Wildfire Safety

[Ron Scott]

RE:  A GUIDE TO STAYING SAFE DURING WILDFIRES

Some of you might work with groups that could use some of this information.  It has a strong western state bias, but there are some helpful points for all.

 https://www.safehome.org/resources/wildfire-safety-guide/

 

[Roxie]

Excellent article that everyone should read.  Thank you, Ron!

I will never forget being in the North Carolina mountains, at our property in the Brushy Mountains in 1985 and watching how fast they can spread.  Once seen, it's something you never forget. 

[thecfarm]

I seen 2 very close to my home. One bordered my land and one was only up the road. I was able to fight the one that bordered my land. It was only a small one,but I was cutting the short softwood trees so the fire could not get into the big ones. Fire dept came with a 2 inch hose and that was the end.
Nothing like what I have seen on the news.

[Old Greenhorn]

It's a well done brochure for the public. II wish I had this when I was in the game. We don't get anything like west coast fires in these parts mostly because of the higher humidity, however, that is not to say it doesn't or can't happen. The last big one I worked of a few thousand acres contained a safety zone for equipment and personnel on the top of a ridge, fresh dozed ground of about 300 x 400'. It would have been more than fine for 99% of the big fires we get, in fact, we have never had a burn over of a zone that big, until that day. Fortunately the fire managers on that job felt something was different and they were able to evacuate the zone downwind and downhill on short notice with all crews and gear. Upon return hours later we saw that the entire safety zone had been burned over. None of us, including the state guys had ever seen that before. Everyone in the 'safe zone' would have been dead.
 These things are powerful forces of nature and there are so many ways to get hurt or killed working them. Few people really understand the danger these men and women who do this full time are exposed to. Physics, fire dynamics, and weather all on steroids of enormous proportions.

[sawguy21]

Excellent article that everyone should read.  Thank you, Ron!

I will never forget being in the North Carolina mountains, at our property in the Brushy Mountains in 1985 and watching how fast they can spread.  Once seen, it's something you never forget.

I shake my head at people who refuse to be evacuated wanting to save their homes. They simply have no idea how fast a fire can move, they won't outrun it.