Why I become a Barricade® II Distributor

Hello - I'm Shelly Black - A Woman with a Mission...

Having been a volunteer Firefighter for nearly two decades – and having been evacuated myself in 2007 (When I applied Barricade® II on my home) - I've had some fire protection experiences.  Now - in 2024 - with all the devastating fires raging all over - I have realized that nowhere near enough folks know about Barricade® II Fire Retardant Gel - and that is not okay with me!

TOO many people have needlessly lost their 'Everything' in fires, all their material possessions, both financial assets AND treasured and valued keepsakes. I intend to help prevent devastating losses for as many people as possible. I want to make a difference for you, your loved ones, your neighbors and your community. 

Want to help me make this difference...??? Your part is easy - protect your valued possessions with Barricade® II - and share this information with everyone you care about - including all your neighbors within your community.

Protecting from wildfires is something I have been involved in for quite awhile...

In 2007, I was living in the charming community of Trabuco Canyon, where folks have horses and chickens in the yards, septic tanks, propane tanks - and dead zones for cell phones. When the fires were raging throughout California - we had our own fire happen - the Santiago Fire.

My canyon, Trabuco Canyon, was evacuated for 11 days. I, having Barricade® II on hand, remained in my home for the first 7 days, until I could see the fire coming over the ridge line above my home. Once I could see the flames were very likely coming into my canyon, I sprayed my home with Barricade® II, got my kids and animals, and the possessions that we had packed ahead of time, and I evacuated.

At the time, I had a home based business (aka: my entire financial life was in my home), 2 kids, 2 horses, 8 cats, 3 dogs, and a bird - all of which I had to safely evacuate - as well as - find places to have them housed for the duration of the evacuation. Not a small task, pre-planning absolutely essential!

After evacuating - I was able to hike back into my house daily (no cars were allowed back into our canyon) to rehydrate my Barricade® II on my home. Much to my delight - it fluffed right back up to fully functioning capacity for 5 days in a row. Hooray!!!

One of the coolest parts about hiking back in - was I was able to let the Fire Crews that were stationed in our canyon know that my home had Barricade® II on it. The fire crews all parked in my driveway - as they knew that if the Fire Tornado raged through that canyon - that my home - only one of two homes with Barricade® II on them - was their safe spot. They knew that they could go inside my home and still live to tell about the fire, if it came to that. 

This was a win-win for them - and for me - as my house was as protected as any home could ever be - from a wildfire - thanks to Barricade® II - AND the FireFighters staging on my street for the duration of the evacuation. 

Due to all the fires already burning in Malibu and San Diego - we did not receive ANY air support until 10 days and 27,000 acres into the Santiago Fire. On the 10th day - they air dropped - one location was the ridgeline I could see from my kitchen window, and stopped the fire from coming into Trabuco Canyon. Sadly 12 homes in Mojeska Canyon were lost - 6 of those homes belonged to friends of mine.

Once the fire was contained - we were able to return to our beloved canyon.

I was then able to wash off the Barricade® II from my home and return to life as I knew it - before I almost lost all of it - to a wildfire. 

Below is a video of the horse evacuation during the Santiago Fire. I am the one with the long blonde ponytail, with red (they look like pink) pants - at one point I am walking 2 horses, as it started to rain...

For the full story about what all happened that October in 2007, and to hear about my Volunteer FireFighting days - you can keep reading...

The blaze (started by an arsonist, who was never caught) originated near Santiago Canyon Road at the border of Santiago Canyon and Silverado Canyon on October 21, 2007,and burned approximately 28,445 acres.The flames threatened roughly 750 homes located throughout canyons in the area, including both Santiago and Silverado Canyon, Live Oak Canyon, Holy Jim Canyon, Mojeska Canyon, and Trabuco Canyon, among others. Twelve houses were destroyed in Santiago / Mojeska Canyon. It was not contained until November 9, 2007. 

Our community had planned and prepared for a fire for 4 years. We had community meetings, fire drills, we went door to door with handouts for each resident - to prepare for a safe and efficient evacuation. We had Walky-Talkies, so that we could all communicate at once, during emergencies.

In our little canyon, we had about 100 homes, and about 300 horses - and ONE ROAD in and out - that at some points was only 14 feet wide - and went to a dead end at the ½ mile point (that is all the longer our residential part of the canyon was – with that many homes and animals crammed in there). We knew - that when (not if) the fire came - we HAD TO BE PREPARED - if we expected everyone to get out alive - AND THE FIREFIGHTERS TO BE ABLE TO GET IN. We educated everyone - that we would have to walk out - not drive out - as if everyone tried to drive out - the road would be blocked and fire fighters would not be able to get in. 

