Well it's that time of year when a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of--- Fishing---Camping---Hiking--- and generally anything outdoorsy.
But, early spring and late summer are prime Wild Fire Seasons. And not just here in the Rocky Mountains. SO. Cal. Had brush fires all winter and I've
seen on the news they've had fires up in the NE part of the country already.
Just this morning a small grass fire was contained just north of town.
Here in Colorado we take our Wild Fires Very seriously !!!
SO lets say your caught out in the open when you smell smoke?
First and foremost---
Call 911
Don't assume someone else already did so--- besides you might just need to be rescued so the quicker their on the way the safer you are!
Lets say your on foot, hiking. there are things you can do to stay safe.
•The best temporary shelter is bare ground. On a steep mountainside, the back side is safer. Stay in the rocks and try not be upwind of the fire.
More folks die from smoke inhalation than they do the fire itself.
•If a road is nearby, lie face down along the road cut or in the ditch on the uphill side. Cover yourself with anything that will shield you from
the fire's heat. This is when those Mylar space blankets come in real handy.
•If hiking in the back country, seek a depression with as little fuel (burnable's) as possible. Clear fuel away from the area while the fire is
approaching . If you brought along an E-Tool dig yourself a shallow trench and then lie face down in the depression and cover yourself with the dug
earth. This is the really hard part--- 'Stay down'--- until the fire passes!!!!
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Now lets imagine yourself in your car/truck
Maybe on your way out to your favorite fishing hole and find yourself surrounded by a 'Fire Storm'!
Rule one. Stay in your car/truck! your vehicle will protect you from the heat and ash. Trust me you'll be much safer inside than on foot.
•Roll up windows and close air vents. Drive slowly with headlights and four-way flashers on. Stay towards the middle of the road. Watch for other
vehicles and pedestrians. Do not drive through heavy smoke. Without being able to see you could drive right into that Fire Storm!
•If you have to stop, park away from the heaviest trees and brush. Even if that means parking in the middle of the road and blocking traffic. Turn
headlights on and ignition off. Roll up windows and close air vents.
• Infrared heat can pass right threw the glass so Get on the floor and cover up with a blanket or coat.
•Stay in the vehicle until the main fire passes. Do not run! Engine may stall and not restart. Air currents may rock the car. Some smoke and sparks
may enter the vehicle. Temperature inside will increase. Metal gas tanks and containers rarely explode.
Again, your safer in your car than on foot!
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FEMA has a free PDF
to teach you how to protect your home/cabin
Down Load it ---Save it---Don't just scan the material, do what it says too!
The Last thing I want to add--- And this is coming from someone who lives in a place where Wild Fire's are common (Western Colorado)
And that is, A Wild Fire is not like a flood or Tornado. People have died hiding out in their storm cellars and when the fire passed it simply sucked
all the air out of their hidey holes.
Sane people run--- Pack up the wife kids and dogs and get the hell out of there--- Rebuilding is a hell of a lot easier than bringing loved ones back
from the dead.
edit on 25-4-2014 by HardCorps because: (no reason given)