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00:00:00So here's the deal, the evacuation.
00:00:03Oh, what?
00:00:04We have 10 minutes.
00:00:06Ready, set, go.
00:00:07Go!
00:00:08Are we getting them just in the car?
00:00:11Yeah.
00:00:11I'm so stressed out right now.
00:00:13Where's John?
00:00:16Come on, chickens.
00:00:19Where there's smoke on a homestead, where do you live?
00:00:24Between an RV and what we call the pump house.
00:00:27There's fire.
00:00:28We're constantly worried about our water supply.
00:00:30We can't grow food for ourselves.
00:00:32I have been hovering around the breaking point.
00:00:35There was a 5,000-acre fire coming straight at us.
00:00:39It's the chickens versus the heat, and the heat is winning.
00:00:43Fire terrifies them.
00:00:44So the homesteaders just stand still.
00:00:46They're stuck here.
00:00:47Nothing's going to survive.
00:00:48Is that fire?
00:00:50Nothing's prepared to survive.
00:00:51This is worst-case scenario.
00:00:55I'm having Kai to drive me to the airport so I can head back to Alaska.
00:00:59I can, please apologize to the family.
00:01:02I can't.
00:01:29I can't.
00:01:32on this homestead.
00:01:34Super dry, super arid, super warm.
00:01:38It's supposed to be 100 degrees the entire time we're here.
00:01:42That's hot.
00:01:45The rainies are traveling to a homestead
00:01:48perched in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
00:01:50A haven for wilderness attics, the region
00:01:54offers a blend of rolling hills, oak woodlands,
00:01:57and wildflower meadows, with the sunny climate
00:02:00providing a long growing season.
00:02:02However, record rainfall this year,
00:02:06followed by intense heat and drought,
00:02:08have sparked the most extreme wildfires
00:02:11in California history, paralyzing off-gridders,
00:02:15and forcing predators to prey on livestock,
00:02:18while deer decimate gardens.
00:02:20It is amidst this volatile mix that the Lytle-Hayes family
00:02:25find themselves struggling to hold on.
00:02:29Hi, my name is Stefania Hayes.
00:02:31And I'm John Lytle, and we live on 30 acres
00:02:34in Northern California.
00:02:38This homestead is one of the most meaningful things
00:02:41I've ever tried to achieve.
00:02:44When we first looked at this property,
00:02:46it was a love at first sight.
00:02:49There was just bare land, oak trees and grasses,
00:02:52and a well, and that was it.
00:02:54We thought we could just live in the RV for a year,
00:02:58and then we'd have some kind of a house to move into.
00:03:00Eight years later, that is not the case.
00:03:04A big part of that is we screw up major parts of the build,
00:03:09that have to then be rebuilt.
00:03:11And with every mistake, that means it takes years of progress away.
00:03:17And we're constantly worried about our water supply.
00:03:21The sun is brutal on plants.
00:03:24The drought is bad for several years at a time, pretty scary.
00:03:30We've had very limited successes in growing food for ourselves.
00:03:34Though determined, the couple faced a series of setbacks
00:03:38that halted progress.
00:03:39But it's an ominous and growing threat
00:03:42that's left the homestead truly paralyzed.
00:03:46Fire is a way of life out here.
00:03:48I mean, we have fire season.
00:03:49It's more of a when rather than if.
00:03:52They've put so much into this homestead.
00:03:55They've put their hopes, their dreams, all their money.
00:03:59I personally have been hovering around a breaking point
00:04:03for probably three years.
00:04:05If you look around, there's a little bit of everything
00:04:08happening right now, which means a whole lot of nothing
00:04:10is getting done, and it's very stressful.
00:04:12I can't even fathom walking away.
00:04:15But we don't know how to move forward.
00:04:18Rainies, we need your help.
00:04:24Hello.
00:04:26Hello.
00:04:28Good morning.
00:04:29Welcome.
00:04:30I'm Stefania.
00:04:31Nice to meet you.
00:04:31Marty Rainey.
00:04:32Yeah.
00:04:32I'm John.
00:04:33John, who are these folks, please?
00:04:35I'm dad for John.
00:04:36This is your father.
00:04:37My dad, yeah.
00:04:37And?
00:04:38Irene.
00:04:39Irene.
00:04:39Now, what possessed you to live on a mountaintop?
00:04:44We love to land here.
00:04:46It's so beautiful to us.
00:04:48I grew up around here, and we've always
00:04:50just been drawn to the beauty.
00:04:52How long have you guys owned this property?
00:04:55We've been here for eight years.
00:04:57Eight years.
00:04:57That house looks pretty nice.
00:04:59Are you living in there?
00:05:00No.
00:05:00We would love to, but no.
00:05:02Where do you live?
00:05:04Between an RV and what we call the pump house.
00:05:07Are you about to move in there?
00:05:09Are you going to move in there while we're here?
00:05:11How far along is it?
00:05:13We're stuck.
00:05:14Yeah.
00:05:14It's just one of those things where we're very close,
00:05:16but very far away from moving into it.
00:05:19We've just hit roadblock after roadblock.
00:05:22But the elephant on the homestead,
00:05:25is this 30 acres prepared for a fire?
00:05:29Absolutely not.
00:05:30Why?
00:05:30Eight years.
00:05:31We have all sorts of structures we've been building,
00:05:36but we haven't been able to fireproof everything.
00:05:41It's just been too much for us to handle.
00:05:43We've been in California dealing with forest fires before on other homesteads.
00:05:48Every single thing is burnt to the ground.
00:05:50Where was your house?
00:05:51Right here.
00:05:51Right here.
00:05:52You're parked in our living room.
00:05:53There's nothing left.
00:05:55No.
00:05:56And I think for us, we know the devastation, the seriousness.
00:06:01We've experienced it firsthand.
00:06:03So you realize the importance of fire protection.
00:06:07And what do you guys think of these guys living out here?
00:06:10They need drastic help, to be honest.
00:06:13They've had so many problems.
00:06:15We're a little embarrassed to admit where we're at.
00:06:19I think that, you know, you're coming here at a really great time.
00:06:22It's just hard to admit sometimes that we're in a place where we need help.
00:06:29Over the course of my life, I've moved 35 times.
00:06:32A lot of this had to do with, you know, being in a military family growing up.
00:06:37There was a lot of, you know, chaos and trauma growing up, which affected me really greatly.
00:06:43Finding the place where I want to spend the rest of my life was really important to me.
00:06:48I've been ready for a long time to find a place to put down roots.
00:06:54We have water.
00:06:55Our main goals for this homestead were to be more self-reliant and sufficient and secure.
00:07:05We had so much momentum going and it all just kind of came to a halt.
00:07:10Recently, I lost my job.
00:07:13Then there was a huge 5,000 acre fire coming straight at us.
00:07:19And that was paralyzing, terrifying.
00:07:23We thought we were going to lose everything.
00:07:27Definitely changed me.
00:07:29I felt quite broken and worried about the future, knowing our vulnerabilities.
00:07:37We've been on the edge of giving up.
00:07:39We're not sure how much longer it'll be.
00:07:42It's just so hard to look out at our unfinished homestead and feel like we can't make it.
00:07:51I mean, look at that. This is amazing.
00:07:55Very smart. I'm very impressed.
00:07:58I understand loud and clear what's happening here.
00:08:01You know, you're building it the right way, which is more expensive, and you ran out of money.
00:08:08Yeah.
00:08:09I get it.
00:08:11That said, this looks dangerous.
00:08:15What is the plan to protect life and property from this 45-degree slope, which is covered with this dry,
00:08:24flammable grass, weeds, trees, bushes?
00:08:29Yeah.
00:08:30What's the plan?
00:08:31Clear as much as I can.
00:08:33And I've cut down some trees, but it is trees and brush all the way around.
00:08:39I put in water lines with little hydrants.
00:08:43Show me where that water's coming from, please.
00:08:45Yeah, you got it.
00:08:50Right in here, there's a well that goes 400 feet into the ground.
00:08:55It runs about seven gallons a minute.
00:08:58That's probably why that 3,000-gallon tank's on the side of that mountain.
00:09:01Exactly.
00:09:02Okay. How much water's in that tank right this second?
00:09:04Right now, we have no idea.
00:09:06Yeah.
00:09:06Don't take this personally, but I think I would always know how much water is in that tank because I
00:09:12will never know when a forest fire is going to come knocking.
00:09:16If you choose to homestead in these mountains that are, frankly, a tender box, you can get all excited and
00:09:27make plans and even start a big home.
00:09:29But everything's at risk until you manage that property so that it can defend itself when comes the predator.
00:09:39Not bear, not mountain lion, not coyote.
00:09:42Fire.
00:09:45This resembles a garden.
00:09:47Yes, it does.
00:09:48We started off calling this our practice garden just because we had really no experience growing stuff.
00:09:56It's not really enough space to grow enough food to get you through a year.
00:10:01Yeah.
00:10:01But we've learned a lot here, which is helpful.
00:10:04And I have to say, for a practice garden, this looks pretty good.
00:10:07It's small, but, I mean, things are alive.
00:10:09I've seen worse.
00:10:10Do you have other gardens?
00:10:11Is there just one garden?
00:10:13Oh, yeah.
00:10:13We have multiple areas that are getting started.
00:10:16Really?
00:10:16I'd be happy to show you.
00:10:17Okay.
00:10:17Take me to the next one.
00:10:18Okay.
00:10:20Hearing things like, this is our starter garden.
00:10:23This is our practice garden.
00:10:25Over here on the right, we started blackberries, raspberries.
00:10:29Somehow it's turned into this sprawl that has gotten out of hand.
00:10:34We have big dreams for this garden, but it's a little embarrassing.
00:10:40What's your plan?
00:10:41What's the vision?
00:10:42Because right now, I see a sprawl.
00:10:44We really want to grow, like, 60 to 80% of our food.
00:10:48It's just been really hard to make it real.
00:10:51Like, yeah, you know.
00:10:53We're in California, folks.
00:10:55There's a ton of agriculture.