Our canyon was so tight and steep and full of burnable vegetation - that it would become an actual Fire Tornado - if a fire got into that canyon. Our rehearsed community event was well planned - and exceptionally well executed. The County Fire Fighters were beyond thrilled and appreciative of our success story!

Part of our preparedness was planning 'where' all our animals would go...? 300 horses (not counting all the MANY other pets) is a good number of horses to evacuate AND relocate. Local stables did not have that many empty stalls. Well, we were lucky - there was a show facility off of Ortega Hwy (owned by Joan Irvine, of the (original) Irvine family) that had about 1000 empty stalls. These stalls did not have any waterers in them and we did not have anyone to care for the horses brought there, nor was there any food or supplies in place. Just empty 10x10 foot stalls - on concrete. 

Upon arriving at The Oaks Show Stables - we discovered that horses from all over, including San Diego, were being brought in. Within 24 hours we had (apprx) 700 horses dropped off - and nearly NO owners (caretakers). We needed food, water buckets, and sawdust - just to get things rolling.

We had about 30 or so folks ready to do the needed work. We were blessed with SCART (So. Ca. Animal Response Team) showing up to help, as well. We had our local El Toro Feed + Tack bring in the hay, sawdust and manure rakes that we needed. We had Home Depot bring us 700 buckets for water. We had Kensington Horse Blankets + Fly Sheets bring us 700 Fire Retardant Fly masks (which - you can use a sharpy and put your phone number across the front of a flymask - for easy identification on misplaced horses).

ALL of these items were donated! Truly an act of humanity and kindness, from MANY! We had folks from Orange County Mounted Assistance Unit (of which I was a member) show up, we had Volunteer FireFighters from Holy Jim, Trabuco Canyon (of which I belonged to, as well) there - and many more groups, and many kind folks (some that had never even been near a horse, but they saw what we were doing on the news and showed up) - that I am surely leaving out here, attempting to recount this momentous event 17 years later.

It was out of this world, from every angle - and every moment - and every emotion - and an experience that you had to be there to come close to grasping.

It was THE MOST SURREAL experience of my lifetime! It was tragic, scary, uncertain, overwhelming, exhausting - and yet - it was the coming together of SO MANY folks who stepped up to help out. It was miraculous and breathtaking, as well. We had folks who came to just cut carrots (and we had hundreds of pounds of carrots show up). Imagine having (apprx) 700 horses - with water buckets to knock over, unexpectedly stuck in 10x10 foot stalls (that had to be cleaned - OY!!?) - let alone the feeding...

We had folks who brought us pizza, or came to walk horses or clean stalls, fill water buckets - someone even dropped off a flatbed golf cart - that without that cart - keeping the water buckets full would have been a full time job for 2 people! We even had massage therapists show up to help give relief to the folks who were on the ground, helping 24/7. It was an experience beyond words. And I was honored to be a part of such an amazing group of people - who all came together to help the horses and each other. It was a long and intense 12 day experience, unlike anything I could have ever imagined. 

Prior to the 2007 fire - I was a volunteer FireFighter in Cleveland Nat'l Forest,

in Holy Jim Canyon during the 1980s and 1990s, into the 2000s. We were completely Off-Grid, aka: no utilities of any kind. No electricity, limited running water (aka: almost none, and in the summer - literally none), and these were the days before cell phones (that today do not have many viable spots out in Holy Jim).

The department maintains its own Fire Station and it's own Fire Trucks, as well as six 5,000 gallon water tanks, a mile of water lines in the canyon and maintains its own weather station gauge at the stationhouse. Back in the day, our main truck was Gertrude - a 1932 Tanker Truck - who carried her own water (essential when there are no fire hydrants!). I learned a lot and was humbly honored to have served as a Volunteer FireFighter in Holy Jim Canyon. The connections I made there were truly special and the things we did together - well - I'd need to write a whole book to cover all that...

During the 2000s - I was an active MAU rider - Mounted Assistance Unit. We were trained and certified in all terrain rescues for both humans and large animals. MAU members go through the same extensive volunteer training expected of all State Park volunteers, as well as specialized training that ensures horse and rider safety and preparedness. MAU members supply their own horses and transportation.

I loved being part MAU - the lessons learned, and the experiences we were involved in - were invaluable.  And the group of folks involved in MAU - amazing people - doing amazing things - all working together as a team, a team of Volunteers. Doesn't get any better than that!

So - for the better part of the past 40 years - I have been in volunteer groups created for Safety and Protection, Disaster Preparedness, and Search and Rescue - and nowadays - I'm on a mission - I want to help you protect your valued assets and material belongings, and I want to help as many folks and communities as possible - to help mitigate wildfire devastations.

Holy Jim Fire Station - (Back in the day) Gertrude is on the left...