The Santa Rosa Island fire in California burned more than 18,000 in June<\/span> (Photo: Kayla Bartkowski\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n5. Where Is the Safest Place to Go if I Can\u2019t Outrun a Fire?<\/h2>\n
It may feel counterintuitive to move toward an area that\u2019s already burned, but these blackened spaces are among the safest to be if you can\u2019t outrun a wildfire. Kaage points to a well-known mantra in the fire community: Keep one foot in the black.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt becomes your zone of safety,\u201d Kaage said. Vegetation is fuel, so finding areas without plant matter or those with sparse vegetation can be safe.<\/p>\n
Wet meadows and bogs can also be safe zones. Rocky scree slopes may provide relief, so long as there is no vegetation growing between the rocks, Duncan adds. She advises that not all recently burned areas are equally as safe, however.<\/p>\n
\u201cA very recently burned area can be safe if it has burned \u201chot,\u201d meaning much of the low-growing vegetation like grass, shrubs, small trees is gone,\u201d Duncan said. \u201cAreas that have burned but still have leaves on the bushes and leaves or needles on lower branches of trees can burn again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Avoid these areas if possible, and beware of places with trending dead trees, Duncan adds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWildfires create strong winds and can topple snags and even live trees. Areas of last resort could include dirt roads or road ditches,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
6. Are Streams and Rivers Safe?<\/h2>\n
Movies often show people hiding in rivers or streams, but meandering waterways can also trap heat and smoke under certain conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cStreams are seductive since water puts out fire. That said, if you\u2019re in a steep canyon, you could be subjected to all the methods of heat transfer: convection, conduction, and radiant,\u201d Kaage said. Radiant heat, which you feel when standing next to a campfire, can also burn you if you get too close.<\/p>\n
Besides protecting your skin, you also need to protect your airway.<\/p>\n
\u201cFires don\u2019t just burn; they rob the air of oxygen and contain superheated gases which can still seriously harm or kill you if you breathe them in,\u201d Duncan said.<\/p>\n
If left without other options, Duncan says streams, creeks, and rivers may be good places to hunker down if you\u2019ve considered the above factors. But keep in you can also drown of suffer hypothermia.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour body can be in the water, but you still have to breathe, and if the fire burns over the water, it could be creating unsurvivable conditions. If you have to get in the water, try to make a cover or \u201ctent\u201d over your head to keep a little bit of clean air,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
7. Should I Drink Water or Use It to Cool Myself?<\/h2>\n
Stay hydrated.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet your body do the work of cooling you from within while also ensuring you have enough moisture to do everything else required of it,\u201d Kaage said.<\/p>\n
Dehydration can be deadly, and your body needs water to sweat and cool itself from the inside out. Extreme dehydration can cause confusion and fainting, making escape even more difficult.<\/p>\n
Movies sometimes show people wetting cloths and holding them to their mouths. This, Duncan says, is a big mistake. The heat can create steam that can burn your airway or lungs, so if you\u2019re going to use a cloth to protect your airway, make sure it\u2019s dry.<\/p>\n
8. Should I Be Afraid of Falling Trees?<\/h2>\n
People caught in a wildfire usually die of smoke inhalation or superheated air and gases before the flames ever reach them. Falling trees are also a real concern, and if you have to take refuge, Duncan and Kaage say to find a place as open as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cFalling trees and rocks dislodged through the burning of vegetation are real concerns,\u201d Kaage said. \u201cGravity is one of five main ways firefighters perish in the line of duty. The others are fire itself, heart attacks, driving, and aviation accidents.<\/p>\n
9. What Weather Conditions Make Fire Worse?<\/h2>\n
Before committing to an escape route, pay close attention to changing weather conditions.<\/p>\n
Is it getting hotter and drier? Are thunderstorms with downdrafts likely? Is the wind changing direction or speeding up? Do you have time to observe how the fire is spreading and whether it\u2019s getting more intense? Shifts in the weather, especially increasing heat, drier air or shifting winds, can cause a wilfire to spread faster or change direction unexpectedly.<\/p>\n
Keep an eye out for storms, Duncan adds. Cold fronts can also create dramatic wind shifts and drops in humidity that can increase fire spread.<\/p>\n
Pay attention to weather warning signs. If you see these changes, reassess your route and be prepared to change plans if it may no longer be safe, Kaage says.<\/p>\n
10. If I Need to Run, Should I Ditch My Gear?<\/h2>\n
Both Kaage and Duncan said to keep your gear so long as it doesn\u2019t hinder your movement. If a fire is nearing or you\u2019re having trouble breathing, consider ditching the extra weight.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m one who hangs on to my gear as it contains safety elements that are meant to help me in an emergency. That said, if fire impingement or airway issues are imminent and speed is of the essence for personal protection, ditch the added weight,\u201d Kaage said. \u201cI\u2019m talking when it means the difference between perishing and surviving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even if you\u2019re not hurt, rescue could take hours and having an emergency supply could keep you alive and comfortable. If you do have to drop your pack, Duncan says to bring a water bottle, phone or other means of communication, and a first aid kit.<\/p>\n
Another consideration is the fabric of your clothing.\u00a0Synthetic clothing melts, which is why wildland firefighters have to wear natural fibers like wool, cotton and silk under their fire shirts and pants.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a big proponent for hiking clothes also made from natural fibers for all kinds of reasons, but potential wildfires are one of them,\u201d Duncan said.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
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Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Published July 20, 2026 04:00PM In June, I was driving down a remote highway outside of Arizona\u2019s Vermillion Cliffs National Monument when my phone buzzed with an SOS message. A wildfire was burning nearby, the message said, and campers and hikers on the Arizona National Scenic Trail were being told to evacuate the area. We<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wild-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15739\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}