00:10:57And then you get to this homestead, and it's pretty much dead.
00:11:02Having this garden sprawl, you're required to be in too many places at the same time,
00:11:06and it's very difficult to maintain.
00:11:09It would be so much simpler, so much easier on her,
00:11:13if it was consolidated right out their back door,
00:11:16and maybe even offering their homestead fire protection.
00:11:21It's been a lot.
00:11:23You know, we just didn't expand the way we thought.
00:11:26It's on the back burner.
00:11:28Definitely back burner.
00:11:29And it's burned.
00:11:30Yeah.
00:11:31Yeah, it is.
00:11:32It is.
00:11:33When you look around the homestead, there's so many unfinished projects.
00:11:37I feel like Stefania and John knew, come the next forest fire, everything was going to burn to the ground.
00:11:42So they thought, what's the point?
00:11:43They're living in fear.
00:11:53Here's where the chickens are.
00:11:55The young ones are over here.
00:11:56Okay.
00:11:57And the adults are back here.
00:11:59This is like Alcatraz.
00:12:01They have to get down and crawl in.
00:12:03I'm not the tallest person in the world, but if I had to bend over in that, you know, like,
00:12:09actually I might just get stuck down there.
00:12:11Yeah.
00:12:12You've got to be able to build stuff that's not just manageable for the animals,
00:12:15but you have to be able to be in those coops, managing the animals as well, and be comfortable.
00:12:21I feel like this homestead definitely was started off on the right foot.
00:12:25Right.
00:12:25In a lot of ways.
00:12:26I think so.
00:12:27The heat is one big problem here.
00:12:29Yeah.
00:12:30This is an extreme area, especially this time of year.
00:12:34It's so dry, and this grass is so flammable.
00:12:38I can just see a fire just raging up this mountain, climbing that grass.
00:12:44I mean, going through here, and it's going to turn everything upside down.
00:12:50This homestead, it's a little mountainous, and it's a lot hot.
00:12:56Everything is dry as a bone, and they're having the worst two years of fire season.
00:13:02This grass is definitely one of the most flammable ladder fuels I've ever seen.
00:13:08I am not just going to try to help the homestead with the livestock issues before I'm going to
00:13:13worry about those chickens getting roasted in a fire.
00:13:16Sounds great.
00:13:18Thanks for showing me around.
00:13:18Okay.
00:13:27I think we're all on the same page.
00:13:29This evening breeze feels good, but it's really an omen for what can go wrong here.
00:13:36I mean, one spark in this whole entire 30 acres is on the side of the mountain.
00:13:41It's gone.
00:13:41So they're living in the RV and the pump house.
00:13:45Because they're so spread out, they have a garden sprawl.
00:13:48But the bigger concern, I agree with dad.
00:13:52What is the fire protection?
00:13:53What is the evacuation plan?
00:13:55How are we protecting this homestead and the homesteaders?
00:13:59That's what I care most about.
00:14:01I looked at the chicken coop.
00:14:04There's a battle of what's really hurting these chickens right now.
00:14:07It's the chickens versus the heat.
00:14:09Heat is winning, which isn't something that's good for egg laying, making it safe.
00:14:16That, to me, is the biggest motivator.
00:14:18But, I don't think that they've tried anything to protect their livestock from wildfires.
00:14:25Nothing's going to survive.
00:14:27Nothing's prepared to survive.
00:14:29On most homesteads, you hit the ground running.
00:14:34Trying to get them set up with shelter, food, water, predator control.
00:14:40However, I find out in the first hour on this homestead that the problem is life and property.
00:14:48The first order of business is how do you protect it from forest fires?
00:14:54Let's go have a chat with them.
00:15:04Didn't you guys all stand here this morning and say that the forest fire was just on the other side
00:15:09of that ridge?
00:15:09That's right.
00:15:10Right there.
00:15:10So, if that happened again in this breeze, how long do you guys think it would take for that forest
00:15:15fire to get from that hill to this hill?
00:15:18Just minutes.
00:15:19Yeah.
00:15:19We've got to do something, right?
00:15:21Yeah.
00:15:21Okay.
00:15:22Do me a favor.
00:15:23Get a good night's rest because we're going to hit the ground running.
00:15:26Okay.
00:15:26Got it.
00:15:27Fair enough?
00:15:44All right, kids.
00:15:46Here's some crazy news.
00:15:49I'm having Kai to drive me to the airport so I can head back to Alaska and deal with something
00:15:54that's happening right here.
00:15:55Yesterday morning, my eye went blurry.
00:15:59I started getting headaches right here.
00:16:01And it's hurting behind my eyes so please apologize to the family.
00:16:08Whoa.
00:16:09Yeah.
00:16:21Hey, you guys.
00:16:23Hi.
00:16:23Hey, good morning.
00:16:24It's early morning on the second day of a daunting rescue, one that's about to get even more challenging.
00:16:31We have some news that we need to share with you.
00:16:35Uh-oh.
00:16:35Uh-oh.
00:16:36So my dad had a medical emergency.
00:16:39No.
00:16:39And he is not going to be here today and possibly not for the whole week.
00:16:44Oh, no way.
00:16:46After putting off concerning symptoms for several days, Marty made the difficult decision to seek medical attention in hopes of
00:16:55returning before week's end.
00:16:57This is worst case scenario, right?
00:16:59We're on a homestead.
00:17:00My dad's not here.
00:17:02Everybody's got to step up.
00:17:03But those are some pretty big cowboy boots to fill.
00:17:07And I think we have a pretty busy week because no matter what, these homesteaders still need our help.
00:17:14I think he did the right thing by getting care and we're glad that he did.
00:17:17And we're grateful for any help that, you know, we can get here.
00:17:22Okay.
00:17:22So full steam ahead?
00:17:23Absolutely.
00:17:24Yeah.
00:17:25So we just have to say one more thing.
00:17:27I think this is going to be kind of weird, but in honor of my dad.
00:17:31Clint!
00:17:36He responds quicker to me and you than he does to dad.
00:17:40We know Marty is a workhorse.
00:17:42However, the rest of the team, Misty and Matt, are like super expert homesteaders too.
00:17:48So this is Clint.
00:17:50He's in the homesteaders, Clint.
00:17:52Nice to meet you.
00:17:53Nice to meet you too.
00:17:53And we're just so grateful that they're able to be here to see the rescue through.
00:17:58We definitely, you know, will miss Marty if he can't come back.
00:18:02But we feel like really stoked about having everybody here.
00:18:07So I think between the three of us, we got it.
00:18:11Ready?
00:18:11Yeah.
00:18:12We are totally ready.
00:18:15Before Misty and Matt can begin to make a game plan, they've called in critical support.
00:18:23How's it going?
00:18:24Good.
00:18:25How are you?
00:18:26Good.
00:18:26We're bringing in Scott, the fire chief in Copperopolis.
00:18:31He dealt with the Arrow fire and bringing him onto this homestead and getting as many fire safety tips as
00:18:38we possibly can is the thing we need to make this homestead safe.
00:18:42So how many fires are happening in California right now? Do you know?
00:18:46Right now, there's probably over two dozen active fires throughout from San Diego up to Oregon.
00:18:52Oh, wow.
00:18:53Various stages, the largest one being over 400,000 acres.
00:18:58Due to its native dry climate, California has become one of the top states in the country to see widespread
00:19:04wildfires,
00:19:06with an average annual property loss of over $117 billion between 2017 and 2021.
00:19:14The deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California's history, the Camp Fire of 2018,
00:19:21consumed over 150,000 acres and left 85 dead.
00:19:27The mountainous regions of Northern California are especially at risk due to katabatic winds that fan flames,
00:19:34quickly consuming ladder fuels such as dry brush and dead trees, leading to an uphill wildfire spread of almost 15
00:19:43miles per hour.
00:19:46So what advice do you have for us?
00:19:48So best advice is we look at the defensible space.
00:19:51So a hundred foot is what the state of California requires.
00:19:54Oh, wow.
00:19:55Within that hundred feet, ideally you have five feet around your structure to remove any type of vegetation.
00:20:00So we look at bare mineral soil, pavers, gravel, anything that won't sustain combustion for it to creeping up against
00:20:08the house.
00:20:09From the five to 30, we want to reduce those fuels as best we can.
00:20:13So any dead, dying grasses, brush, sticks, limbs, remove them out of that 30 foot zone.
00:20:19That's a plane.
00:20:20That's one of our air attacks.
00:20:22So there's a fire right here somewhere that he's tracking.
00:20:25And here comes the air tanker.
00:20:27This guy?
00:20:27Yeah, it's probably 8-2 or 8-3.
00:20:29So that's full of retardant, 1,200 gallons of retardant.
00:20:32We had planes flying over that were like filled with fire retardant.
00:20:37Here's another one?
00:20:38Yep, tanker 8-2 and 3.
00:20:41Cal Fire is on such high alert right now.
00:20:45Anything can happen at any second.
00:20:48Let's talk evacuation plans.
00:20:50So what's the number you should shoot for?
00:20:5310 minutes.
00:20:5410 minutes.
00:20:54Yep.
00:20:54From the moment you get that call, that warning on your phone, you should be gone in 10 minutes.
00:21:00Ideally.
00:21:01After speaking with Scott and just that wealth of knowledge, the plan that I had in my head needs to
00:21:08be modified.
00:21:08Okay.
00:21:09Nice to meet you.
00:21:10The last fire that swept through this homestead, the homesteaders did not evacuate.
00:21:16I don't even know if they have an evacuation plan, but we need to find out.
00:21:24Hey, you guys.
00:21:25Step on out here.
00:21:26Oh, hey, guys.
00:21:26Step on out.
00:21:27So here's the deal.
00:21:28Okay.
00:21:29We want to see firsthand the evacuation drill starting now.
00:21:35Oh, what?
00:21:36Okay.
00:21:37Let's do it.
00:21:37Uh, okay.
00:21:39Chickens.
00:21:39Chickens?
00:21:40Go.
00:21:40Okay.
