and see how rowdy it gets.
00:55:49Here we go, folks.
00:55:50You ready?
00:55:51It's going to get wild.
00:56:08I'm on fire!
00:56:09I'm on fire!
00:56:09I'm on fire!
00:56:10I'm on fire!
00:56:13I'm on fire!
00:56:21I'm on fire!
00:56:22I'm on fire!
00:56:23I'm on fire!
00:56:24I'm on fire!
00:56:25I'm on fire!
00:56:25Those hot sauce are so heavy, and my legs are a little too wide, and I look down and
00:56:30my leg is on fire.
00:56:33That's never happened to me before.
00:56:36That was crazy.
00:56:37I literally had flames!
00:56:39Yeah.
00:56:39I don't know!
00:56:41Imagine what that would have looked like without being prepared.
00:56:46Look at my pants!
00:56:47Yeah!
00:56:48I'm glad you got those boots on!
00:56:49Thanks for putting out the fire on my leg with the hose!
00:56:52It was pretty wild how quickly it ignited.
00:56:56She was literally on fire today.
00:56:58That was wild.
00:56:59It was really wild.
00:57:00I'm glad you're okay.
00:57:00How's it look?
00:57:03I didn't feel any heat or anything.
00:57:06Those boots are amazing.
00:57:07Those boots are amazing.
00:57:08Okay.
00:57:09So we cut off almost 50 pounds, okay?
00:57:11Yep.
00:57:12Let's see if we can muscle this guy in place.
00:57:13Yeah.
00:57:14Here we go.
00:57:15Oh!
00:57:16Yeah!
00:57:17Woo!
00:57:18We might be into this.
00:57:19This is how we needed!
00:57:20Okay, here we go.
00:57:21Up!
00:57:22Yeah, this is great.
00:57:23Much easier.
00:57:25No problem!
00:57:26No problem.
00:57:27Righty tighty lefty loosey.
00:57:30It's called that good.
00:57:32What do you think?
00:57:33Woo!
00:57:33I love it!
00:57:34You like it?
00:57:36Let's give it a little test.
00:57:37Oh, it's super tall!
00:57:38So I feel like this is a good start.
00:57:40Give it a little rock.
00:57:42I'm going to pretend I'm the wind.
00:57:43It's pretty sturdy.
00:57:45So this is nice and solid, nice and heavy, plus it's movable, right?
00:57:49Mm-hmm.
00:57:49And I'm so far just in love.
00:57:51Same.
00:57:52Okay, so we're going to set the other two, we're going to put the shade sail up, and we're
00:57:56going to start creating shade today.
00:57:58I'm so excited!
00:57:59I'm so excited!
00:58:00We're going to be out of the sun!
00:58:01Yeah!
00:58:02I'm so excited.
00:58:02All right.
00:58:04Let's go build more.
00:58:05Okay.
00:58:15All right.
00:58:16What's going on here?
00:58:19That afternoon, eight new members of the Homestead's Fire Prevention Squad arrive at their new home.
00:58:27We've got some new friends.
00:58:28Oh, boy.
00:58:29Goats!
00:58:30Yay!
00:58:30We've got some firefighters coming in.
00:58:32Yay!
00:58:34We're having our buddy Griffin come onto the homestead and bring us some much-needed goats.
00:58:40We are ready, and we need these goats here now.
00:58:45Okay.
00:58:46Oh, my goodness.
00:58:48Are they the cutest things ever?
00:58:51They are so cute.
00:58:54They are darling goats.
00:58:57So, I mean, they're going to have this thing cleaned up, what, like a week?
00:59:01They're going to eat everything here, even things you didn't think were possible.
00:59:04Oh, man.
00:59:04They will find a way.
00:59:05They will eat it.
00:59:07This star thistle is really hard to weed whack.
00:59:10It's a, like, really dense stem, and this one is eating star thistle already.
00:59:15Yeah, right?
00:59:17The big concern before the rainies even showed up was fire prevention, and it just seemed impossible
00:59:23to stop a fire here.
00:59:25But the goats that are going to put the weeds down, and I just feel a lot more relaxed about
00:59:31it.
00:59:31Eating it like it's candy.
00:59:33They went right to work.
00:59:45It's official.
00:59:46The berm is done.
00:59:49Oh, it looks so good.
