150 Survival Secrets

Wildfires are becoming more and more common throughout the United States as a result of droughts and longer dry seasons. In past decades, most destructive wildfires occurred in the West and Southwest during the late summer and early autumn months. Additionally, in recent years the development and population of heavily forested regions have grown dramatically. We now have hundreds of thousands of people inhabiting dry forests and grasslands. Now climate shifts have created massive fuel shortages, while the presence of more people has increased the sources of ignition and the danger to life and property. Climate shifts have also resulted in higher winds and more frequent lightning, resulting in fast-developing firestorms that can overrun communities before effective warnings and evacuations can be initiated. Prolonged droughts have resulted in all-year fire seasons throughout the western states. Even more troubling, grass fires and forest fires have recently devastated southern and eastern regions that were previously considered immune to these hazards.

Since it is not possible for the individual to prevent a wildfire that originates outside of their property, the only choice is to prevent the fire from reaching you and your home. If a wildfire has fuel and your home is on its path, then there is little chance of preventing ignition of the structure: at that point your only option is to evacuate.

The only effective way to prevent a wildfire from reaching your home is to remove the fuel path and create a defensive space where the fire has nothing to burn. In the case of grasslands, dry grass and shrubs must be cut and removed before the dry season arrives. In the case of forests, you may need to cut down and remove trees from thirty to as far as two hundred feet away, depending on the slope. If your home is located on a slope you will need to clear brush and trees much farther on the downhill side. Unless you own the land for five hundred or more feet in all directions from your home, it will be necessary to get your neighbors to clear their defensive spaces as well. A defensive space will not guarantee that embers will not come down on your roof. During a wildfire all fire departments will be fully employed and your power may go out as well. Even if you have municipal water, the pressure may be too low to help put out embers and sparks. A pool or pond connected to a gasoline- or battery-powered pump should establish an inner defense. Backpack water-pump sprayers and shovels may also be helpful in extinguishing embers and hot-spot fires. The following charts and tables will be helpful in creating an effective defensive space.

Ladder fuels can elevate a small grass fire into a crown fire if not removed. A bush below a small tree that is then next to a tall tree can escalate the danger significantly. Remove shrubs and bushes from below trees to at least three times the distance from the lowest tree branch to the ground.

Regardless of how well you have established your defensive space and fire-suppression systems, a wildfire may overwhelm you. You must always have an evacuation plan and not hesitate to evacuate. Wildfires (any fires) move incredibly fast and in unpredictable ways. If you can see the flames and smell the smoke, that fire could be on you within the hour or less. A brush fire with eight-foot-high flames will travel at about five miles per hour without a wind and consume three thousand acres per hour. A shrub and brush fire with flames averaging ten to twenty feet will move at six to eight miles per hour, consuming up to five thousand acres per hour. High crown fires with flames one hundred feet or higher can race through forests and jump roads and rivers at up to three-hundred yards per minute. If ash begins to fall in your location, the fire may be only minutes behind. Delaying is not an option. Don’t be complacent or procrastinate!

Dry grass and dead trees provide an easy path to the home in the background for fire.

Have a wildfire escape plan ahead of time. If possible move children, pets, elderly people, and valuables to a safe location outside the fire zone as soon as wildfire is detected in the area and before evacuation is mandatory.

Pets and children pose special problems for evacuation. Plan on how you are going to get them to safety quickly as a fire roars toward your home. Determine what you are going to take if you need to evacuate and have those items in packs, bins, or loaded in your vehicle well in advance. Fire-resistant safes are rated to protect the contents for a limited time and temperature. Read the labels before you buy one. You can have ammunition cans in holes ready to fill and cover if needed. Have a wildfire survival kit (see below) for every family member.