00:21:42I was really surprised to be caught so off guard, but we are incredibly grateful for the test,
00:21:50for the stress of it even, because this is going to set us up to be safer on the homestead.
00:21:57Get the grates.
00:22:00That one.
00:22:03What I really like about what they're doing right now is they went straight to life.
00:22:07Right?
00:22:07Yeah.
00:22:08Protect life and property.
00:22:09There you go, girl.
00:22:10Can you come over here and I'll try to hand you chickens?
00:22:13Yeah.
00:22:13Yeah.
00:22:14I know.
00:22:15You're my baby.
00:22:17Okay, medals.
00:22:18Here we go.
00:22:19Careful.
00:22:19I got her.
00:22:21And you go in the cat carrier.
00:22:23I know you're not a cat.
00:22:2510 minutes for this area is what the fire chief recommends.
00:22:29Get out in 10 minutes when you get that evacuation notice.
00:22:32We're halfway.
00:22:33We have five minutes.
00:22:34Right.
00:22:36Okay.
00:22:41In you go.
00:22:42Okay.
00:22:43Come here.
00:22:43I know.
00:22:44This is so weird, right?
00:22:46Oh, my gosh.
00:22:4710 minutes is a short amount of time.
00:22:49Ugh.
00:22:51Stressing you guys out.
00:22:53Oh, no.
00:22:54Come on now.
00:22:55I actually feel really bad in this moment.
00:22:57Like, I can't believe we're putting the homesteaders through this, but they look like they're
00:23:02not even close to getting ready to evacuate this homestead.
00:23:05We're at almost eight minutes.
00:23:08This needs improvement.
00:23:10Are we getting them just in the car?
00:23:12Yeah.
00:23:13I think they know what they need to do.
00:23:15I don't think they're prepared at all.
00:23:17Stay.
00:23:21She's got her bag.
00:23:22What's in the bag?
00:23:23The bird?
00:23:24Yeah.
00:23:25Where's John?
00:23:26They didn't load the chickens.
00:23:28Come on, chickens.
00:23:29Oh, my gosh.
00:23:30I'm so stressed out right now.
00:23:32Are they coming to you?
00:23:33No, they're not.
00:23:35Five, four, three, two, one.
00:23:43Oh, no.
00:23:45That's it.
00:23:46Time's up.
00:23:47Time's up.
00:23:49I think we lost.
00:23:57Here's the deal.
00:23:58We've heard from the fire chief for this region.
00:24:01You have, from the moment you received the evacuation on your phone, ten minutes ideally.
00:24:08No longer, if anything, less than.
00:24:10We gave you ten minutes and this is how far you got nowhere near ready to evacuate this homestay.
00:24:17Yeah.
00:24:17Yeah.
00:24:18This is, I think, eye-opening for all of us.
00:24:21This is what preparedness looks like.
00:24:23You know, this is our first time trying to do that with this situation and it just really brought to
00:24:27light how problematic this poop is.
00:24:29Yeah.
00:24:30That's good.
00:24:31Yeah.
00:24:32That's good.
00:24:33Right?
00:24:33Because if you don't know what the problem is, you don't know how to solve it.
00:24:36Yeah.
00:24:36I think your livestock needs to be evacuated quicker.
00:24:40And so this area is going to change drastically.
00:24:45And there's going to be a very quick evacuation plan for all the livestock that's going to be here when
00:24:50I leave.
00:24:50I want you to be at a place where you feel safe, you feel secure, and you're comfortable to evacuate.
00:24:58It needs a lot to both of us.
00:25:00Yeah.
00:25:00It needs a lot to both of us.
00:25:02Okay.
00:25:02Let's put the animals back in the house, take a deep breath, have a glass of water, and get to
00:25:06work.
00:25:06Yeah, you got it.
00:25:07Yeah.
00:25:09These chickens are way harder to get out than I thought.
00:25:21All right, folks.
00:25:23So, one of the biggest red flags that I saw during the attempted evacuation was this chicken coop run area.
00:25:34Yeah.
00:25:36It's just too short, not really conducive to the whole evacuation aspect.
00:25:41You did a lot of good stuff over here.
00:25:43And then you did what anybody would have done.
00:25:45You cobbled together some pallets and hardware cloth and a kennel.
00:25:50But you can't even get in the chicken coop.
00:25:52You can't even get the chickens.
00:25:53It's not going to work.
00:25:54So, here's what we're going to do.
00:25:57Out with the bad and copy what we did with the good.
00:26:03Matt will double the size of the existing coop to increase air flow and allow for easy maintenance.
00:26:09Then he will install an extended roof to provide shade cover designed to keep the chickens cool and increase egg
00:26:16production.
00:26:17Finally, he will install a full-size door, improving evacuation times in the event of a fire.
00:26:26That's a lot of wood right there.
00:26:34Now we can get to work.
00:26:44Oh, I love this wind.
00:26:46I love this wind so much.
00:26:4930 feet from the Lytle Hayes cabin in progress, Misty walks through her defensible garden plan.
00:26:55You have the previous fire coming from that direction.
00:26:59You have the ladder fields with the branches and all this dead grass and this mountain slope.
00:27:06I constantly feel the wind blowing from this direction.
00:27:10Yeah.
00:27:11And there is all of this grass.
00:27:13I want to get rid of the grass, back blade with the skid.
00:27:16And I would love to start a berm that is shaped like a horseshoe.
00:27:21Oh, yeah?
00:27:22That is essentially your garden space slash fire break.
00:27:27Uh-huh.
00:27:27That you can plant on, that you can grow in, that you're watering constantly because it's a garden.
00:27:34Okay, yeah.
00:27:35And I'm ready to start if you are.
00:27:38Yeah.
00:27:39First, Misty and her team will clear the space around the house, creating a level foundation for the fire break
00:27:47garden.
00:27:47Then, to defend against the most prevalent wind direction and the hillside of ladder fuels, she will frame out the
00:27:54fire break dimensions with reclaimed logs before covering them with organic material collected by clearing the property of flammable tree
00:28:03limbs and dead grass.
00:28:05Finally, she will cover the whole structure with a fireproof mulch designed to protect the organics while maintaining moisture.
00:28:16We have such a tight area when it comes to putting in this berm that there's no room on one
00:28:22side of the house and the other side of the house has the shed in the way.
00:28:25So, we're going to hook up to this thing and yank it out of here and allow access for the
00:28:30berm.
00:28:35I've moved structures before.
00:28:38Let's go.
00:28:39But usually, I rely heavily on my dad.
00:28:42Ready when you are.
00:28:44Cut it loose and get out of the way.
00:28:48Not having him is not great, but the shed is in the way of me continuing on with my build.
00:28:55It's got to be moved.
00:28:56It's just full steam ahead.
00:28:58Let's see what happens.
00:28:59Okay, gentlemen, here we go.
00:29:07Wait, hold on.
00:29:10I think we're going to have to hook it lower.
00:29:15The attempt number one looked like we were going to crush the building.
00:29:20I don't know, guys.
00:29:21I think I'm going to break that strap.
00:29:24The guy who made it delivered it on a kind of a small thing.
00:29:27Yeah.
00:29:27So, I'm wondering if this skid would handle it.
00:29:29Yeah.
00:29:31We don't have the right rigging and it looks like we're causing damage.
00:29:35So, we'll just man down.
00:29:37Hopefully, we can move it in the skid steer.
00:29:38We're moving this thing.
00:29:40Trust me.
00:29:41Yeah.
00:29:42I'm moving it.
00:29:42I'm going to pick it up by hand if I have to.
00:29:46Yeah.
00:29:48Jumping out.
00:29:49Get in the skid.
00:30:00Jumping out.
00:30:02Get in the skid.
00:30:05Okay.
00:30:06Here we go.
00:30:06Come on.
00:30:11Woo.
00:30:12I might look straight back.
00:30:14You're good.
00:30:18Hold tight.
00:30:20No, hold up.
00:30:23We're good.
00:30:25Back her up.
00:30:32Yeah.
00:30:33Hold, hold.
00:30:36Okay.
00:30:37Good job.
00:30:38That's like homesteading right there.
00:30:39You have some drill pipe.
00:30:41You got some traffic cones for pads.
00:30:43That's right.
00:30:43You don't have the right rigging, but you just get the job done.
00:30:46Okay.
00:30:47Ready to start building the berm?
00:30:48Yes.
00:30:56Hello?
00:30:57There he is.
00:30:58The man of the hour.
00:31:00Hi, Marty.
00:31:01Do you think you're coming back to this homestead?
00:31:03I've got some good news and some bad news.
00:31:06All right.
00:31:15Okay.
00:31:16I'm gonna grab a log.
00:31:17Our mission is to not hit the house.
00:31:19Okay.
00:31:20Okay.
00:31:21In the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas.
00:31:23Okay.
00:31:24Here we go.
00:31:25Perfect for our garden.
00:31:27Yeah.
00:31:28So this new section of coop is gonna look just like that size.
00:31:34Misty and Matt are down their best man as their dad has returned to Alaska to seek medical treatment.
00:31:41How are we looking, Stefania?
00:31:42You're doing great.
00:31:43Woo!
00:31:44Now, in the midst of one of the most destructive fire seasons on record, Matt modifies the existing chicken coop
00:31:52to allow the homesteaders to evacuate more efficiently.
00:31:56We're fast tracking.
00:31:58While Misty lays out the foundation for her fire break garden.
00:32:02Okay.
00:32:04There's so much going on in this homestead for Matt and I because there just isn't enough time without my
00:32:09dad.
00:32:11But with or without him, we're getting the job done.
00:32:15Woo!
00:32:16Come on, Stefania.
00:32:18So, we went from one log to a rainbow.
00:32:22What do you think?
00:32:23It's going pretty fast.
00:32:25I love it.
00:32:25It looks amazing.
00:32:27I'm so excited about Misty's plan.
00:32:29It's shaping up to be larger than life, which is amazing.
00:32:33She's come up with this idea for a berm that will not only protect us from fire, but be a
00:32:40more centralized location for a productive garden.
00:32:44Which really does double duty for the needs on this homestead.