00:59:50With the berm complete and protected from the sun with new shade stands, Misty is ready
00:59:56to make this space multifunctional.
01:00:01You have a lot of potted plants.
01:00:03Uh-huh.
01:00:03Do you want to shuffle some over, or what are you thinking?
01:00:05My main concern about getting started with the potted plants now is that the deer come
01:00:10through here.
01:00:11Um, so any of the stuff that we'd want to eat, they'd probably want to eat.
01:00:15When it comes to deer, I have a solution that's not a fence.
01:00:20Okay.
01:00:20I think it'll work.
01:00:21Okay.
01:00:22So just bear with me.
01:00:23I'm down.
01:00:23But in the meantime, are you ready to go from fire break to garden?
01:00:27Oh, yeah.
01:00:28Now's the moment.
01:00:28Okay, let's do it.
01:00:29Let's go.
01:00:30We're at the moment where things definitely got pushed off the table.
01:00:33For instance, protecting this garden.
01:00:35I was pulling double duty, right?
01:00:37And I just focused on that fire break.
01:00:39I took over water for my dad.
01:00:40And now there's no time to keep deer out of the garden.
01:00:44But don't worry.
01:00:45I have a backup plan, and it's coming right along.
01:00:48First and foremost, though, is putting in these plants.
01:00:52Okay.
01:00:53Oh, man.
01:00:54These guys are dry.
01:00:55It's really hot.
01:00:57Things dry out in pots twice as fast.
01:01:00They really do.
01:01:00And putting them in that massive berm is going to help.
01:01:03This guy's doing pretty good.
01:01:04This guy definitely needs some shade and some water.
01:01:06Yeah.
01:01:07Let's do it.
01:01:07Okay, I'm grabbing two.
01:01:08The days of the garden sprawl are over.
01:01:11We have a centralized location.
01:01:13It's right out Stefania's front door.
01:01:15And now we're transforming this thing into the garden.
01:01:18I think when it comes to that fire safety, I just wanted to make sure we were secure before we
01:01:23did one thing.
01:01:24And this is the moment where we figure out how and where we're putting all of the plants.
01:01:31I want you to plant your first plant in your garden.
01:01:33Woo!
01:01:35How's my hole?
01:01:35Deeper?
01:01:36I think it's good.
01:01:37Okay.
01:01:37Yeah.
01:01:38Oh, yeah.
01:01:39Right in.
01:01:39Okay.
01:01:40So here's some dirt.
01:01:41I do a lot of gardening with just my hand.
01:01:43I don't know if that's good or bad.
01:01:49Woo!
01:01:52Woo!
01:01:53The first plant!
01:01:55Okay, we just went officially from the fire break to the garden.
01:01:58Yeah.
01:01:59Super excited.
01:02:00It's going to look great.
01:02:01Okay, next plant.
01:02:01Here we go.
01:02:07You ready to put in some irrigation?
01:02:09Yeah.
01:02:10Okay, so it's easy as one line.
01:02:12Okay.
01:02:12Serving multiple purposes.
01:02:14Want to take this and roll it out?
01:02:15Yep.
01:02:16When it comes to water on the homestead, their well is producing.
01:02:19The pump is working.
01:02:21Rob is giving us this amazing water gauge that hooks up to your Wi-Fi.
01:02:26And we're setting up a 2,500-gallon tank specifically for fires with the fire hose fitting and then
01:02:33that whole berm just being saturated with the irrigation line for the plants.
01:02:37This line is saturating the fire break.
01:02:40Yep.
01:02:41So, a part of the evacuation is running over to the house, turning on the water, and then
01:02:47carrying on with everything else you have to do.
01:02:49Okay.
01:02:51We put in a soaker hose underneath the top layer of gravel, and so it's really wonderful
01:02:56that we have that system in place, and it's just wonderful knowing that we can grow so much
01:03:01food on that berm that's also protecting us from fire.
01:03:05Literally, the claw of your hammer can trench it out.
01:03:09Oh, much better.
01:03:10Hey!
01:03:12Is that fire or is that dust?
01:03:16Well, I haven't gotten an alert yet, and I'm not really sure.
01:03:21We don't usually see dust in that area, so I guess I'm just trying to figure it out.
01:03:26It doesn't seem windy enough to even kick up that much dust.
01:03:29Yeah.