A wildfire may start so close to you or move so fast that you may be overtaken at home or on the road. If you can see flames and smell smoke you need to move quickly away from that direction. It is always best to move upwind and downhill from the fire. If you can hear crackling and feel heat it may be too late to escape. You cannot outrun a fire at this point. Look for lakes or ponds to submerge in or seek ditches, bridges, culverts, caves and overhangs that may offer some protection. If nothing else is available, find a large green grassy area or low spot and lie down. Even digging a small indentation in the soil will help. Remove all synthetic clothing that may melt to your skin. Cover your head and face with wet non-synthetic cloth to avoid breathing in hot air and soot. If you have enough water, moisten your clothing. Lie flat and the fire may pass over you. Stay calm and wait until the fire passes. Remember that the ground may be still be hot and embers may be hot enough to ignite your clothing and burn your skin. Move carefully downhill and upwind of the fire through burned-out areas to reach safety.

Wildfire survival kits are not like FEMA evacuation packs or bugout bags. If you survive and escape the fire, you will reach help fairly quickly. You don’t need food and a lot of gear for prolonged survival. Your equipment needs to be focused totally on surviving and escaping the fire.

• You should have at least six N95 dust/mist respirators to keep soot, smoke, and heated air out of your lungs.

• You need to have a pair of good safety googles to protect your eyes from sparks and debris.

• You need to have a good pair of long-sleeved work gloves to move hot embers and debris.

• Have a wide-brimmed “boonie” hat to keep sparks and embers off your head and neck.

• A powerful flashlight can penetrate smoke and help rescuers find you.

• One or two quarts of water to wet clothing and douse sparks.

• A good camp shovel may come in handy if you have to dig in or clear a path.

• You will need plenty of water to wet down your clothing, hat, and masks, and put out sparks on your clothing and skin.

• If you feel you are likely to be trapped and have to dig in and let the fire pass over you, you may want to invest in a fire blanket. These are flame-resistant and heat-resistant covers that you can put over yourself as you lie flat in a low, clear area or a trench you have dug. You can find these at FireSafetySource.com. One of these weighs just five pounds, comes in a pouch, and costs less than one hundred dollars.

• Of course you will want to have copies of all of your identification, insurance, medical, and financial documents.

In this case, a lot of food and additional survival gear is just going to slow you down.

• If you see a wildfire and have not heard a warning or evacuation order, call 911. Do not assume that it has been called in.

• Be sure you are included in any email or call alert system in your town or county.

• If you do get an order to evacuate, do it immediately, but let others know where you are going and then contact them when you have safely arrived.

• Keep your vehicle fully fueled and in good condition. Have your emergency supplies and a change of clothes in the vehicle.

• After a wildfire, only return when authorities say that it is safe to do so.

• After a fire has passed, maintain a fire watch and inspect for smoke, sparks, and embers throughout the house, attic, and roof.

• Discard any food that has been exposed to heat and smoke.

• Be sure to photograph all damages for insurance purposes before cleaning up and removing debris.

• If you or anyone with you is burned, cool the burn with cool water and cover with a sterile bandage. Go to an emergency room or aid station for treatment.

• If you inhale smoke and/or hot air, you may suffer respiratory disorders later. Go to a hospital and report this exposure.

REMOVAL	Completely remove the entire plant. Cut down trees, dig up shrubs, and plow under grasses.
REDUCTION	Thorough pruning of trees and bushes, regular mowing of grass, and removal of all cut wood and mowed grass.
REPLACEMENT	Substitute less-flammable vegetation such as flowers or low growing vegetables

Type of Fuel	Recommended Practice
Standing dead trees	Remove these within the defensive space.
Down dead trees	Remove if recently fallen, If embedded in the ground, cut off exposed branches.
Dead shrubbery	Remove these within the defensive space
Dried grass and wildflowers, etc.	Once they are dried out, cut down and remove from defensive space.
Dead needles, leaves and branches, and twigs on the ground	Clear all leaves, branches, and twigs. If pine needles are dry, remove until you reach damp decaying layer. Do not remove decomposing material.
Firewood and other combustible debris	Keep firewood, grass clippings, and combustible debris at least thirty feet uphill from the house.
Unused and decaying structures	Old sheds, barns, and other structures within the defensible space offer a bridge for the fire. These must be removed.