Driving amid wildfires is dangerous. If you find yourself in this situation, you need to know what to do to keep you and your passengers, if any, safe. Wildfires are prevalent in California, Alaska, Texas, Oregon, and Utah, but they can occur almost anywhere. Here’s what you need to know about wildfires.
Summer brings outside adventure, nice walks, and sometimes a breeze. However, summer is also the time for wildfires. Encountering a wildfire while driving is scary, but don’t panic. You need to think clearly so you can get to safety. Over 25,000 wildfires occur each year in the U.S. When there’s a wildfire, one of the best things you can do is be prepared.
The Essentials
If you live in an area where wildfires are prevalent, always keep important documents, such as your birth certificate and other important documents in a folder in a safe place so you can grab them and go. When wildfires occur, you don’t have much time to think about what you need and where everything is located.
You’ll also want to make sure that your car’s gas tank is ready to go. No gas means you will be stranded, so ensure you have at least ½ a tank of gas to get to safety.
What to do If You Encounter a Wildfire While Driving
Wildfires spread quickly, and you may find yourself in the driver’s seat making your way through the fire against flames and smoke. Here’s what you need to do.
Get Out While It’s Safe
Once authorities suggest evacuation, this is your cue to leave immediately. Sticking around could lead to serious injuries or have fatal results, and you’re likely to become trapped in your vehicle. There is no trick to surviving a wildfire. When authorities tell you to leave your area, you need to quickly do so. Waiting around can lead to poor decision-making because you probably won’t have many safe options.
Ensure Doors and Windows Are Shut
There’ll likely be smoke and maybe flames around you. The smoke will enter your car through the vents. Your first notion may be to air out the car, but you’ll want to avoid doing so because you’ll be allowing poisonous carbon monoxide into your vehicle. Turn on your car’s air recycling function to prevent as much outside air from entering your vehicle. If you can, get an N95 mask to reduce smoke inhalation.
Remain in the Car
Your goal is to get out of the wildfire’s path. Remain in your car and move slowly until you’re no longer in the wildfire’s path. The only time experts suggest leaving your vehicle is when you have clear visibility and an open path to a safe location, such as a culvert. Wildfires move quickly and they’re almost impossible to outrun because of low oxygen levels, poor visibility, severe discomfort, and other factors.
If your vehicle comes to a stop or you’re no longer able to operate the vehicle, get down as low to the ground as possible. Make sure you cover your nose and your mouth to reduce the amount of toxic fumes you’re inhaling.
Prepare for Severe Discomfort
Be prepared to be uncomfortable as you drive through wildfire conditions. Even if the wildfire is miles away, you can still experience the following:
- Uncomfortable heat
- Low visibility
- Toxic gas
- Rocking due to heat current
- Sparks inside and outside of the car
- Tire blowouts
These situations are scary, but you must remain calm to preserve oxygen. If you can heat-proof your vehicle before the trip, do so because it will reduce damage.
Try to Remain as Visible as Possible
To remain visible, having a foglight is essential. You’ll also want to keep your car’s headlights on to increase your visibility. If you can, try to avoid driving through thick, dark smoke because your visibility to others will be low even if you are using your headlights.
Keep an eye out for other pedestrians, wildlife, and other vehicles that are trying to make it to a safe location. You’ll likely face different obstacles while trying to make your way to safety, such as bad roads, missing barriers, and sheer drops. You should only move when you can see what’s ahead of you.
Beware of Falling Objects
When you’re driving through a wildfire, it’s easy to only want to focus on the road and what’s directly in front of you. Remember that when you’re driving close to tall or high objects, such as poles, trees, and buildings you’ll want to look out for falling objects. It’s not uncommon for these items to fall during wildfires. You’ll likely have to navigate fallen objects that are smoldering and could explode.
Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones
Driving through areas that are ridden with wildfires can be exhausting. As we’ve stated before, early evacuation is your best defense against wildfires, and it puts less pressure on first responders. If wildfires are prevalent in your area, it’s not a bad idea to sign up for a defensive driving course, which will help you be more alert and aware of your surroundings.
What Should I Do During a Wildfire?
One of the most important things to do while a wildfire is happening is to stay informed. Monitor the weather and listen to your local authorities. You should always be prepared to evacuate. Make sure your vehicle has at least a ½ tank of gas to get you to a safe location away from the wildfire.
Make sure you’re following evacuation instructions. You should have an emergency kit for you and your family, including your pets! For some reason you can’t evacuate, set up a ladder against your home to ensure roof access. Make sure you set up a plethora of water sources, such as buckets and hoses. Remove all combustible material that surrounds your home.
What Do I Do if the Wildfire is Spreading While I’m On the Road?
If you’re driving and the wildfire is spreading, it’s normal to be frightened. To stay safe on the road, take the following steps:
- Remain calm and focused: Panicking can cloud your judgment, which makes it difficult for you to think clearly and make rational decisions. Take deep breaths and focus on your surroundings.
- Keep your headlights on: Wildfire smoke can reduce your visibility tremendously. Make sure you keep your headlights on to help with visibility and to make your vehicle more visible to other drivers.
