Reader-supported. Some links are affiliate links — see our disclosure. Evacuate when ordered; no product replaces leaving early.
Lawn sprinklers throwing water at sunset
Photo Alef Morais / Unsplash

Exterior Sprinkler Systems

Keep your roof, walls and the 1.5 m around your home wet when embers arrive.

Exterior sprinkler kits mount on gutters, roof peaks or tripods and wet down the structure and immediate zone ahead of a fire front. Consumer kits run off a garden hose or a gas-powered pump drawing from a pool, pond or tank. They are the single most effective product-based defense a homeowner can add — but only if you have a water source that keeps working when municipal pressure drops.

Before you buy

  1. Water source matters more than the sprinkler. Municipal pressure often collapses during a wildfire; a pump plus a pool, cistern or IBC tote is the resilient setup.
  2. Look for brass or metal sprinkler heads and UV-rated hose — plastic heads fail in radiant heat.
  3. Gutter-mounted kits (WASP-style) are the fastest DIY install; roof-peak kits cover more surface but need a ladder and hardware.
  4. Coverage is rated in metres/feet of radius per head. Measure your roofline and buy 20% more heads than the math says.
  5. Turn on early — 30 to 60 minutes before the front arrives — and keep an eye on your water budget.