Wildfire Survival Tips You Ought To Know

Are you aware of just how catastrophic a wildfire can be? The fire that started in Black Forest, Colorado years ago developed into a raging inferno that destroyed over 500 homes. Thousands of people had to be evacuated.

What is a wildfire?

Although with the recent spate of California wildfires, these violent uncontrolled fires are not limited to a specific continent or location. Still, these fires that spread quickly generally occur primarily in rural areas where there’s a lot of vegetation and combustible material.

If you live near the woods or the in areas where a wildfire could pose a real threat, you must be aware and prepared, as with other severe weather events.

• • • Extreme heat. During periods where it’s extremely hot weather, all it takes is a dry twig catching fire to turn the entire forest into a raging wildfire.
    • The drier the air, the more combustible the vegetation will be. The plants are dried out and perfect as fuel for a fire.
    • Wind will worsen the problem by fanning the flames and spreading them even further. This can be a huge problem and cause the wildfire to spread faster.

Just being aware of how dangerous wildfires can be should motivate you to be prepared.

Before the uncontrolled fire starts

Basics…

• • • Have a battery-powered radio in case of power outage.
    • Have a plan for handling your medical essentials, such as medications and medical equipment.
    • Have your bug-out bag ready—packed with first aid kit, .

 Establish a safe zone

• • • The first step will be to create a safe zone for your home. You need to mark out a circumference with a 12-meter radius around your home.
      • • This area must be clear of plants, trees, shrubs, etc. Fire needs fuel to burn. If this 12-meter radius has no fuel, it’ll be difficult for the fire to reach your house.

After this 12-meter radius, you’ll want another circumference with an additional 5-meter radius where you have an irrigation system to keep the soil damp and moist.

This will retard the fire. Any plants in this area should only comprise of small plants that are not too high. Potted plants, shrubs, etc.

So now, you have a 17-meter radius around your house that the fire will be less likely to reach.

For extra measure, you could have another circumference with a 7-meter radius with drought resistant plants, etc.

The goal here is to create a landscape for your home that prevents the fire from reaching it.

“What if there’s a wildfire near me?” you ask

Protect yourself and your family

Creating the safe zone for your house was to protect your property from damage The moment there’s a wildfire a distance away from you, the first step will be evacuation.

⇒ Listen to radio broadcasts about the weather. If there’s a wildfire nearby, you’ll likely be advised to evacuate immediately. Be ready when the time comes. Authorities will notify you when it’s safe to leave as well as when it’s okay to return. This is why a battery-powered radio is essential.

Fire is highly unpredictable and can be very volatile. And with the fire comes smoke that will irritate your eyes, obscure your vision, and suffocate you. Most deaths by fire occur because of smoke inhalation.

⇒ It’s imperative that you have a dual sensor alarm installed in your house that detects for both fire and smoke. Hopefully, at this point you already have that taken care of.

If there’s a wildfire at night, the smoke alarm might pick up on it and the ringing will wake you and give you enough time to escape.

The good news is that fire burns uphill faster. So…

• • • If the fire is above you, you have more time to get away.
    • If the fire is below you, you’ll need to drive diagonally around it as fast as you can to get below it.

In the unfortunate event that you’re surrounded by fire while at home, the safe zone will protect you to some degree. Still, you can’t depend on that, as the wildfires in California has shown that these fires can simply rage out of control.

⇒ Store face masks and eye goggles in your house. The masks will help you breathe better because there will be pollutants in the air.

⇒ Use a water hose to spray water out into the ‘safe zone’ to make the area wet. Spray water all around the exterior of your house.

⇒ With the wildfire, as with most disaster emergencies, preparation is key,

If you live in a forested area, you should have…

• • • • built your house with non-combustible materials
      • installed smoke alarms and
      • have several fire extinguishers around the house.
      • created a safe zone
      • You should also have a fire extinguisher in your vehicle for emergencies.

In addition…

• • • • Always clean out your gutters and roof. All clogged material can become fuel for a fire.
      • Have an evacuation plan and run it by your family often.
      • Have different escape routes from your home to your planned destination.
      • Practice these routes so everyone in your household is familiar with them.
      • Practice the drill once a month or so. This will train everyone to respond instinctively.
      • Keep a first aid kit at home and one in your vehicle. You might need it or encounter someone who does.
      • Have eye wash, burn ointment, face masks, gauze, etc.

Once this uncontrolled fire has been put out or died down, you’ll be advised when to return to your house. Hopefully, the safe zone worked, and the house will have survived the worst.

But you can’t settle back in just yet. Depending on the severity of this uncontrolled fire, in the interest of caution, you should get an engineer or an expert to advise you as to whether the structural integrity of the house is intact. Then you can move in when you get the green light.

Keeping these guidelines in mind when you get the next wildfire warning may help you to stay safe and deal with this possible catastrophe without freaking out.

Remember that you may have to be evacuated quickly. So, plan…

• • • • • Where will you go?
        • Can you stay there?
        • How will you get there?

I know you’ll be anxious about your house and belongings during a wildfire, but make sure you wait for officials to let you know when it’s safe to go back to your house. Don’t make that decision on your own. These violent infernos spread quickly, and you are not in control. They are not also referred to as forest fires for no reason.

So do stay in touch with local officials so that you’re up to date on the best course of action for you and your family.