00:32:48In my mind, since I've landed, I'm like, man, if there was a fire evacuation today, right now, I'm out
00:32:56of here.
00:32:57Yeah.
00:32:57But are you out of here?
00:32:58Not yet.
00:32:59Okay.
00:33:00There's some really, I think, exciting things to come that are going to secure your house so that the next
00:33:07evacuation warning, you're out of here.
00:33:09And you're like pumped.
00:33:10You're like, oh, we did, we were ready.
00:33:12I want to get you to a place where you're ready.
00:33:15Yeah.
00:33:15That's, it's a stretch for me right now to get there, but I think that maybe we could get there.
00:33:23I've seen this before on a homestead where there's been devastation with forest fires.
00:33:28So the homesteaders just stand still.
00:33:30They man down.
00:33:31Because they know that everything they do could be for nothing come the next fire.
00:33:36And that's where Stefania and John are at.
00:33:38I think together we work on getting rid of this.
00:33:42Uh-huh.
00:33:43And getting rid of that.
00:33:45Yeah.
00:33:45Like all of the ladder fields when it comes to the trees.
00:33:47And then I have a plan when it comes to all of this debris.
00:33:51Ready?
00:33:51Yeah.
00:33:52Let's do it.
00:33:54Okay.
00:33:55Okay.
00:33:55So this is what we're talking about when we mean accessibility.
00:34:00I'm walking in this building.
00:34:01I have lots of room where the chickens can thrive, but they can also be easily accessed during an evacuation.
00:34:09Okay.
00:34:10So we're just going to throw on some paint to match the existing coop.
00:34:15We're moving real fast.
00:34:16We got no second to lose.
00:34:18So back to work.
00:34:21The real key is to not get purple paint all over yourself.
00:34:26The homesteaders painted their first original chicken coop purple because they call it the eggplant.
00:34:34I wish I would have thought of that.
00:34:37We're going to paint this thing.
00:34:38Then we'll start slapping on some wire and put the door on and put a roof on this thing.
00:34:53So it's basically, you have a battery, you have a safety and a trigger and a brake.
00:35:01All right.
00:35:01Okay.
00:35:02Stefania has never used a chainsaw.
00:35:04And I think in this location, lemming is going to become your favorite pastime.
00:35:09So her using a chainsaw for the first time, her getting comfortable enough with a chainsaw is pretty key when
00:35:16it comes to fire protection.
00:35:31Yeah, and then the sky.
00:35:33Nice!
00:35:34Okay.
00:35:35Do you feel like you're at a place where I could cut you loose?
00:35:39Yeah.
00:35:39Okay.
00:35:39Thank you so much, Misty.
00:35:44Seems on the surface like a small skill, but it does have a huge benefit.
00:35:49And it was actually a relief to me to learn how to use it.
00:35:52Don't forget your brake.
00:35:53Oh, thank you.
00:35:57It's actually a huge deal to be able to contribute in that way to the homestead.
00:36:16Okay, we're ready to move these chickens over there.
00:36:17Yeah.
00:36:18Hopefully, this will be the last time you have to climb in there.
00:36:21Yeah.
00:36:22Okay.
00:36:24Let's go, team.
00:36:26Come on.
00:36:29There we go.
00:36:30There we go.
00:36:30Okay, one chicken down.
00:36:33We don't have any time to waste.
00:36:35There's extreme fire danger, and we've finished our addition to the chicken coop.
00:36:40We've got to move those little chickens over there so they can be in a nice, accessible spot right now
00:36:45in case a fire blows through.
00:36:53This shows you how hard it is to get chickens out of a place when you're crawling around your hands
00:36:57and knees.
00:36:57Yeah, right?
00:36:58Oh, the last one.
00:37:04That's it.
00:37:04Woo!
00:37:06Look, they have such a nice place.
00:37:08Yeah, it's really good.
00:37:10It's beautiful.
00:37:13They're getting used to it.
00:37:14This is going to be so nice.
00:37:18It's just a huge improvement over the way it was, and, like, we weren't ever going to be able to
00:37:25do this anytime soon.
00:37:27And it just feels like such a relief.
00:37:29I guess that's where the tears are coming from.
00:37:31Like, I'm just so grateful.
00:37:33And this is such a relief to be able to have a better situation for them and safer for, you
00:37:38know, evacuation and just a huge burden, like, lifted.
00:37:42You, huh?
00:37:44You having a day?
00:37:45Okay.
00:37:46I'll put you down.
00:37:48Come on.
00:37:49Come on.
00:37:50Come on.
00:37:53My talk with Misty today really made me, like, think about it.
00:37:58I'm like, what am I doing here?
00:37:59Like, what is the most important thing?
00:38:01And sure, there are some big important things, but, like, the biggest thing I've realized is just feeling safe where
00:38:08you're at.
00:38:09You know, I bounced around place to place a lot.
00:38:12You don't have the same sorts of life experiences that other folks are having.
00:38:16You don't know what it's like to be in the same place for more than a couple of years at
00:38:20a time.
00:38:21You don't settle.
00:38:22After a while, it just kind of gets to you.
00:38:26Although I'm really tired, I'm just really excited to see what's going to happen tomorrow.
00:38:33Yeah, that's all I'll save for this evening.
00:38:35I'm going to sign out and try to get some sleep.
00:38:39Okay, big day tomorrow.
00:38:41Bye.
00:38:53It's day four on the Lytle Hayes homestead, and Misty and Stefania inspect the firebreak garden.
00:39:01Okay, Stefania, what do you think?
00:39:04Misty, I am feeling the berm.
00:39:09Right now, I've started with the problem area when it comes to this berm, right in front of that last
00:39:14fire, the Aero fire a month ago.
00:39:16And the plan of giving this homestead fire protection and feeding them at the same time is coming together.
00:39:23Wow.
00:39:24Right?
00:39:25So we've been, we're making topsoil.
00:39:29Got our logs, our branches, our leaves, some like wood chips, straw, and like your native soil.
00:39:35And we're just kind of mixing this together.
00:39:36And over time, it breaks down and you have like amazing topsoil.
00:39:42Because I don't see a lot of topsoil here.
00:39:44No, it's a lot of rock.
00:39:45It's a lot of rock.
00:39:46And we've had to ship stuff in.
00:39:47So it's, it's really exciting to see stuff that was processed on the property.
00:39:52But clearly, all of this is flammable, Stefania.
00:39:57I was wondering that.
00:39:59Okay.
00:39:59So, when it comes to this, like leaving all of these branches, all of these leaves, this straw, like this
00:40:07is all incredibly flammable and has to be covered.
00:40:12Yeah.
00:40:13This is not the traditional homestead, so the fixes are not going to be traditional.
00:40:19Woohoo!
00:40:21I'd love to be able to add mulch on top of this berm, but it is flammable.
00:40:27So we're doing something I've never done before, where we use gravel as mulch.
00:40:45Woohoo!
00:40:47It's been a second since I've seen what 50 yards of gravel looks like.
00:40:50But folks, it's a lot.
00:40:52But guess what?
00:40:53That's the cherry on top when it comes to this berm.
00:40:56It's creating fire defense with non-flammable material, and that's why the gravel's here.
00:41:04Yes!
00:41:05Okay, Stefania, we're almost ready for the gravel.
00:41:09Super exciting moment.
00:41:10Cherry on top.
00:41:11But to prevent that gravel from mixing into the soil, into these berms, we're going to roll
00:41:16out some landscape cloth.
00:41:21I think this is the safest spot for livestock.
00:41:25With the evacuation-ready chicken coops good to go, Matt also has removing fire fuels on his mind.
00:41:32When it comes to this homestead, you guys have done so much work to get to where you're at, and
00:41:39you're still not safe.
00:41:40Alright.
00:41:41So, I'm saying we bring in livestock that's going to make your life here so much easier.
00:41:48I think that if you've got some sheep or goats, you'll have amazing livestock that'll do a ton of work
00:41:54for you.
00:41:55I mean, if you get a weed whacker, you can spend your whole life weed whacking your property.
00:41:59Oh yeah.
00:42:00And you're never going to get ahead of it.
00:42:01But if you just have this passive animal out there grazing on fire fuels, that right there seems like a
00:42:11real game changer.
00:42:13Goats are part of a group of herbivores with four-chambered stomachs, allowing them to eat a wide variety of
00:42:20foods to extract nutrients.
00:42:22Their hardiness and strong resistance to parasites make for a low-maintenance existence, allowing goat owners across the country to
00:42:31capitalize on their landscaping prowess when keeping flammable grasses at bay.
00:42:39That's what I'm proposing.
00:42:40And anything that we bring on the homestead, we want to make sure we've got a 100% survival rate.
00:42:45Okay?
00:42:45So, I want to build one big, movable livestock structure.
00:42:53Literally.
00:42:53Mobile, on wheels, hitched up to the truck.
00:42:56Hey, there's a fire out there.
00:42:58Back this thing up.
00:42:59Beep, beep, beep.
00:43:01Hook it up and drive it out of here.
00:43:04Matt's plan.
00:43:05Establish a large, fenced-in livestock area next to the chicken coop, which he will fill with a herd of
00:43:12grazing goats that will extend the defensible space by 20 feet.
00:43:16Then, he'll build a barn on a large trailer chassis which can be hitched to a truck for quick evacuation.
00:43:22And finally, he will install a solar-powered mobile grazing fence, allowing for strategic movement of the goat herd when
00:43:31creating a fire defensible barrier up to 100 feet from the cabin.
00:43:36It's got to be enough to house what we need and get the animals away safely.
00:43:43Well, I like the idea of having it mobile, just put it on a hitch and go.
00:43:47I think it's the way to go.
00:43:49I like it.
00:43:57At the edge of the homestead.
00:43:58Okay, so I have to hand it to you and John.
00:44:02Everywhere you look, there's materials.
00:44:05Misty has a plan to add an upgrade to the Firebreak Garden.
00:44:10I collect stuff that I find at estate sales and free stuff and, yeah, like just pipes here.
00:44:17I'm interested.
