This is the third article in a four article
series, to read Part One, go HERE
and for Part Two, click HERE
– Author’s Note
If you can see the flames of a wildfire, then you are way, way too
close! Wildfires can move quickly and unpredictably
and don’t assume that you can out walk or out run a fire. So, what should you do to escape?!
But first let’s take a quick look at the parts of a fire and what they
are called.
The
Parts of a Fire...
The direction the wind blows determines the head, rear, right and left
flank of the fire. If your back is to
the wind, then the “head” of the fire is the largest “finger” burning
away from you, the “rear” of the fire in in front of you, the “left
flank” is on your left and the “right flank” is on your right. “Spot fires” are new fires that have
been ignited by windblown sparks and embers, in advance of the “head” of the
fire. If the wind is in your face and
there are flames in front of you, you have problems!
Escape!
First, just like always, don’t panic!
In any emergency, going into a panic is a sure way to make the situation
so, so much worse. So instead, be calm
and alert and quickly take in the situation, think clearly, and create a plan
and then act decisively to escape.
Warning
signs...
So, what warning signs and environmental factors should you be alert for
as you analyze the situation? What
environmental conditions around you will affect the direction and intensity of
the fire burning in front of you?
There are seven environmental conditions, or natural hazards, that affect
wildfires and increase their chances of igniting: they are fuel, and whether it
is wet or dry, precipitation, relative humidity, temperature, wind, and
topography. These seven factors can
aggravate or intensify a fire, or lessen and depress it, or even in certain
conditions extinguish it. Five of these
factors relate to the likelihood that a fire will ignite and only the last two,
wind and typography can affect your escape plans.
Winds...
The sixth environmental condition is wind, which can cause the fire to
spread quickly or unevenly, burn more intensely and carry sparks and embers to
ignite “spot fires” ahead of the main burn. The wind direction also allows you to predict where
the fire is burning towards and its speed will give you an indication of how
fast it will travel, i.e., the faster the wind the faster the fire.
Some other weather warning signs
Topography,
slopes, canyons, and gullies...
you hold a lit match flaming end down.
%20except%20combined.jpg)
So, if the fire is upslope of you, escape downhill to get away from
the fire. If the fire is downslope from
you don’t try to move uphill to escape unless you are near the crest of the hill
and can quickly make it to the other side.
Try to move along the side of the ridge to out flank the fire but be
careful the fire doesn’t explosively race uphill towards you.
 |
Topography to avoid
So, if you see flames, stay calm, size up the situation, plan, and
move to safety.
So, remember, don’t try to outrun a wildfire, keep your distance, and move
around the flames as fast as possible, by escaping upwind and downhill”. Head for large bodies of water, swampy areas
boulder fields, open meadows, clear-cut or plowed areas. And if possible, travel on dirt roads, riverbeds,
or streambeds with little vegetation.
Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Surviving a Wildfire! But If You Can't Escape, Part Four ©”, where
we will talk about what to do if you get cornered by the flames!
I
hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me
on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE. Don’t forget to follow me on both The
Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE,
and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube. If you have questions, as always, feel free
to leave a comment on either site. I
announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at
bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.
That
is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!
Notes
Sources
Knowhow;
“Understanding Wildfire”, Backpacker, August 2000, page 114, https://books.google.com/books?id=wuQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA114&dq=backpacker+august+%22stay+upwind%22+forest+fire&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjR9LDW-ej_AhVHD1kFHcUMA00Q6AF6BAgGEAI#v=onepage&q=backpacker%20august%20%22stay%20upwind%22%20forest%20fire&f=false, accessed June 29, 2023
Countryman, Clive M.; Heat-Its
Role in Wildland Fire- Part 1, [U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest, 1975], https://books.google.com/books?id=9-4TAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Fuels+for+Radiation+and+Wildland+Fire&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiH_eO1vsH_AhVSFVkFHXwmAuQQ6AF6BAgDEAI#v=onepage&q=Fuels%20for%20Radiation%20and%20Wildland%20Fire&f=false,
accessed June 13, 2023
Countryman, Clive M.; Radiation
and Wildland Fire, [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific
