How to survive a forest fire

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

In hot weather, forest fires are not uncommon. What if you find yourself in the path of a forest fire? How to save your life and health?

Considering how many forests we have and tourists who love barbecue, there is no need to talk about safety. Anyone who travels to the forest for the weekend can wake up in a fire, and what should be done in such a situation? Here are some tips on how to survive a wildfire.

Fire ditches are being dug in the forests so that the fire does not spread (and they are quickly filled with garbage), a ban on fires is introduced, but many are not going to give up barbecues or just night gatherings around the fire because of this.

Do you follow the safety rules when lighting fires? Well, if yes, but not many can boast of it.

Now about the main thing - what to do if you went to the next picnic and found yourself on the path of the spread of a forest fire. Read the survival instructions.

Smog and smoke

You are celebrating another weekend in the forest, tents are set up, coals are burning out in the grill, someone is playing a guitar. And then you notice the smell of burning. Smog flows between the trees, a haze in the air, which, judging by the weather, should not be. These signs are already enough to alert you.

Fauna is saved

Even if you still do not feel smoke and burning, and the air is fresh and transparent, the approaching trouble can be identified by the migration of birds and animals. If birds and animals behave strangely, for example, dumping together in one direction, then it's time for you to do the same.

If the birds and beasts are running away, it's time to do the same.

Where does the wind blow from

If there is smoke and smoke, but the glow is not yet visible, you can do this: climb a hill or climb a tree and see where the fire is located, how quickly the fire spreads and in which direction.

Life is more expensive

If you noticed a fire at the wrong time and found yourself under an advancing barrage of fire, it is too late to think about things. In order not to feel sorry for throwing things, think about the fact that a ground fire (grass, tree roots, undergrowth and bushes are burning) spreads at a speed of up to 3 meters per minute, and a horse fire (completely all trees, especially dangerous in coniferous forests) - 80 meters per minute.

A horse fire can spread at a speed of 80 m / min.

Against the wind

Exit, or rather, run out of the fire, must be against the wind, perpendicular to the edge of the fire. If you still have a supply of water, wet your clothes, and if possible, remove synthetics altogether - they may begin to melt and stick to the skin.

We save ourselves from the fire perpendicular to the edge of the fire.

Wet a piece of cloth and press it to your face to avoid suffocating in the smoke and scalding your airways with hot air. You need to get to a wide clearing or the edge of the forest, that is, a place without trees. If you are cut off from the road, it is best to go to the body of water.

We save ourselves by car

If you arrived by car, the rules for rescue are the same - we leave, if possible, against the wind and perpendicular to the line of fire. Close all windows, shut off air access to the salon.

Hiding in the water

If you manage to get to the reservoir, stay away from the reeds. It is better not just to wet your clothes, but to constantly be in the water. Wet your sleeping bag (if you managed to take it or rested next to a pond), wrap yourself in it and lie in shallow water, waiting for help. Turn over in water periodically, dampening dry areas.

We call the rescuers

If the fire is just starting, you can have time to call the emergency service - 112, inform about the source of the fire and your location. True, because of the smoke from the helicopter, you are unlikely to be seen, so call even when you are in a relatively safe place.

Once in a safe place, immediately call 112.

At the end I would like to add: do not light fires if prohibited … Shish kebabs can be fried on coals in the grill, or not in the forest at all, but in the country.

Well, if you can't live without a fire, follow the rules:

1. Before kindling a fire, prepare the place - remove the sod with a shovel so that there is at least 30 cm from the grass to the fire on all sides.
2. Cover the area with bricks or removed sod.
3. Do not leave a burning fire unattended, day or night.
4. Before leaving the camp, fill the fire with water. It should cool down to the point where you can touch the coals with your hand. If you feel warm, refill it.