CitroSafe spray application rainbow effect
How It Works — The Three Services Explained

Three Ways
We Defend.
One Proven
Chemistry.

Direct spray treatment. CitroSafe™ sprinkler systems. CitroTech lumber treatment. Three different services for three different stages of risk — all built on the same EPA Safer Choice recognized fire inhibitor. Here's exactly how each one works.

The Three Services

Three Stages of Risk.
Three Ways We Show Up.

Wildfire protection isn't one product. It's a menu of options matched to what you're protecting, where you're protecting it, and how you want to invest. Here's the short version — the rest of the page walks through each one in detail.

💧
Service 1

Direct Spray Treatment

A seasonal spray on the vegetation, wood decks, and wood siding of your existing home or business. Entry-level protection with no equipment to install — we show up, we treat, we leave documentation.

  • Best for: homes, businesses, short-term protection
  • Timeline: a few hours on-site
  • Duration: up to 3 months per application
  • Lowest cost to get started
🛡️
Service 2

CitroSafe™ Sprinkler Systems

A permanent, standalone sprinkler array with its own onboard inhibitor tank. Triggered from your phone as you evacuate — your property keeps defending itself while you're gone. The highest level of active defense we install.

  • Best for: all homes
  • Roof-mounted and perimeter options
  • Independent of power and water supply
  • Remote activation from anywhere
🪵
Service 3

CitroTech Lumber Treatment

Class A fire protection applied directly to lumber, sheathing, and engineered wood during construction. Built into the bones of the structure before walls are closed, before finishes go on, before the homeowner ever moves in.

  • Best for: new builds and WUI construction
  • Applied in the field during framing
  • Class A under ASTM E84 / TER 2504-101
  • Preserves natural wood appearance
Service 1 — Step by Step

Direct Spray
Treatment.

1

Site Walk & Assessment

We walk your property and identify the highest-risk surfaces — vegetation, wood decks, wood siding, fencing, outbuildings. Every property has different ignition points, and we map yours before the truck ever shows up.

2

Scope & Quote

You get a written scope and a flat quote based on square footage, terrain, and the surfaces being treated. No hourly surprises. No vague estimates. You approve before we show up with a spray rig.

3

On-Site Application

Our certified crew arrives with CitroTech's EPA Safer Choice recognized fire inhibitor and applies it directly by spray — to vegetation, wood decks, wood siding, and any wood features identified in the walk. Most homes take a few hours. You don't have to be there.

4

Dry & Document

CitroTech dries completely clear — no red dye, no residue, no smell. You can't see it. The fire can. We photograph the treated areas, hand you a treatment record, and you're protected the moment the application dries.

5

Seasonal Re-Treatment

Protection on vegetation stays active for up to three months or until removed by significant rainfall. We schedule a re-treatment for your highest-risk window — typically right before fire season ramps up. Planned maintenance, not emergency response.

CitroSafe wildfire defense spray system
Service 2 — Step by Step

CitroSafe™
Sprinkler Systems.

A CitroSafe install is a permanent, standalone defense system with its own onboard tank of CitroTech inhibitor. It's engineered to keep working when power is out, water is cut, and nobody's on-site — no grid, no municipal water, nobody on-site. Here's the install process from first site visit to first test activation.

1
Step One

Design

We walk the property and scope the system around your actual vulnerabilities — roofline, eaves, perimeter vegetation, access points. Most installs combine a rooftop array and a perimeter array working together for full 360° coverage. Every design is custom to the property.

2
Step Two

Install

Our crew installs the onboard inhibitor tank, pump assembly, reserve power, sprinkler heads, and the SwitchBox controller that ties it all together. Heads are placed discreetly along rooflines and property perimeters. Clean install, not industrial-looking. No tie-in to your well, plumbing, or utility grid.

3
Step Three

Activate

We test the system, train you on the phone app, and hand you the documentation. When a fire approaches, you trigger the system from your phone as you evacuate — the tank deploys CitroTech inhibitor across the roof and perimeter, and the property keeps defending itself while you're gone.

Which Service Fits

Side by Side.
All Three.

Factor 💧 Direct Spray 🛡️ CitroSafe™ System 🪵 Lumber Treatment
Best for Existing homes & businesses Homes & critical facilities New construction & WUI builds
Permanent install No — seasonal service Yes — permanent sprinkler array Yes — bonded to the lumber
Protection duration Up to ~3 months per application Permanent system, deployed on demand Long-term — bonded into the wood
Works while you're evacuated No — applied in advance Yes — remote phone activation Yes — protection is built-in
Needs power or water hookup No No — onboard tank & reserve power No
Applied to Vegetation, decks, siding, fencing Roofline & perimeter of the property Lumber, OSB, plywood, mass timber
Visible after install No — dries clear Sprinkler heads visible on roofline No — natural wood appearance preserved
Cost tier $  Entry-level $$$  Premium install $$  Mid-tier, build-phase
Same EPA Safer Choice chemistry ✓ Yes ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
The Chemistry Behind All Three

One Formula.
Four Certifications.

Direct spray, CitroSafe systems, and lumber treatment all rely on the same proprietary fire inhibitor. It's the only product of its kind in the U.S. that carries all four of these independent certifications — which is why we built the entire business around it.

EPA
SAFER
CHOICE

EPA Safer Choice

The only long-duration fire inhibitor in the U.S. recognized by the EPA. Non-toxic formulation, safe around families, pets, and wildlife.

UL
GREENGUARD
GOLD

UL Greenguard Gold

Verified extremely low indoor-air chemical and VOC emissions. Safe for interior and occupied-space applications.