Northwest, 1976], https://books.google.com/books?id=H2h0yRloLdwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Fuels+for+Radiation+and+Wildland+Fire&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiH_eO1vsH_AhVSFVkFHXwmAuQQ6AF6BAgHEAI#v=onepage&q=Fuels%20for%20Radiation%20and%20Wildland%20Fire&f=false,
accessed June 13, 2023
Forest Service; Manual
for Forest Fire Fighters, [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,
1971], https://books.google.com/books?id=EflGj40dyxkC&pg=PA77&dq=forestfire+moving+away+from+the+flames&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi81uasyNz_AhUmmYkEHfyKDukQ6AF6BAgEEAI#v=onepage&q=forestfire%20moving%20away%20from%20the%20flames&f=false,
accessed June 27, 2023
Go Explore Croatia; “How
To Survive a Forest Fire”, [© 2016 Go Explore Croatia], https://goexplorecroatia.com/croatia-travel-blog-news/how-to-survive-a-forest-fire/,
accessed June 10, 2023
Green, Lisle R.; Burning
by Prescription in Chaparral, [U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific
Northwest, 1981], https://books.google.com/books?id=j2OYEfplwCEC&pg=PA31&dq=%22smoke+columns%22+wind+direction&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjmgJne0MH_AhUvFlkFHcG_AUc4FBDoAXoECAMQAg#v=onepage&q=%22smoke%20columns%22%20wind%20direction&f=false, accessed June 13, 2023
Kia; “How to Escape a
Wildfire: A Hikers’ Guide”, April 14, 2021, [© 2023 ATLAS & BOOTS], https://www.atlasandboots.com/travel-blog/how-to-escape-a-wildfire-a-hikers-guide/,
accessed June 10, 2023
Knowhow; “Understanding
Wildfire”, Backpacker, August 2000, page 114, https://books.google.com/books?id=wuQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA114&dq=backpacker+august+%22stay+upwind%22+forest+fire&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjR9LDW-ej_AhVHD1kFHcUMA00Q6AF6BAgGEAI#v=onepage&q=backpacker%20august%20%22stay%20upwind%22%20forest%20fire&f=false,
accessed June 29, 2023
Olivier, Jonathan; “How
to Escape a Wildfire When You’re Hiking”, June 26, 2018, [© 2023 Outside
Interactive, Inc], https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/hiking-and-backpacking/daily-rally-podcast-lyla-harrod/,
accessed June 10, 2023
Piven, Josh; “Survival
strategies to help you escape a forest fire”, Scouting magazine, May-June 2016,
[© 2023, Boy Scouts of America], https://scoutingmagazine.org/2016/04/survival-strategies-help-escape-forest-fire/,
accessed June 10, 2023
REI; “Wildfire Safety
Tips for Outdoor Recreation”, [© 2023 Recreational Equipment, Inc], https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/wildfire-safety-tips-for-outdoor-recreation.html,
accessed June 10, 2023
Schroeder, Mark J., and
Buck, Charles C.; Fire Weather: Agricultural Handbook 360, [U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Broomall, PA, May 1970], https://books.google.com/books?id=j4f_lBHsSKEC&pg=PA88-IA2&dq=%22smoke+columns%22+wind+direction&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjI6r_dzsH_AhX4EWIAHYqwCwgQ6AF6BAgHEAI#v=onepage&q=%22smoke%20columns%22%20wind%20direction&f=false,
accessed June 13, 2023
Soares, John; “Surviving
a Wildfire While Hiking: What to Do”, July 28, 2018, [© 2023 by John Soares], https://northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com/blog/2018/07/28/surviving-wildfire-hiking-what-do/,
accessed June 10, 2023
The Trek; “How to Stay
Safe While Hiking During Wildfire Season”, [© 2023 Copyright The Trek], https://thetrek.co/how-to-stay-safe-while-hiking-during-wildfire-season/,
accessed June 10, 2023
Wikimedia; “A picture of
the empire state building”, by @Aelthemplaer on Twitter, June 7 2023, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Empire_State_Building_on_June_7,_2023.jpg,
accessed June 10, 2023
Wikimedia; “Quebec Canada
Wildfire Smoke Consumes New Jersey and New York City June 7 2023”, by Anthony
Quintano, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Smoke_from_2023_Quebec_wildfires_in_New_York_City#/media/File:Quebec_Canada_Wildfire_Smoke_Consumes_New_Jersey_and_New_York_City_June_7_2023.jpg,
accessed June 21, 2023
Wikimedia; “Rough Ridge
Fire Smoke Columns”, National Wildfire Coordinating Group, November 11, 2016, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rough_Ridge_Fire_Smoke_Columns_2016_11_11-11.45.51.039-CST.jpg,
accessed June 21, 2023
Wikimedia; “Smoke column rises at the High Park Wildfire”, by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, June 22, 2012, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Smoke_column_-_High_Park_Wildfire.jpg,
accessed June 21, 2023
Wikimedia; “Elk Bath” – A
wildfire on the East Fork of the Bitterroot River, by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, August 6, 2000, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Deerfire_high_res.jpg,
accessed June 10, 223
Wilson, Carl C., and
Sorenson, James C.; Some common denominators of fire behavior, [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Broomall,
PA, December 1978], https://books.google.com/books?id=w_tq7y2v8I4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=smoke+wind+direction+wildfire&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi78oTswcH_AhUxMVkFHSE_Dd04ChDoAXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q&f=false, accessed June 13, 2023
No comments:
Post a Comment