01:03:37On the Northern California Lytle Hayes homestead.
01:03:41Is that fire or is that dust?
01:03:43Well, I haven't gotten an alert yet.
01:03:46Should you call it in?
01:03:48I don't know.
01:03:49You know, do you call 911 for that, or do you call like a non-emergency for that?
01:03:53You should know that.
01:03:55Where's the fire marshal's card?
01:03:57It's in the pump house.
01:03:58Go get it.
01:03:58You should keep it all the time.
01:03:59No, just go get it.
01:04:00Yeah.
01:04:01Put his phone number in your phone.
01:04:02That's a good idea.
01:04:03Yeah.
01:04:03And then come right back.
01:04:04Awesome.
01:04:05Yeah, I'll be right back.
01:04:06Like if it was really windy, that would look like a dust storm.
01:04:09Stefania's worried that that's smoke.
01:04:11And like, I think it's better safe than sorry on this homestead.
01:04:17Especially with something that close.
01:04:22So I just called the fire marshal.
01:04:23They answered right away.
01:04:24And I asked them like, hey, what do we do if we're not sure if it's smoke or dust or
01:04:28something else?
01:04:29Because I don't want to call 911 if it's going to be a false alarm.
01:04:32And she said, actually, call 911.
01:04:34And they'll figure it out.
01:04:36And they'll be able to tell you if there's some kind of controlled burn or exercise going.
01:04:40Way better than their office would at this time.
01:04:43Okay, that's good to know.
01:04:44Yeah, totally.
01:04:45Educational moment.
01:04:46But now you know.
01:04:46Now we know.
01:04:47Okay, so our medic just called it in.
01:04:49Okay, great.
01:04:50And that's not a fire.
01:04:51Oh, yay.
01:04:52Okay, okay.
01:04:52But I think the lesson here is being prepared.
01:04:56What am I doing if I see smoke?
01:04:58What do I do?
01:04:59Like, who am I calling?
01:05:00And I think, you know, we've learned something today, right?
01:05:03Yeah, definitely.
01:05:04And now you know.
01:05:05Well, okay, back to work we go.
01:05:06Yep, let's do it.
01:05:07Okay, let's go.
01:05:16After a full week without Marty, it's the final critical day for Misty and Matt.
01:05:21On the Lytle Hayes homestead.
01:05:23We've got the whole permanent homestead, goat barn and pen thing covered.
01:05:28At the livestock area, Matt introduces the last component essential to eradicating the 30 acres of fire fuel surrounding the
01:05:36home.
01:05:38You're gonna need a movable fence.
01:05:40And that's where this rotational grazing fence comes into play.
01:05:43I think it's a good idea to always make sure that your animals are trained for the electric fence before
01:05:50you set them loose.
01:05:51So, let's set up this fence right here.
01:05:54Yeah.
01:05:56Adding a rotational grazing fence to this movable barn is really the perfect thing.
01:06:00You can get these things anywhere.
01:06:02They're relatively cheap and they go in quick.
01:06:05And you need to get them used to it now before you start moving them around your property.
01:06:11Okay.
01:06:12That fence is on.
01:06:14Don't touch it.
01:06:15Okay.
01:06:15Our work here is done.
01:06:16Let's see if this thing works with the goats.
01:06:18Yeah.
01:06:18Let's release the goats.
01:06:19Alright.
01:06:22Here we go.
01:06:27We got goats.
01:06:30Okay.
01:06:31Have they touched it yet?
01:06:32I don't think so.
01:06:33Oh, it works.
01:06:36Oh, yeah.
01:06:37There we go.
01:06:37Yeah.
01:06:38Oh.
01:06:38Oh.
01:06:39There we go.
01:06:40Let's keep them in.
01:06:41See, they didn't want to mess with it.
01:06:43No.
01:06:44They're testing it.
01:06:45They're getting used to it.
01:06:46But once they're trained properly, they'll be able to expand horizons on the homestead and beyond.
01:06:53Use this rotational grazing fence and get a fire break in around your entire homestead.
01:07:00And now that you have the fencing that's movable, you can do it.
01:07:03Yeah.
01:07:03The more you use this fence on the property, these goats are going to be shocked at how
01:07:09much grass they have to eat.
01:07:13This entire area right here, it's really just like a breezeway into our movable barn.