00:44:18In the eight years Stefania and John have been here, they've been collecting various materials.
00:44:22I have a plan when it comes to the Firebreak Garden.
00:44:25So I have an idea with the tires.
00:44:27If we want to roll a couple down.
00:44:29Okay.
00:44:29Yeah.
00:44:29And then come back for some of these pipes.
00:44:34Oh, should we race them?
00:44:36Who's downhill from you?
00:44:38This is the one homestead where you can get away with not having a greenhouse.
00:44:42So we abandon that and we focus on how we create shade.
00:44:47I think we do reinvent the wheel.
00:44:49Yeah.
00:44:49And we create shade using these tires, a post, and some shade cloth.
00:44:53And I don't think we overcomplicate it.
00:44:55Yeah.
00:44:55So I'd love to create kind of like a tetherball situation.
00:45:00Did you ever play tetherball in school?
00:45:02A little bit, yeah.
00:45:03Were you any good at it?
00:45:04No.
00:45:05I don't think I would see it.
00:45:06Hopefully this is not going to be as hard as that, I hope.
00:45:11There's not one thing to tie a shade sail to because it's that sunny.
00:45:16There's not shade.
00:45:17There's not trees.
00:45:18Like within a mile of this berm.
00:45:21So I want to create these tetherball stands.
00:45:24Did you ever play tetherball when you were a kid?
00:45:26That's what I want to create in order to support shade sails.
00:45:31We've got all this amazing drill pipe, right?
00:45:33Yeah.
00:45:34So we'll create those tetherball stands.
00:45:36Yeah.
00:45:37With a tire, concrete, and this drill pipe.
00:45:40Wow.
00:45:40I'm so stoked.
00:45:42I've been collecting this stuff for years.
00:45:44Like fence posts and pipes and tires and all kinds of stuff.
00:45:48And feeling like one day we'll put it to use when we have the time and mental energy to solve
00:45:53problems.
00:45:53But we just haven't been there yet.
00:45:55So for Misty and the crew like putting their brain power to use to like create solutions that use the
00:46:01material feels really good.
00:46:02That's what we wanted out of this stuff.
00:46:04I wouldn't have thought to use the tires for that.
00:46:08I just think it's genius to, you know, put that together in that way.
00:46:11It's going to be awesome.
00:46:17Hello?
00:46:17There he is.
00:46:19The man of the hour.
00:46:21Hi, Marty.
00:46:22Dad, I've never seen you in sunglasses in my life.
00:46:24What's going on?
00:46:25So I just had some tests done.
00:46:28My eyes are light sensitive.
00:46:29Mm-hmm.
00:46:30So, you know, we're trying to rule out, you know, brain tumor and high blood pressure and a few other
00:46:35things.
00:46:36But short version, they're saying that it's headache related.
00:46:39Do you think you're coming back to this homestead?
00:46:43Frankly, no.
00:46:44But I don't really need to be there because you've got a good team, all the best equipment in the
00:46:51world, all the materials.
00:46:52I mean, that is the A-team.
00:46:55Without my dad, I am up against it because not only am I trying to offer fire protection with the
00:47:00berm, but we need water.
00:47:02So what started as a hard week for sure is now harder.
00:47:07Looks like it's hot and sunny there.
00:47:09How's fire burns and forest fire activity?
00:47:12Guess what you're missing right now?
00:47:14You're going to be sad.
00:47:16Look what we're doing right now.
00:47:17Look familiar?
00:47:19Oh, you're pouring concrete without me?
00:47:22Dad, we mix concrete.
00:47:24How long do we have in 100-degree temperatures while I stand here and talk to you before it's not
00:47:31going to be usable?
00:47:32You've got to get back to work.
00:47:33And I want you to get back to work.
00:47:36Let's go!
00:47:37Yes!
00:47:39Stefania, what are you doing standing around?
00:47:41Yeah, you heard the man, Stefania.
00:47:43Get back to work!
00:47:45Go!
00:47:49Are we reinventing the wheel right now?
00:47:51Yeah, I've never seen anything like this before, so I think it is a new invention, yeah.
00:47:56I think we try to beautify this ugly tire.
00:47:59What do you think?
00:48:00I'd love to do that.
00:48:01We have a bunch of these we have to build because I'm pretty sure this berm is 200 feet long.
00:48:06Yep.
00:48:07Okay, so this is the first one and we'll just keep on mixing and keep on pouring.
00:48:10Yeah.
00:48:10Like it?
00:48:11I love it.
00:48:12Easy?
00:48:12Yeah.
00:48:20What do you think of my trailer?
00:48:21It's cool.
00:48:22Love it.
00:48:23I like it.
00:48:24Yeah.
00:48:25It looks like it's a big trailer.
00:48:27We found a local trailer that was very inexpensive.
00:48:30It's old, but it's big enough for a goat barn.
00:48:33Is it going to fit?
00:48:35Almost.
00:48:36It's pretty much the ready-made foundation for a barn that will be built on top.
00:48:41It's moveable and we need it right now for these goats.
00:48:45Let's take the gate off.
00:48:46Yeah, take the gate off.
00:48:49The trailer we have is pretty big.
00:48:52It's long, it's wide, and our fence opening is like maybe an inch and a half on both sides.
00:48:59It's very tight.
00:49:00There we go.
00:49:01All right.
00:49:06Straight back.
00:49:09What skill.
00:49:12Oh, it's close.
00:49:14That is close.
00:49:15It's a tight fit.
00:49:23What is that noise?
00:49:24It's hitting this side.
00:49:28Oh no, now I'm stuck.
00:49:30It is so tight in here.
00:49:32I don't know about this.
00:49:34Heck, getting it in here is so tight.
00:49:36It's too tight.
00:49:37It's like maybe like two inches on both ends.
00:49:39Oh, shoot.
00:49:48I'm totally freaking out.
00:49:51On the Lytle Hayes homestead in Northern California,
00:49:54Matt's dream of a mobile goat trailer is stuck at the starting gate.
00:49:59Here's the deal.
00:50:00That's an eight foot gate.
00:50:01Yeah.
00:50:02And you have, this is a 10 and this is a 12.
00:50:05We turn this eight foot opening into a 12 foot opening right now.
00:50:08Yeah.
00:50:09I'm getting a chainsaw and I'm going to cut my way out of this thing right now.
00:50:13Okay?
00:50:14Sometimes when I find myself stuck, I'm able to go, hey dad, you know, like what do I do?
00:50:19And so I'm at this crossroads where I have to think, what would dad do?
00:50:35You know, I don't have a cowboy hat.
00:50:37I don't have a mustache.
00:50:38I don't have those luxurious eyebrows, but I do have a lot of time spent with my dad fixing everything
00:50:47with a problem.
00:50:47And so that's what I'm going to do.
00:50:50Okay.
00:50:51Don't hurt your fingers.
00:50:53Don't, don't pinch yourself.
00:50:5612 feet is a way bigger space to be able to get in and out with the movable structure.
00:51:02Hey, that's better.
00:51:03Good head signals.
00:51:04Those are good head signals.
00:51:07And it's going to be a lot easier to deal with in an emergency.
00:51:11We've got fencing done.
00:51:12We've got the gate done.
00:51:13Here we go.
00:51:15Now we've got to build a barn.
00:51:16Ready.
00:51:17Yeah.
00:51:17Ready to go.
00:51:18Let's keep working.
00:51:19Come on.
00:51:30Okay, here we go.
00:51:33I'm going to let you lead.
00:51:35With word that Marty is unable to return, Misty takes on double duty.
00:51:41She races to finish the firebreak garden, but first, she must solve the homestead's critical water problem.
00:51:49The berm's coming right along.
00:51:51It's just, we might be like missing the main thing, which is water.
00:51:57How much water do you have?
00:51:59Um, the water is actually pretty low right now because we ran out again.
00:52:02You ran out again?
00:52:04Yeah.
00:52:04When?
00:52:05Two days ago.
00:52:07We have to get to the bottom with what's happening.
00:52:09I think we start by inspecting the only tank on the homestead, which is up this mountain.
00:52:15What are you trying to do with the flag?
00:52:17Yeah.
00:52:17That's your gauge?
00:52:18Yeah.
00:52:18So when the flag is high, that's supposed to mean we have a lot of water.
00:52:23Okay.
00:52:23When it's low, that's trying to tell us that we need to fill it.
00:52:27Okay.
00:52:27Yeah.
00:52:28Oh, the bucket fell off.
00:52:31That could be a problem.
00:52:32That's a problem.
00:52:33So the thing that's supposed to float is not on there anymore.
00:52:38Here's where we're at.
00:52:39Their well is producing, but we've had a pump that's burned out for some reason in the past.
00:52:43There's no water gauge.
00:52:45There maybe is a limited supply.
00:52:48So yeah, it's a big freaking deal.
00:52:51And hopefully without my dad, I can piece that together.
00:52:55This is a time to really follow modern technology to the point where you know exactly down to the ounce
00:53:03how much water is in here.
00:53:04Yeah.
00:53:06We kind of knew our situation wasn't great for the water.
00:53:09So hearing that the rainies recognize this so quickly and identified it as a problem was, I don't know, humbling.
00:53:17But I'm also really grateful because water is life.
00:53:20It's the most important thing that we need to have functional here.
00:53:23Not just for growing food, but just for keeping us safe.
00:53:27Here's the deal.
00:53:28Number one, the fire department has implemented a system where if you get the right size storage tank, the right
00:53:35fittings,
00:53:36they come out and inspect it and they log you into their system as being a legit water source.
00:53:42Secondary is how are you watering the homestead?
00:53:45And I think definitely a gauge.
00:53:48Definitely using modern technology because it's something so serious for this location that things like this are just, yeah, it's
00:53:57too risky.
00:53:59On this homestead, the fire breaks out and you go to turn on the water and it's dry.
00:54:04That's a life and death situation.
00:54:07No more flags.
00:54:09No more flags.
00:54:11And that is something we're changing today.
00:54:16We have a local water expert.
00:54:19Rob's here to help.
00:54:20I hope.