- Tune in to emergency broadcasts: The best way to stay updated during wildfires is to listen to emergency broadcasts. If you can, listen to your local radio station on your phone or handheld radio.
- Follow instructions: Emergency personnel will provide instructions that are often specific to your area/neighborhood. Pay attention to instructions provided by police officers, firefighters, or other emergency personnel as they will have the most updated information that will help guide you to safety.
- Seek shelter in your vehicle: if you get trapped by the wildfire, park your vehicle in a clear area in a position that is not close to any vegetation. Shut all your vents and keep the windows shut. Turn your engine off and cover up with a blanket or coat to protect you from the heat. You’ll need to stay in your vehicle until the fire has passed and carefully exit when it’s safe to do so.
- Don’t attempt to outrun the fire: It may be tempting, but outrunning a wildfire is highly unlikely. Wildfires move more quickly than you can imagine, and trying to outrun one may be more trouble than it’s worth, and needless to say, dangerous. Instead of trying to outrun the wildfire, try to find a safe place to take shelter, such as a cleared area, or a wide road.
- Avoid low-lying locations: Wildfires create intense heat, which causes low-lying areas to fill with toxic gases, including smoke. Try to remain on high ground away from ravines and valleys.
- Maintain distance from the fire: Make sure you keep a safe distance from the wildfire and any flames that may be near your path. If a fire is blocking your path, you must find an alternate route or seek shelter in a safe location until the fire passes.
Packing Your Wildfire Go Bag
You need to have a wildfire go bag if you live in an area where wildfires are most likely to occur. If you’ve ever experienced a wildfire, you know they’re unpredictable and can occur naturally from human activity or forces of nature, such as a lightning strike. Factors such as strong winds droughts, high temperatures, and dry conditions can intensify wildfires, which allows it to reach different levels of pure destruction.
Why is it Important to Be Prepared?
Whether you live in Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Alaska, Arizona, Texas, Nevada, New Mexico, or another state that is prone to wildfires, you need to stay prepared. Wildfires spread quickly, and most of the time, you won’t have much time to prepare and get to safety.
To keep you and your loved ones safe, you need to prepare ahead of time by keeping your wildfire essentials in one place, so you can pick them up and go in the event of a wildfire evacuation. Preparing in advance allows you to ensure you have everything you need because resources will quickly become scarce as time progresses through a wildfire emergency.
You don’t want to be without essential resources, such as food and water. Whether it’s just you or your family, you need to have a bag packed with your evacuation essentials ready to go. You can add to the bag as time progresses, but make sure you’re packing only the essentials. You don’t want the bag to be too heavy to carry.
What Should Be In My Wildfire Evacuation Bag?
Evacuating from a wildfire is serious business, so you need to make sure you have everything without thinking twice about it. When you’re preparing your wildfire evacuation bag, remember the 5 p’s:
- People
The safety of your family, pets, friends, and neighbors is a priority when you’re evacuating. Make sure each person is present.
- Prescriptions
If you or a family member take specific medications regularly, make sure you pack a supply list that will last a few days. You should pack prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications, medical devices, and glasses or contacts, if applicable. You may also want to consider taking a list of medications, dosages, and information about any allergies and medical conditions.
- Papers
Don’t forget to pack your important documents, such as passports, social security cards, credit cards, driver’s licenses, emergency contact information, insurance policies, and a list of important phone numbers. It’s a good idea to make copies so you have more than one of these essential documents.
- Personal needs
Make sure you have clothing that you can wear in layers and toiletries, such as your toothbrush, toilet paper, and toothpaste. You will also need personal hygiene items, such as hand sanitizer, soap, and feminine products. Comfortable walking shoes are important, and you’ll need a rain jacket or umbrella.
- Priceless items
Priceless items are items that can’t be replaced by repurchasing the item, or items that hold sentimental value. Items such as jewelry, photos, and other items you may cherish. Although these items are not essential for survival, they hold value for you and your family.
Other Items You May Want to Consider in an Emergency
You may want to consider packing the following items in your wildfire emergency bag:
- Water and non-perishable food, such as canned goods, granola bars, and dried fruit
- Battery-powered radio. A hand-crank radio will also work. These devices will help you stay informed and tune in to emergency broadcasts for your area.
- Flashlights and extra batteries are essential for visibility once the sun sets
- A whistle will suffice if you need to signal your location for help
Important Emergency Contact Information
If you run into an emergency during your evacuation, you need to know who and when to call. For assistance from the Red Cross, call 1-800-RED-CROSS. Of course, you can always call 9-1-1 for local help, but with a wildfire raging, there’s a good chance it will take time for first responders to get to you.
What Happens After the Wildfire?
After the wildfire is contained, if possible, assess your property for damage. Make sure you document the damages by taking photos for insurance purposes. It’s a good idea to take before and after photos so insurance companies know what they’re dealing with.
Even though the fire is contained, certain dangers still linger. Stay tuned to local news for updates and other information regarding power outages, road closures, detours, and other wildfire-related information. Keep an eye out for hazards around your home, such as downed power lines and road debris.
Stay alert and aware of your surroundings to keep you and your loved ones safe. Never hesitate to evacuate when your local authorities suggest it. Stay safe out there!