Ben Brownell

I've thought about (not yet tested or implemented) some sort of rapid-deploy house shield to quickly protect at least small structures in the event of a fire emergency. A curtain system with heavier nonflammable material, or even hanging metal panels potentially - the foil wrap seems iffy due to challenge of installing well to resist wind etc, and not easily reusable. But maybe fixing it to a light frame or other custom mounting system? I'm also recalling that tight, trimmed straw bales do not readily ignite, and could possibly make a quick barrier wall at least on most exposed side of structure/space.

I went for something similar, but more 'rustic' I suppose with small-D roundwood frame pieces, offcut slabs, and salvaged roof tin - and realized I could scale up in size a bit and have a nice elevated outdoor summer bed/lounge when not in use for wood storage!

I would add that it's helpful to be clear and distinct about your fire prevention/suppression goals, since they will mean different strategies for different features and 'zones' in and around your landscape. One step beyond that, it can be important to think through a few different scenarios about how fire might arrive - is it a fast low wind driven grass fire? is it a big intense forest canopy fire? is it a chaotic "WUI" (wildland-urban interface, where much of what's burning is neighboring structures and landscape features) fire?

If the goal is to protect nearby public (?) forest woodland, that is obviously a larger and more involved project with a range of possible long term management protocols. If concerned about your own property features, there's a lot you can do such as already suggested/linked above. If you are primarily concerned with preserving your home dwelling, there's a bunch more technical research and adaptations to make, with one of the big ones being just making sure there are NO gaps where wind blown embers can find there way inside the building envelope (passive roof ventilation is often a big liability here) or for example into a nest of leaves or say wood decking, lattice etc that can ignite close to the main structure. Finally, having a clear plan of action to secure what you can and quickly evacuate is a big plus!

Yep: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/15221-Vantine-Rd-SE-Tenino-WA-98589/304979179_zpid/

also, https://chooselatitude.com/heartwood-homestead

Tangential late bump to this surely lovely now past event, but I just saw that GCH is hiring for a "retreat center steward" and figured someone in the crowd here might do well to apply, and enjoy or expand on the good work of Uncle Mud & friends:

https://mendocino.craigslist.org/dmg/d/talmage-retreat-center-steward-airbnb/7941787544.html

What kind of life span are you building for, realistically? How might the structure want to evolve or retrofit along the way? Is it in THE right spot for that trajectory?

Some nicely creative examples to check here, but these are pretty light weight non-structural units more like a wall tent on wheels:

http://www.sheltonhuts.com/huts

Looks like a really positive and inspired project! Would love to visit sometime. The 'upcycled' dairy farm model has spawned all kinds of cool cooperative ventures in the northeast states in recent decades, but I haven't seen many in the west yet. https://elkenmist.com just NW of Portland is a nice instance though, and maybe a worthy peer group to link with if you haven't yet. Good luck growing out!

Sensible aspiration! I would ask if you have enough familiarity with different regional 'flavors' or sub/cultures of homesteading, land-based lifestyles, and local economies, to know which areas you may be drawn to, as things tend to work quite differently based on a range of more or less subtle particularities of place (climate, history, politics, agriculture, infrastructure etc being some of more obvious examples). If that discernment isn't real clear yet, I'd suggest some research and then direct exploration and trials to learn more - perhaps a year long sabbatical journey to engage directly in several locales via work trade or renting. What might be your first choice region off the top of your head, if I may ask?