00:54:21Yes, thank you.
00:54:21I'm so incredibly grateful for him because I don't have a ton of time to devote to this.
00:54:27And I think he just steps in and takes over where my dad left off.
00:54:31Yeah, so 400 feet down is our pump.
00:54:35Okay.
00:54:36The water level sits at 100 feet down.
00:54:39Okay.
00:54:40And that is pumping water all the way up the hill into a storage tank.
00:54:45Okay.
00:54:46What controls it to turn it on and off?
00:54:49Me.
00:54:50Okay.
00:54:50So there's a remote monitoring system that we can put on the tank that you can actually monitor on your
00:54:57phone and tell exactly what water level it is.
00:55:01You can set it to alarm.
00:55:03When it gets so low, it will let you know.
00:55:05Oh, wow.
00:55:06Yeah.
00:55:06So I believe the minimum Cal Fire requirement is 2,500 gallons of water.
00:55:11Oh.
00:55:11You have the 3,000, it sounds like, up there.
00:55:14But it's not accessible.
00:55:16Really, we need another tank down here close by with a fire department connection on it.
00:55:23We're trying to put in a garden.
00:55:25Perhaps there's more livestock coming, and there's a lot of needs when it comes to water, and it sounds like
00:55:30it's not very reliable.
00:55:32I would love to be able to just turn you loose.
00:55:34I will do my best.
00:55:35Okay.
00:55:36Well, I'm so glad to have you.
00:55:37We have so much work to do, so we're going to lead you to it.
00:55:39Go ahead.
00:55:40Okay.
00:55:45Later that day, on the new trailer...
00:55:48I don't want this to be like 8 feet tall or 10 feet tall.
00:55:53Matt tackles housing for the family's incoming goats.
00:55:57We're just going to build a very small, full-length barn where you can put these goats in at night,
00:56:04and they'll be protected from the predators.
00:56:06But also, if there's a fire or an emergency, you can load them up in there and get them off
00:56:12the homestead quick.
00:56:13Lift!
00:56:15Before, we felt like we were stretched in all these different directions, and we don't have a lot to show
00:56:20for it.
00:56:21It feels much more secure.
00:56:24And now we're getting established, but Matt keeps talking about these goats as if they're right on the way.
00:56:30So we've got a lot of work to do.
00:56:43It's just such a 180 to experience the kind of energy that's been here for the last few days.
00:56:51We've had a lot going on and a lot to process, and we've had so many negative experiences through, you
00:57:01know, the build process, being here for eight years.
00:57:06I'm kind of coming to the realization that maybe it's just kind of been a little bit harder than it's
00:57:11needed to be.
00:57:12There were a lot of, like, lessons that we needed to learn, and we're still learning them.
00:57:18Things are moving around, and everything's kind of getting shaken up in a good way.
00:57:28The next morning, over at the Firebreak Garden...
00:57:31Is that heavy?
00:57:33It's a bit.
00:57:34It's a bit.
00:57:34Do you think it's blowing away?
00:57:35It's not blowing anywhere.
00:57:38Oh, yeah, you guys are going to have a good time.
00:57:40This is pretty good once you start rolling.
00:57:43Stefania and I are building these little tetherball stands to create some shade.
00:57:47They're nice and sturdy, and they'll be able to support the shade sails, and they're movable.
00:57:52That's kind of important.
00:57:53See?
00:57:54It's too heavy.
00:57:55Go down, go down.
00:57:56There you go, babe.
00:57:57But the steel pipe is so heavy, almost 200 pounds, we cannot muscle it in place.
00:58:02Okay, guess what?
00:58:03We have to cut it.
00:58:04Yeah, that's okay.
00:58:05Because this is not going to be manageable for you.
00:58:07Yeah.
00:58:08I'm going to take two and a half feet off that end.
00:58:11Yeah.
00:58:12Here we go.
00:58:12All right, let's do it.
00:58:13Some of these have to be cut, and when we cut them, it's going to be really sketchy.
00:58:19So, this drill pipe is so hard.
00:58:22Only way we're going to cut that pipe is with this.
00:58:25The problem is, is sparks fly.
00:58:28Okay.
00:58:29So, I think we just come up with a plan, but maybe building a little box, a little jig,
00:58:34where we can cut and capture the sparks and maybe even hose an area down.
00:58:38Yeah.
00:58:38I don't want to, like, start a fire in, like, all seriousness.
00:58:47Okay.
00:58:48I'm going to just do this.
00:58:49My worst nightmare would be to start a forest fire while I'm on this homestead this week.
00:58:55We got our little box in place.
00:58:57We've hosed it down with water.
00:58:58We have the fire extinguisher.
00:59:00I'm going to, like, cut into one of these pipes and see how rowdy it gets.
00:59:06Here we go, folks.
00:59:07You ready?
00:59:08It's going to get wild.
00:59:26I'm on fire.
00:59:27I'm on fire.
00:59:27I'm on fire.
00:59:40I'm on fire.
00:59:41I'm on fire.
00:59:42I'm on fire.
00:59:43I'm on fire.
00:59:44I'm on fire.
00:59:44Those hot sauce are so heavy, and my legs are a little too wide, and I look down, and
00:59:50my leg is on fire.
00:59:52I'm on fire.
00:59:53That's never happened to me before.
00:59:55That was crazy.
00:59:57I literally had flames.
00:59:58Yeah.
00:59:59I don't know.
01:00:01Imagine what that would have looked like without being prepared.
01:00:06Look at my pants.
01:00:07Yeah.
01:00:08I'm glad you got those boots on.
01:00:09Thanks for putting out the fire on my leg with the hose.
01:00:13It was pretty wild how quickly it ignited.
01:00:16She was literally on fire today.
01:00:18That was wild.
01:00:19It was really wild.
01:00:20I'm glad you're okay.
01:00:21How's it look?
01:00:24I didn't feel any heat or anything.
01:00:27Those boots are amazing.
01:00:28These boots are amazing.
01:00:29Yep.
01:00:29Okay.
01:00:30So we cut off almost 50 pounds.
01:00:32Yep.
01:00:33Yep.
01:00:33Let's see if we can muscle this guy in place.
01:00:35Yeah.
01:00:35Here we go.
01:00:42Up.
01:00:44Yeah.
01:00:44This is better.
01:00:45Much easier.
01:00:47No problem.
01:00:48No problem.
01:00:49Righty tighty lefty loosey.
01:00:53It's called that good.
01:00:55What do you think?
01:00:56I love it.
01:00:57Do you like it?
01:00:57Yeah.
01:00:57I love it.
01:00:58Let's give it a little test.
01:01:00Oh, it's super tall.
01:01:01So I feel like this is a good start.
01:01:03Give it a little, give it a little rock.
01:01:05I'm going to pretend I'm going to go.
01:01:05And the wind.
01:01:06It's pretty sturdy.
01:01:08So this is nice and solid, nice and heavy.
01:01:10Plus it's movable, right?
01:01:12Mm-hmm.
01:01:13And I'm so far just in love.
01:01:15Same.
01:01:15Okay.
01:01:16So we're going to set the other two.
01:01:17We're going to put the shade sail up.
01:01:19And we're going to start creating shade today.
01:01:22I'm so excited.
01:01:23I'm so excited.
01:01:24We're going to be out of the sun.
01:01:25Yeah.
01:01:26All right.
01:01:28Let's go build more.
01:01:29Okay.
01:01:40All right.
01:01:41What's going on here?
01:01:44That afternoon, eight new members of the Homestead's Fire Prevention Squad arrive at their new home.
01:01:52We got some new friends.
01:01:54Oh, boy.
01:01:54Goats.
01:01:55Yay.
01:01:55We got some firefighters coming in.
01:01:57Yay.
01:01:59We're having our buddy Griffin come onto the Homestead and bring us some much-needed goats.
01:02:05We are ready, and we need these goats here now.
01:02:12Okay.
01:02:12Oh, my goodness.
01:02:14Are they the cutest things ever?
01:02:17They are so cute.
01:02:21They are darling goats.
01:02:24So, I mean, they're going to have this thing cleaned up, what, like a week?
01:02:28They're going to eat everything here, even things you didn't think were possible.
01:02:31Oh, man.
01:02:31They will find a way.
01:02:32They will eat it.
01:02:33This star thistle is really hard to weed whack.
01:02:37It's a, like, really dense stem, and this one is eating star thistle already.
01:02:42Yeah, right?
01:02:44The big concern before the rainies even shown up was fire prevention, and it just seemed impossible to stop a
01:02:52fire here.
01:02:53But the goats that are going to put the weeds down, and I just feel a lot more relaxed about
01:02:59it.
01:03:00Eating it like it's candy.
01:03:02They went right to work.
01:03:14It's official.
01:03:15The berm is done.
01:03:18Oh, it looks so good.
01:03:19With the berm complete and protected from the sun with new shade stands, Misty is ready to make this space
01:03:27multifunctional.
01:03:31You have a lot of potted plants.
01:03:32Uh-huh.
01:03:33Do you want to shuffle some over, or what are you thinking?
01:03:35My main concern about getting started with the potted plants now is that the deer come through here.
01:03:41Yeah.
01:03:41Um, so any of the stuff that we'd want to eat, they'd probably want to eat.
01:03:46When it comes to deer, I have a solution that's not a fence.
01:03:50Okay.
01:03:51I think it'll work.
01:03:52Okay.
01:03:52So just bear with me.
01:03:53I'm down.
01:03:54But in the meantime, are you ready to go from fire break to garden?
01:03:58Oh, yeah.
01:03:59Now's the moment.
01:04:00Okay, let's do it.
01:04:00Let's go.
01:04:01We're at the moment where things definitely got pushed off the table.
01:04:05For instance, protecting this garden.
01:04:07I was pulling double duty, right?
01:04:09And I just focused on that fire break.
01:04:10I took over water for my dad.
01:04:12And now there's no time to keep deer out of the garden.
01:04:16But don't worry.
01:04:17I have a backup plan, and it's coming right along.
01:04:21First and foremost, though, is putting in these plants.