01:07:20The real magic of this thing is, is it not attached to any of this gate structure here.
01:07:27So, I mean, all you got to do, get the goats in there like we do, shut them in.
01:07:32Bam.
01:07:33Just like so.
01:07:34Nice.
01:07:35Ooh, nice.
01:07:36All you have to do is hook it up to the trailer and drive it away.
01:07:38You have a mobile barn.
01:07:42That's awesome.
01:07:43And this is a really big chicken coop.
01:07:49These birds are accessible and ready to evacuate.
01:07:53So much quicker.
01:07:54Yeah.
01:07:54Yeah.
01:07:55Not only fire safety, but the convenience.
01:07:57You know, before we had this, how to get on your hands and knees to get to the chickens.
01:08:01Now you can actually just walk in a door, close it behind you and do whatever you need
01:08:05to do with the chickens.
01:08:07Seven days ago, John and Stefania's overheated chickens were awash in fire fuels, with loss
01:08:15of animal life all but guaranteed in the event of encroaching flames.
01:08:21Now, with the addition of a larger chicken coop with increased air flow and shade cover, eight
01:08:27fire fuel munching goats, and a mobile livestock barn for quick evacuation, the risk of losing
01:08:33animal life due to fire is greatly reduced.
01:08:37This thing is like the Taj Mahal of chicken coops.
01:08:40I feel really good that this homestead is going to be a lot safer.
01:08:45Thank you so much for your help.
01:08:47Thank you for everything.
01:08:48Without your parents here, man, it would have been hard.
01:08:52Randy and Irene have done so much work.
01:08:54They've learned new skills.
01:08:56And with their help, this homestead is going to make it.
01:09:04Okay, Stefania, John, come over.
01:09:08Before we can confidently pull out of here, we need to make sure of one thing, and it's
01:09:12the new and improved evacuation plan.
01:09:15It's going good.
01:09:15How are you?
01:09:16Okay, so this is the moment of truth.
01:09:19Was this week worth it?
01:09:21This is where we find out, okay?
01:09:23We've done a lot when it comes to fire defense and a new and improved evacuation plan.
01:09:28It's all about protecting life and property.
01:09:31Did we do it?
01:09:33Do you think we're there?
01:09:34Are you ready to evacuate?
01:09:36We've got to put it to the test, I think.
01:09:38Yeah.
01:09:38Yeah.
01:09:39I don't want to have to blow this horn.
01:09:41I want you guys to be long gone before I blow this horn this time.
01:09:45I think we're ready.
01:09:46It's all about that 10-minute window, right?
01:09:49Yeah.
01:09:50And when you get that next evacuation, you know exactly what to do.
01:09:54Protect life and property.
01:09:56Okay.
01:09:56Ready, set, go.
01:09:57Go!
01:10:04Okay, so I made a little surprise.
01:10:08You ready?
01:10:08Ta-da!
01:10:10Oh, my God.
01:10:11I'm ready.
01:10:12I love tetherball.
01:10:13If it goes all the way to the top, you get a point.
01:10:15You get a point.
01:10:16Duh.
01:10:18Oh, my gosh.
01:10:20You're quick.
01:10:21You're like a viper.
01:10:25Yes!
01:10:25Yes!
01:10:26Yes!
01:10:26Yes!
01:10:27Yes!
01:10:27I can't beat you, so serve it up.
01:10:29I'm gonna brace the stakes a little bit.
01:10:40Yes!
01:10:42Yes!
01:10:44Yes!
01:10:45Yes!
01:10:45I win!
01:10:49Oh, my God!
01:10:56Ready, set, go.
01:10:58All right.
01:10:59Let's get to it.
01:11:00Are they gonna make it under 10 minutes?
01:11:03This is the part where we have to just put our hands up.
01:11:06We can't really do anything more for these homesteaders.
01:11:08We've done everything we can to make them safe.
01:11:11Hi, baby.
01:11:12They gotta show us that they can evacuate and they can make the homestead safe.
01:11:16Yeah, absolutely.
01:11:17I'm gonna go turn the water on.
01:11:19Okay.
01:11:20They might need to practice 10 times before they get to the point where they can evacuate
01:11:25quickly.
01:11:26Right.
01:11:26Three in minutes!
01:11:28Are you heading to the soaker hose?