ASTM
E84

ASTM E84 Extended

Proven flame-spread resistance and fire-safety performance on treated wood — the standard for Class A ratings.

TER
2504-101

TER 2504-101

Compliant with International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC) fire-protection requirements.

Inside a CitroSafe™ Install

What's Actually
In The System.

A CitroSafe sprinkler install isn't a single product — it's a coordinated set of components engineered to work together and to keep working when the grid goes down. Here's what we install on your property.

Component 1

Onboard Inhibitor Tank

A dedicated reserve of CitroTech fire inhibitor, sized to the property. When the system activates, this is the payload that deploys — not your well water, not municipal supply. Your tank, your inhibitor, your protection.

Component 2

Pump & Reserve Power

A dedicated pump pushes the inhibitor through the system, backed by a reserve power source so the install keeps running through utility outages. Wildfires routinely take out power lines before they reach structures — this is designed for exactly that moment.

Component 3

Roof-Mounted Sprinkler Array

Sprinkler heads placed discreetly along rooflines and eaves. When triggered, they coat the roof and upper envelope in CitroTech inhibitor — the most vulnerable part of the structure in an ember storm.

Component 4

Perimeter Sprinkler Heads

A second array of sprinkler heads around the property perimeter treats vegetation and ground cover. This creates a non-toxic chemical firebreak that knocks down fire activity well short of the structure itself.

Component 5

SwitchBox Controller

The central control unit that ties the whole system together. The SwitchBox manages activation, valve control, and status monitoring. One control surface, one set of eyes on the system.

Component 6

Phone-Based Remote Activation

The system pairs with a phone app that lets you trigger activation from anywhere — in the road, at the airport, already evacuated. You don't have to be on the property to defend it.

Service 3 — Step by Step

CitroTech
Lumber Treatment.

The build-phase option. CitroTech is applied directly to framing lumber and exposed structural wood before walls are closed — bonding into the material so Class A fire protection is built into the structure itself.

Unlike pressure-treated lumber, there's no pre-ordering, no supply chain wait, and no effect on appearance. We come to the job site during framing, treat on location, and document everything for the builder and the homeowner's insurance file.

Talk to Us About Your Project
01

Apply — During Framing

We schedule around your framing timeline and treat on-site, usually in one to two days. Applied directly to exposed lumber before walls close and finishes go on. No disruption to your sequence.

02

Bond — Into the Wood Itself

CitroTech soaks in and dries clear and odor-free. The natural grain, color, and texture stay intact. What changes is the material's behavior when it meets fire — the treated wood resists ignition and slows flame spread to Class A standards.

03

Defend — For the Life of the Structure

Once bonded, the treatment stays put. No reapplication schedule, no maintenance, no visible trace. You get full documentation — product certifications, application records, and treated-area specs — for builder files and the homeowner's insurance carrier.

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Pair it with CitroSafe™: Lumber treatment protects the structure at the material level. A CitroSafe™ system defends it at the perimeter level. Together they're the most complete wildfire defense package available in Montana — and the only one where the same EPA Safer Choice chemistry shows up on both layers.

Common Questions

Questions About
All Three Services.

Which service is right for my property?
It depends on where you are in the cycle. If you're building right now, lumber treatment is the one shot you'll ever have to protect the structure at the material level — it only works during framing. If you already own the home and you want year-round, evacuation-proof defense, CitroSafe™ is the permanent answer. If you want seasonal protection for vegetation, wood siding, decks, and outbuildings heading into fire season, direct spray treatment is the fastest and least expensive option. Many clients use more than one — we'll walk you through what actually makes sense for your property.
Is it really the same chemistry for all three services?
Yes. Every service uses CitroTech — the same EPA Safer Choice recognized, UL Greenguard Gold certified fire inhibitor. The delivery method changes (handheld spray, sprinkler system, build-phase application), but the active formulation is identical across the board. One chemistry, four certifications, three ways to put it to work.
Can I start with one service and add another later?
Absolutely. Many homeowners start with a seasonal direct spray treatment in their first fire season, then add a CitroSafe™ system the following year once they've seen how the treatment performs. Builders sometimes do lumber treatment at framing and come back for a CitroSafe™ install before handoff. The services are designed to layer — nothing about one locks you out of another.
How long does each service last?
Direct spray is seasonal — reapply heading into each fire season. CitroSafe™ is a permanent installation; the system lives on the structure year-round and activates on demand. Lumber treatment bonds into the wood and stays for the life of the material — no reapplication required. Specific durations depend on site exposure, weather, and use, and we'll cover that directly in the quote.
Do I need to be home for any of them?
No. Direct spray treatment and CitroSafe™ installation are both handled by our crew — we coordinate site access and work through the application without requiring you on-site. Lumber treatment happens during framing, so you're coordinating with the builder, not us. Once a CitroSafe™ system is installed, you can trigger it from your phone from anywhere, even mid-evacuation.
How do I get a quote?
We start remote. We will use aerial imagery of the property, along with photos of the structure, vegetation, and any specific areas you want covered. We build the quote from that. Site visits only happen for serious inquiries and complex projects — it keeps our costs down, and yours. Call, text, or email to get started.
Montana's Only Certified CitroTech Installer

Figure Out Which
Service Fits You.

One quick conversation is usually all it takes to pin down whether you need a seasonal spray, a permanent CitroSafe™ system, lumber treatment during your build — or a combination. We will use aerial imagery and a few property photos to get started.

Request a Quote
Call us directly: 406-422-2716  ·  Philipsburg, Montana
Serving builders and architects across Montana, Wyoming, and Northern Idaho