A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire that burns in an area of land. Wildfires can occur naturally but they are often started by humans. Wildfires can be very dangerous and cause damage to property and loss of life. If you find yourself in the path of a wildfire there are some things you can do to survive.
Here are ways of how to survive a wildfire outside.
What is the best way to survive a wildfire Outside?
The best way to survive a wildfire is to be prepared. Know the signs of a approaching wildfire and have an evacuation plan ready. When the time comes evacuate quickly and calmly. Be sure to stay aware of your surroundings and take only the necessary belongings with you.
If you are caught in the wildfire try to find a safe area with low vegetation and little fuel for the fire to spread. Cover yourself with clothing or a blanket to protect from the heat and smoke. Stay hydrated and calm and wait for help to arrive.
Tips for Surviving a Wildfire Outside
Wildfires are among the most destructive natural disasters in the world. They’ve caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage to homes and property, and they’ve taken the lives of many innocent people. While wildfires can never be completely prevented, there are ways to minimize your risk to these devastating fires.
Here they are:
Grab a wet cloth or towel and stay low.
To stay safe, you should:
- Grab a wet cloth or towel and cover your mouth and nose with it. The smoke can irritate your eyes and lungs, so using a moist cloth will help to keep that from happening.
- Stay low to the ground as much as possible. Smoke rises up into the air, so if you’re on the ground where there’s less smoke, that’s where you’ll be safer!
- If possible, try to get somewhere safer like an open space or building away from the fire (if it’s not already too late).
Go to an area that is already burned.
If you are in a heavily wooded area and the fire is close, it is best to find an area where the fire has already passed through. The heat from the fire will have burned the vegetation away, so this area will be cooler than other areas surrounding. This means that you are less likely to get burned by a flare-up or ember attack while trying to get to safety.
You should also try to avoid areas that have tall grasses or bushes because they can easily catch on fire again if a piece of charred material falls in them.
Cover your body with protective clothing.
To protect yourself and your loved ones when a wildfire threatens, you should carefully consider how to cover your body.
- Wear protective clothing. Wear a hat, sunglasses that shield the eyes from harmful UV rays, a scarf around the neck to protect against dust and heat, protective eyewear (like goggles), and even a dust mask if there is an abundance of ash in the air.
- Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts or blouses. Make sure all exposed skin is covered by these items—long sleeves help prevent burns on arms as well as on hands; pants will keep legs safe from fire damage as well as heat damage from burning embers that may fall from above onto lower parts of the body.
Don’t panic, stay cool, and know what to do if you get caught in a wildfire.
If you’re caught in a wildfire, keep yourself as safe as possible. Don’t panic—the best thing you can do is stay calm, and then follow these steps:
- Stay low to the ground. The flames will burn much higher than your head if there’s no wind or other factors causing them to spread.
- Cover your nose, mouth and eyes with clothing or something else that won’t catch fire easily (like wet leaves). If your clothes catch fire, drop to the ground immediately and roll over onto another part of your body that doesn’t have burning material on it. Roll back and forth until the flames are out!
Know the signs
- Listen for the sound of fire. Even if you’re miles away from a wildfire, you may be able to hear its roar.
- If you see smoke in the distance, it could mean there’s a fire nearby. Get out of your car and walk toward the smoke. If there are no signs of life (no people or animals), get out of there fast!
Prepare a survival kit
If you don’t have a survival kit already, it’s the perfect time to put one together. You should include things like a respirator (if you live in an area that might be affected by poor air quality), first aid kit, emergency food and water, battery-powered radio, flashlight and spare batteries.
Make sure your survival kit is accessible wherever you may need it — in your home or car — so that it’s available when needed most.
Put together an emergency plan
The most important thing to remember during a wildfire is safety. The best way to ensure that your family and pets are safe is to have an emergency plan in place before the fire starts.
- Know how you will contact each other in case of an emergency
- Agree on a meeting spot if you need to evacuate
- Have a pet evacuation plan ready
- Know where your nearest animal shelter is
Assess the situation
- Check for smoke, fire and heat
- Check for shelter
- Pay attention to wind direction
- The temperature of the air and your skin can indicate how much time you have until conditions worsen
- Locate a safe exit route in case you need to evacuate (and be sure everyone else knows it too)
- Social media is not a reliable source of information.
- People will use social media to share information from unrelated events, or even make up stories.