01:11:29Yeah!
01:11:29Yeah!
01:11:30Yeah!
01:11:31Yeah!
01:11:33Woo!
01:11:34Woo!
01:11:35It's on!
01:11:36If you have that firebreak berm and you turn on the soaker hose and the whole thing
01:11:40becomes saturated with 2,500 gallons...
01:11:43All right.
01:11:44Come on in.
01:11:44I mean, you're getting to a place where you can protect life and property.
01:11:49All right.
01:11:49Close it up.
01:11:50Close it up.
01:11:51And leave this place with confidence.
01:11:53Four minutes!
01:11:54Okay.
01:11:55Get the dog.
01:11:55It doesn't take much to be prepared.
01:11:57And when it comes to your life, the life of your animals...
01:12:01Going in the car.
01:12:02...the life of your property, just a little bit of time, a little bit of prep work, looks
01:12:07like this.
01:12:08Woo!
01:12:09Here they come.
01:12:10Oh, here's the dog.
01:12:12Why?
01:12:15Okay.
01:12:16Up you go, Bodie.
01:12:18Okay.
01:12:19Good boy.
01:12:19Stay.
01:12:21Okay.
01:12:22Give me some hand signals?
01:12:23Okay, yeah.
01:12:24Okay.
01:12:24Back it up.
01:12:25Let's do it.
01:12:27They're already backing up?
01:12:28Yeah, they're doing so good.
01:12:30This is a big deal.
01:12:32Okay.
01:12:33I gotta hook up the trailer.
01:12:34That takes a sec.
01:12:37You guys are at seven minutes!
01:12:42Over it.
01:12:43Let's get out here.
01:12:45All right, you got it.
01:12:47Move it to your left.
01:12:48Keep going.
01:12:51Yay!
01:12:54Eight and a half minutes!
01:12:56Woo!
01:12:57All right.
01:12:58Woo!
01:12:59Dad, you did it!
01:13:02I actually wasn't sure we were going to make it with the addition of the goats, but we did
01:13:06it and it felt much safer.
01:13:09Yeah, John!
01:13:10We were much more able to get everything ready and get out of there safely.
01:13:14Nice!
01:13:15That's awesome!
01:13:16Yeah!
01:13:16This is the number one reason why we came to this homestead, is how do you defend it from
01:13:20forest fires and what does that evacuation plan look like?
01:13:22We just saw two homesteaders pulling out of here in less than 10 minutes with smiles on their faces.
01:13:28Do you see in the practice evacuation that tension and how it rises?
01:13:32That intensifies in a real emergency, right?
01:13:35Yeah.
01:13:35So practicing and having a plan is what it's about and you guys are there.
01:13:39You did so good.
01:13:43Later that day...
01:13:45How's it going, Stefania?
01:13:47It's going great.
01:13:48Misty brings out the final protective measure for the new garden.
01:13:52The big fix for this homestead is a perimeter fence.
01:13:55Okay.
01:13:55I am not putting that in with just one day left.
01:13:59And I think it's something that's so necessary for so many reasons, right?
01:14:04Okay.
01:14:05Okay, so here's my temporary fix.
01:14:07Coyote urine.
01:14:07Okay.
01:14:08Don't ask how I got it.
01:14:09Which is safe for plants and animals alike.
01:14:12So I know you have dogs running around.
01:14:13Yeah.
01:14:14Goats and chickens.
01:14:15But literally it's a deterrent when it comes to deer because they smell it.
01:14:21And they're like, nope, I'm out of here.
01:14:23So in the meantime, you're doing this every couple of weeks.
01:14:26Sound good?
01:14:26Yeah.
01:14:27Every couple of weeks.
01:14:28So it's just crystals?
01:14:29Yeah.
01:14:29And I'm going to water it in too.
01:14:31And it's easy as that.
01:14:33Okay.
01:14:33We're finally to a place where we can confidently roll out of here.
01:14:36I can't actually believe that we pulled it off without my dad.
01:14:41But we did it.
01:14:42You have the most epic garden that I've seen in a while.
01:14:48This was all about how do we protect this homestead, right?
01:14:51Do you think we've achieved that in this week?
01:14:53I would say mission accomplished with that.
01:14:56When it comes to protection and defense, we did it.
01:14:58Like with that massive firebreak berm, with that 2,500 gallon water tank, with the fire hose fitting.