01:04:24Okay.
01:04:26Oh, man, these guys are dry.
01:04:28It's really hot.
01:04:30Things dry out in pots twice as fast, right?
01:04:32They really do.
01:04:33Yeah.
01:04:34And putting them in that massive berm is going to help.
01:04:36This guy's doing pretty good.
01:04:37This guy definitely needs some shade and some water.
01:04:39Yeah, let's do it.
01:04:40Okay, I'm grabbing two.
01:04:41The days of the garden sprawl are over.
01:04:44We have a centralized location.
01:04:46It's right out Stefania's front door.
01:04:49And now we're transforming this thing into the garden.
01:04:52I think when it comes to that fire safety, I just wanted to make sure we were secure before we
01:04:57did one thing.
01:04:58And this is the moment where we figure out how and where we're putting all of the plants.
01:05:05I want you to plant your first plant in your garden.
01:05:08Woo!
01:05:09How's my hole?
01:05:10Deeper?
01:05:10I think it's good.
01:05:11Okay.
01:05:12Yeah.
01:05:13Oh, yeah.
01:05:14So here's some dirt.
01:05:15I do a lot of gardening with just my hand.
01:05:18I don't know if that's good or bad.
01:05:24Woo!
01:05:27Woo!
01:05:28The first plant!
01:05:30Okay, we just went officially from the fire break to the garden.
01:05:34Yeah.
01:05:34Super excited.
01:05:35It's gonna look great.
01:05:36Okay, next plant.
01:05:37Here we go.
01:05:43You ready to put in some irrigation?
01:05:45Yeah.
01:05:46Okay, so it's easy as one line.
01:05:48Okay.
01:05:49Serving multiple purposes.
01:05:51Want to take this and roll it out?
01:05:52Yep.
01:05:52When it comes to water on the homestead, their well is producing.
01:05:56The pump is working.
01:05:57Rob is giving us this amazing water gauge that hooks up to your Wi-Fi.
01:06:03And we're setting up a 2,500-gallon tank specifically for fires with the fire hose fitting.
01:06:10And then that whole berm just being saturated with the irrigation line for the plants.
01:06:15This line is saturating the fire break.
01:06:18Yep.
01:06:18So a part of the evacuation is running over to the house, turning on the water, and then
01:06:25carrying on with everything else you have to do.
01:06:28Okay.
01:06:29We put in a soaker hose underneath the top layer of gravel.
01:06:34And so it's really wonderful that we have that system in place.
01:06:37And it's just wonderful knowing that we can grow so much food on that berm that's also protecting us from
01:06:43fire.
01:06:44Literally the claw of your hammer can trench it out.
01:06:48Oh, much better.
01:06:49Hey!
01:06:51Is that fire or is that dust?
01:06:56Well, I haven't gotten an alert yet.
01:07:00And I'm not really sure.
01:07:01We don't usually see dust in that area.
01:07:04So I guess I'm just trying to figure it out.
01:07:06It doesn't seem windy enough to even kick up that much dust.
01:07:09Yeah.
01:07:18On the Northern California Lytle Hayes homestead.
01:07:21Is that fire or is that dust?
01:07:24Well, I haven't gotten an alert yet.
01:07:27Should you call it in?
01:07:29I don't know.
01:07:30You know, do you call 911 for that or do you call like a non-emergency for that?
01:07:34You should know that.
01:07:36Because it's not.
01:07:36Where's the fire marshal's card?
01:07:38It's in the pump house.
01:07:40Go get it.
01:07:40You should keep it all the time.
01:07:41No, just go get it.
01:07:42Yeah.
01:07:42Put his phone number in your phone.
01:07:44That's a good idea.
01:07:45Yeah.
01:07:45And then come right back.
01:07:46Awesome.
01:07:46Yeah.
01:07:47I'll be right back.
01:07:48Like, if it was really windy, that would look like a dust storm.
01:07:51Stefania's worried that that's smoke.
01:07:54And like, I think it's better safe than sorry on this homestead.
01:07:59Especially with something that close.
01:08:04So I just called the fire marshal.
01:08:06They answered right away and I asked them like, hey, what do we do if we're not sure
01:08:09if it's smoke or dust or something else?
01:08:12Because I don't want to call 911 if it's going to be a false alarm.
01:08:15And she said, actually, call 911 and they'll figure it out.
01:08:19And they'll be able to tell you if there's some kind of controlled burn or exercise going.
01:08:24Way better than their office would at this time.
01:08:26Okay, that's good to know.
01:08:28Yeah, totally.
01:08:29Educational moment.
01:08:30But now you know.
01:08:31Now we know.
01:08:31Okay, so our medic just called it in.
01:08:34Okay, great.
01:08:35And that's not a fire.
01:08:35Oh, yay.
01:08:36Okay.
01:08:37But I think the lesson here is being prepared.
01:08:41What am I doing if I see smoke?
01:08:43What do I do?
01:08:44Like, who am I calling?
01:08:45And I think, you know, we've learned something today, right?
01:08:48Yeah, definitely.
01:08:49And now you know.
01:08:50Well, okay.
01:08:51Back to work we go.
01:08:51Yep, let's do it.
01:08:52Let's go.
01:09:01After a full week without Marty, it's the final critical day for Misty and Matt on the Lytle Hayes Homestead.
01:09:09We've got the whole permanent homestead, goat barn, and pen thing covered.
01:09:14At the livestock area, Matt introduces the last component essential to eradicating the
01:09:2030 acres of fire fuel surrounding the home.
01:09:25You're gonna need a movable fence.
01:09:27And that's where this rotational grazing fence comes into play.
01:09:30I think it's a good idea to always make sure that your animals are trained for the electric fence before
01:09:37you set them loose.
01:09:39So, let's set up this fence right here.
01:09:42Man.
01:09:43Adding a rotational grazing fence to this movable barn is really the perfect thing.
01:09:48You can get these things anywhere.
01:09:50They're relatively cheap, and they go in quick.
01:09:53And you need to get them used to it now before you start moving them around your property.
01:10:00Okay.
01:10:01That fence is on.
01:10:02Don't touch it.
01:10:03Okay.
01:10:04Our work here is done.
01:10:05Let's see if this thing works with the goats.
01:10:06Yeah.
01:10:07Let's release the goats.
01:10:08All right.
01:10:11Here we go.
01:10:16We got goats.
01:10:20Okay.
01:10:20Have they touched it yet?
01:10:21I don't think so.
01:10:23Oh, it works.
01:10:26Oh, yeah.
01:10:26There we go.
01:10:27Yeah.
01:10:28Oh.
01:10:29Oh.
01:10:30It's keeping them in.
01:10:32See, they didn't want to mess with it.
01:10:33No.
01:10:34They're testing it.
01:10:35They're getting used to it.
01:10:36But once they're trained properly, they'll be able to expand horizons on the homestead and beyond.
01:10:44Use this rotational grazing fence and get a fire break in around your entire homestead.
01:10:50And now that you have the fencing that's movable, you can do it.
01:10:53Yeah.
01:10:54The more you use this fence on the property, these goats are going to be shocked at how much grass
01:11:01they have to eat.
01:11:05This entire area right here, it's really just like a breezeway into our movable barn.
01:11:12The real magic of this thing is, is it not attached to any of this gate structure here.
01:11:19So, I mean, all you got to do, get the goats in there like we do, shut them in.
01:11:25Bam.
01:11:26Just like so.
01:11:27Nice.
01:11:27Oh, nice.
01:11:28All you have to do is hook it up to the trailer and drive it away.
01:11:31You have a mobile barn.
01:11:34That's awesome.
01:11:36And this is a really big chicken coop.
01:11:42These birds are accessible and ready to evacuate.
01:11:47So much quicker.
01:11:48Yeah.
01:11:48Yeah, not only fire safety, but the convenience.
01:11:51You know, before we had this, how to get on your hands and knees to get to the chickens.
01:11:54Now you can actually just walk in a door, close it behind you and do whatever you need to do
01:11:59with the chickens.
01:12:01Seven days ago, John and Stefania's overheated chickens were awash in fire fuels,
01:12:08with loss of animal life all but guaranteed in the event of encroaching flames.
01:12:15Now, with the addition of a larger chicken coop with increased air flow and shade cover,
01:12:21eight fire fuel munching goats, and a mobile livestock barn for quick evacuation,
01:12:27the risk of losing animal life due to fire is greatly reduced.
01:12:33This thing is like the Taj Mahal of chicken coops.
01:12:36I feel really good that this homestead is going to be a lot safer.
01:12:41Thank you so much for your help.
01:12:43Without...
01:12:44Thank you for everything.
01:12:45Without your parents here?
01:12:46Man, it would have been hard.
01:12:48Randy and Irene have done so much work.
01:12:51They've learned new skills.
01:12:52And with their help, this homestead is going to make it.
01:13:01Okay, Stefania, John, come over.
01:13:05Before we can confidently pull out of here, we need to make sure of one thing,
01:13:09and it's the new and approved evacuation plan.
01:13:12It's going good.
01:13:13How are you?
01:13:14Okay, so this is the moment of truth.
01:13:17Was this week worth it?
01:13:18This is where we find out.
01:13:20Okay?
01:13:21We've done a lot when it comes to fire defense and a new and improved evacuation plan.
01:13:27It's all about protecting life and property.
01:13:30Did we do it?
01:13:31Do you think we're there?
01:13:32Are you ready to evacuate?
01:13:34We've got to put it to the test, I think.
01:13:36Yeah.
01:13:37Yeah.
01:13:37Yeah.
01:13:38I don't want to have to blow this horn.
01:13:40I want you guys to be long gone before I blow this horn this time.
01:13:44I think we're ready.
01:13:45It's all about that 10-minute window, right?
01:13:49Yeah.
01:13:49And when you get that next evacuation, you know exactly what to do.
01:13:54Protect life and property.
01:13:55Okay.
01:13:55Ready, set, go.
01:13:57Go!
01:14:05Okay, so I made a little surprise.
01:14:08You ready?
01:14:09Ta-da!