- Emergency services do not monitor social media, so it’s unlikely that you would get any kind of official update on the situation there.
Take cover.
You need to take cover as quickly as possible.
- If you’re in a building, go to the basement or an interior room on the lowest level. Close all windows and doors, turn off the air conditioning if it’s still running, and keep a door open so that smoke can move through the house rather than into it.
- If you’re in a vehicle, keep all doors closed and turn off the A/C (you’ll need all of your windows up). Find someplace nearby without trees or bushes around—this way there won’t be any fire creeping up on you from behind when it comes time for evacuation.
Stay calm and follow instructions from emergency services.
You should stay calm and follow instructions from emergency services, who will be trying to protect you.
If you are stuck in a vehicle on the road, drive with care towards the nearest clear area. Do not stop in a bushland area or on the side of a road if there is smoke around you—keep going until you get to somewhere safe. If it is safe to do so, pull over and wait for further instructions from emergency services.
If trapped by fire, stay where you are unless instructed otherwise by firefighters or police officers (who may also be rescuing people). If this happens:
- Stay calm and follow their directions exactly as they give them
- Follow any evacuation orders given by police officers or firefighters
Wildfires are dangerous and unpredictable, but you can increase your chances of survival by preparing yourself beforehand.
Firefighters often say that fire is the best teacher, and they are right. You can learn a lot from studying wildfires and how they behave in different environments. However, you should also know what to do if faced with an actual wildfire!
Here are some helpful tips:
- Plan ahead
- Have an emergency kit ready at all times
- Think about what you will do in different situations
FAQs
1. How do you get out of a wildfire?
A wildfire can quickly become an uncontrollable inferno making escape seem impossible. If you find yourself caught in a wildfire the best thing to do is to stay calm and follow these steps:
- First try to outrun the fire. If the flames are close behind you seek shelter in a nearby building or car.
- If you can’t outrun the fire look for a body of water to jump into – a swimming pool river or lake – and immerse yourself as much as possible.
- Lie flat on the ground in an area that has already been burned by the fire. Cover your body with anything that will protect you from the heat and flames – a blanket coat or even dirt.
- Stay low to the ground and cover your mouth and nose with a wet cloth to protect yourself from smoke inhalation.
- Don’t drive into an area where the fire is burning. This can be difficult if you think your only option is to drive away from the flames, but it’s better than being trapped in your car with thick smoke all around you and nowhere else to go!
- Stay upwind of the fire and out of its path.
- Stay in open areas with no trees or buildings nearby.
- Lastly remain calm and wait for help to arrive.
2. How close is too close to a wildfire?
If you are in the path of a wildfire, it can be hard to tell if you should evacuate or not. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Are there flames near my home?
- Is there a smoke column above my house?
- Is my family at risk of getting burned or suffocating in smoke?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, evacuate immediately. Otherwise, stay put unless advised by officials that evacuation is necessary.
When a wildfire is burning it is important to stay safe. That means keeping an eye on the fire and being aware of what is happening around you. It is also important to stay away from the fire. The best way to do that is to stay at least two miles away from the edge of the fire. If you are closer than that you could be in danger.
3. Can you survive a wildfire in a river?
Yes you can survive a wildfire in a river. However it is important to be aware of the dangers that come with doing so. Wildfires can generate incredibly high temperatures which can quickly lead to dehydration and heat exhaustion. The water in a river can help to cool your body down and prevent these conditions from occurring. However the smoke from a wildfire can also cause respiratory problems so it is important to be aware of this and take steps to protect your lungs if you are near a wildfire.
4. Can you survive a wildfire in a pool?
Yes you can survive a wildfire in a pool. However it is important to remember that you need to be strategic about it. The first thing you need to do is find a pool that is away from the fire. Once you have found a safe pool you need to get into the water and stay there until the fire has passed. It is also important to keep your head above water as much as possible to avoid inhaling smoke.
Conclusion…
A wildfire is a large uncontrolled fire that burns through vegetation often in rural areas. Wildfires can be caused by natural causes like lightning but are often started by humans. Wildfires can be extremely dangerous and even deadly. They can also cause a lot of damage to property.
If you see a wildfire, the best thing to do is to avoid it all together. If you can’t avoid it, then stay low and cover yourself with protective clothing to try and protect yourself from the heat of the wildfire.
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