01:15:04And then that whole berm just being saturated with the irrigation line for the plants.
01:15:09I mean, it was brutal, but somehow we pulled it off without my dad.
01:15:14Seven days ago, Stefania and John's garden sprawl failed to provide any food for the homestead,
01:15:21which itself stood highly vulnerable to wildfires.
01:15:25Today, their home is surrounded by a massive fire break,
01:15:29which also doubles as space for a centralized garden covered by a mobile shade system.
01:15:35And with the addition of a 2,500 gallon water tank, their water supply has also doubled,
01:15:40providing ample water for both growing crops and fighting fires.
01:15:45You changed our lives here, like you really did.
01:15:48You came here and you just breathed new life into the place.
01:15:51Being here, you showed us that in different ways that like you believed in us
01:15:55and you were encouraging and you had good advice and you showed us how to use tools.
01:15:59And there's just so many different things that now that you've been here, like we feel more confident,
01:16:03we feel more safe and that's everything to us right now
01:16:07because we were just like really beaten down for a while.
01:16:10So thank you, Misty.
01:16:11You're welcome.
01:16:12You're welcome.
01:16:13Yeah.
01:16:15You're welcome.
01:16:17I moved around a lot through my life and, you know, the whole point is to put down roots
01:16:23and to find a place where you can say, you know, I'm home.
01:16:27And, you know, technically we've been here, but it just never felt like it could be a reality.
01:16:35The energy that this project with the Rainies has brought to the homestead has really been a game changer for
01:16:41us.
01:16:42We're turning the corner.
01:16:43Things are looking up and this is going to be my home.
01:16:47This is my forever home.
01:16:48I'm excited to be able to continue putting down roots here.
01:16:53I saw joy and happiness in all the hard work that we did.
01:16:59Yeah.
01:16:59And so I feel a lot better about leaving California because I really truly believe you have what it takes
01:17:05to make it out here now.
01:17:07Absolutely.
01:17:07Yeah.
01:17:08Yeah.
01:17:08It feels much more safe.
01:17:10We're sustainable.
01:17:12We feel much more capable even in the heat of the summer.
01:17:16Things feel a lot better for homesteading here.
01:17:18I agree.
01:17:19And, you know, I hope our paths do cross with Marty again because I think, you know, it would be
01:17:22great if he could come and see all of the great work.
01:17:24I think he'd be really proud of what you all pulled together and accomplished in this short time.
01:17:28That's really sweet.
01:17:29Yeah.
01:17:29Thanks for saying that.
01:17:31We're going to miss you guys.
01:17:32We'll miss you too.
01:17:33Thank you so much.
01:17:34You're so welcome.
01:17:34Yeah.
01:17:34Yeah, man.
01:17:36Working alongside these homesteaders, they went from being afraid to live on this property to actually being prepared and optimistic
01:17:45about the future.
01:17:46Let's see you guys.
01:17:47Okay.
01:17:48Homesteading will always be hard work because guess what?
01:17:51That's what homesteading is all about.
01:17:53Happy trails.
01:17:54But after all of the hard work, the blood, sweat, and tears, you get to see the payoff and feel
01:18:00that reward and it's all worth it.
01:18:08Since the rainies left, we've been pretty busy getting ready for the house.
01:18:13We have a working kitchen sink and a toilet now, which we're really excited about.
01:18:18All the while maintaining the homestead.
01:18:21The chickens are doing really well.
01:18:23Ever since the chicken coop was modified, we haven't had to worry as much about the heat.
01:18:29Now we're getting about maybe eight, nine eggs a day.
01:18:33The goats ate the grass down really quickly.
01:18:37They even took care of the poison oak.
01:18:38It's really fantastic.
01:18:40Being able to know how much water we have at any given moment, it is critical.
01:18:45The berm being super close to the house this spring, we're going to be able to grow a lot of
01:18:50food and have it really close by.
01:18:53Now that the rainies have been here, I feel like a sense of confidence that I didn't have before.
01:18:58I feel great about saying this is home now.
01:19:01I'm happy to be here.
01:19:02It is not fair.
01:19:04Now that I'll break the favor of our sustenance to how much water we need to keep toilets,
01:19:04Among theæš– Umm FacesÏŒldam's more center and dwoma.
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