01:14:10Oh, my God!
01:14:11I'm ready.
01:14:12I love tetherball.
01:14:14If it goes all the way to the top, you get a point.
01:14:16You get a point!
01:14:16Duh!
01:14:19Oh, my gosh!
01:14:20You're quick!
01:14:22You're like a viper.
01:14:23Oh!
01:14:24Yeah!
01:14:26Yeah!
01:14:27Yeah!
01:14:27Yeah!
01:14:28Yeah!
01:14:28I can't beat you, so serve it up.
01:14:30I'm going to brace the stakes a little bit.
01:14:33Oh.
01:14:36Oh.
01:14:43Yes!
01:14:44Yes!
01:14:46Yes!
01:14:46Yes!
01:14:47I win!
01:14:51Oh, my God!
01:14:56Oh, my God!
01:14:58Okay.
01:14:59Ready, set, go.
01:15:01All right.
01:15:02Let's get to it.
01:15:03Are they going to make it under 10 minutes?
01:15:06This is the part where we have to just put our hands up.
01:15:09We can't really do anything more for these homesteaders.
01:15:11We've done everything we can to make them safe.
01:15:14Hi, baby.
01:15:15They've got to show us that they can evacuate and they can make the homestead safe.
01:15:20Yeah, absolutely.
01:15:21I'm going to go turn the water on.
01:15:23Okay.
01:15:23They might need to practice 10 times before they get to the point where they can evacuate
01:15:29quickly.
01:15:30Right.
01:15:30All right.
01:15:31Three in a minute.
01:15:32Are you heading to the soaker hose?
01:15:34Yeah.
01:15:34Yeah.
01:15:35Yeah.
01:15:38Woo!
01:15:38Woo!
01:15:39Woo!
01:15:39It's on.
01:15:40If you have that firebreak berm and you turn on the soaker hose and the whole thing
01:15:45becomes saturated with 2,500 gallons.
01:15:48All right.
01:15:48Come on in.
01:15:50I mean, you're getting to a place where you can protect life and property.
01:15:54All right.
01:15:54Close it up.
01:15:55Close it up.
01:15:56And leave this place with confidence.
01:15:58Four minutes!
01:15:59Okay.
01:16:00Get the dog.
01:16:01It doesn't take much to be prepared.
01:16:03And when it comes to your life, the life of your animals.
01:16:07Going in the car.
01:16:08The life of your property.
01:16:09Just a little bit of time, a little bit of prep work.
01:16:12Looks like this.
01:16:15Woo!
01:16:15Here they come.
01:16:16Oh, here's the dog.
01:16:18Good boy.
01:16:22Up you go, Bodhi.
01:16:25Okay.
01:16:25Good boy.
01:16:26Stay.
01:16:28Okay.
01:16:29Give me some hand signals.
01:16:31Okay.
01:16:31Back it up.
01:16:32Let's do it.
01:16:34They're already backing up?
01:16:35Yeah.
01:16:35They're doing so good.
01:16:36Good.
01:16:37This is a big deal.
01:16:40Okay.
01:16:40They got to hook up the trailer.
01:16:42That takes a sec.
01:16:44You guys are at seven minutes.
01:16:50Over it.
01:16:51Let's get out here.
01:16:53All right.
01:16:54You got it.
01:16:55Move it to your left.
01:16:56Keep going.
01:17:00Woo!
01:17:02Eight and a half minutes!
01:17:05Woo!
01:17:06All right.
01:17:06Woo!
01:17:07Yeah, you did it!
01:17:09Yay!
01:17:10I actually wasn't sure we were going to make it with the addition of the goats, but we did
01:17:15it and it felt much safer.
01:17:18Yeah, John!
01:17:19We were much more able to get everything ready and get out of there safely.
01:17:24Nice.
01:17:25That's awesome.
01:17:25Yeah.
01:17:26This is the number one reason why we came to this homestead.
01:17:28It's how do you defend it from forest fires and what does that evacuation plan look like?
01:17:33We just saw two homesteaders pulling out of here in less than 10 minutes with smiles on their faces.
01:17:38Do you see in the practice evacuation that tension and how it rises?
01:17:43That intensifies in a real emergency, right?
01:17:45Yeah.
01:17:46So practicing and having a plan is what it's about and you guys are there.
01:17:50You did so good.
01:17:54Later that day.
01:17:56How's it going, Stefania?
01:17:58It's going great.
01:17:59Misty brings out the final protective measure for the new garden.
01:18:03The big fix for this homestead is a perimeter fence.
01:18:06Okay.
01:18:07I am not putting that in with just one day left.
01:18:11And I think it's something that's so necessary for so many reasons, right?
01:18:16Okay.
01:18:17Okay, so here's my temporary fix.
01:18:19Coyote urine.
01:18:19Okay.
01:18:20Don't ask how I got it.
01:18:21Which is safe for plants and animals alike.
01:18:24So I know you have dogs running around.
01:18:26Yeah.
01:18:26And goats and chickens.
01:18:28But literally it's a deterrent when it comes to deer.
01:18:31Because they smell it.
01:18:34And they're like, nope, I'm out of here.
01:18:36So in the meantime, you're doing this every couple of weeks.
01:18:39Sound good?
01:18:39Yeah.
01:18:40Every couple of weeks.
01:18:41So it's just crystals?
01:18:42Yeah.
01:18:43And I'm going to water it in too.
01:18:45And it's easy as that.
01:18:46Okay.
01:18:46We're finally to a place where we can confidently roll out of here.
01:18:50I can't actually believe that we pulled it off without my dad.
01:18:54But we did it.
01:18:56You have the most epic garden that I've seen in a while.
01:19:02This was all about how do we protect this homestead, right?
01:19:05Do you think we've achieved that in this week?
01:19:08I would say mission accomplished with that.
01:19:10When it comes to protection and defense, we did it.
01:19:13Like with that massive fire break berm.
01:19:15With that 2,500 gallon water tank.
01:19:18With the fire hose fitting.
01:19:20And then that whole berm just being saturated with the irrigation line for the plants.
01:19:24I mean, it was brutal, but somehow we pulled it off without my dad.
01:19:30Seven days ago, Stefania and John's garden sprawl failed to provide any food for the homestead,
01:19:37which itself stood highly vulnerable to wildfires.
01:19:41Today, their home is surrounded by a massive fire break,
01:19:45which also doubles as space for a centralized garden covered by a mobile shade system.
01:19:51And with the addition of a 2,500 gallon water tank, their water supply has also doubled,
01:19:57providing ample water for both growing crops and fighting fires.
01:20:02You changed our lives here.
01:20:04Oh.
01:20:04Like you really did.
01:20:05You came here and you just breathed new life into the place.
01:20:09Being here, you showed us that in different ways that like you believed in us
01:20:13and you were encouraging and you had good advice and you showed us how to use tools.
01:20:17And there's just so many different things that now that you've been here,
01:20:20like we feel more confident, we feel more safe, and that's everything to us right now
01:20:25because we were just like really beaten down for a while.
01:20:28So thank you, Misty.
01:20:29You're welcome.
01:20:30Seriously.
01:20:31You're welcome.
01:20:31Yeah.
01:20:33You're welcome.
01:20:35I moved around a lot through my life and, you know, the whole point is to put down roots
01:20:42and to find a place where you can say, you know, I'm home.
01:20:46And, you know, technically we've been here, but it just never felt like it could be a reality.
01:20:54The energy that this project with the Rainies has brought to the homestead has really been a game changer for
01:21:01us.
01:21:02We're turning the corner, things are looking up, and this is going to be my home.
01:21:07This is my forever home.
01:21:08I'm excited to be able to continue putting down roots here.
01:21:13I saw joy and happiness in all the hard work that we did.
01:21:19Yeah.
01:21:20And so I feel a lot better about leaving California because I really truly believe you have what it takes
01:21:27to make it out here now.
01:21:27Absolutely.
01:21:29Yeah.
01:21:29Yeah.
01:21:30It feels much more safe.
01:21:31We're sustainable.
01:21:33We feel much more capable, even in the heat of the summer.
01:21:37Things feel a lot better for homesteading here.
01:21:39I agree.
01:21:40And, you know, I hope our paths do cross with Marty again because I think, you know, it would be
01:21:44great if he could come and see all of the great work.
01:21:46I think he'd be really proud of what you all pulled together and accomplished in this short time.
01:21:50That's really sweet.
01:21:51Yeah.
01:21:52Thanks for saying that.
01:21:53We're going to miss you guys.
01:21:54We'll miss you too.
01:21:55Thank you so much.
01:21:56You're so welcome.
01:21:57Yeah, man.
01:21:59Working alongside these homesteaders, they went from being afraid to live on this property to actually being prepared and optimistic
01:22:08about the future.
01:22:09Let's see you guys.
01:22:10Okay.
01:22:11Homesteading will always be hard work because guess what? That's what homesteading is all about.
01:22:16Happy trails.
01:22:17But after all of the hard work, the blood, sweat, and tears, you get to see the payoff and feel
01:22:24that reward and it's all worth it.
01:22:32Since the rainies left, we've been pretty busy getting ready for the house.
01:22:38We have a working kitchen sink and a toilet now, which we're really excited about.
01:22:43All the while maintaining the homestead.
01:22:45The chickens are doing really well.
01:22:48Ever since the chicken coop was modified, we haven't had to worry as much about the heat.
01:22:55Now we're getting about maybe eight, nine eggs a day.
01:22:58The goats ate the grass down really quickly.
01:23:02They even took care of the poison oak.
01:23:04It's really fantastic.
01:23:06Being able to know how much water we have at any given moment, it is critical.
01:23:11The berm being super close to the house this spring, we're going to be able to grow a lot of
01:23:16food and have it really close by.
01:23:19Now that the rainies have been here, I feel like a sense of confidence that I didn't have before.
01:23:25I feel great about saying this is home now.
01:23:28I'm happy to be here.
01:23:29Let's go road to therapy and have it.
01:23:30Let's go road like a garden plan.
01:23:30I'm happy to come to that.