Forest fires

[Geddi]

What can you do if you have the bad fortune to be caught in one of these? Seems a pretty dire situation if u ask me.

[Flutterby]

Oooh extreme survival! I have no idea what i'd do then.... i've heard that forest fires can spread as fast as 30 mph, so I would imagine it'd be useless trying to outrun it - perhaps get under a rock or something? Or would you get cooked?


Cool question :)

[Digby]

I'm not sure that there is any great danger to life from a forest fire in the UK. However, like those you hear about in Australia and USA, the effect on wildlife is a real worry. We all need to do everything we can to ensure they don't get started.

From the point of view of the activities of GoXplore members, the biggest threat is from the careless use of stoves and fires. If you are using a stove anywhere near standing wood, make sure you find a clearing and sweep leaves and foliage aside until you have a clear view of the soil surface. In woodland, the ground layer is probably going to be mainly leafmold and this can extend down a number of centimetres. Be particularly careful when refilling your stove as spilt fuel can leach in to the leafmold and make it more combustable for a long time after you have left the area.

If, with the landowner's permission, you have used an open fire, be SURE to drench it with water before you leave it. Do not assume that it has burnt out - make sure. An open fire that has been built on tree roots can cause an underground fire which may smoulder for days before hitting fresh air and flaring up. Never light open fires in woodland.

[Marmot]

It does affect us, i was out in Canada last summer, during the massive forrest fires, and we had to change our plans quite alot due to fire scares.

[ChamberlainPC]

You don't have to travel accross the pond for a good blaze!!

I've watched those strange looking planes scooping up water about one hour north of Benidorm while sea cliff climbing around Denia. I've also seen big blazes in France, usually in the warm autumn when everything is dry and the winds begin to blow accross the Med. fanning the flames. Some of these can take days to put out and destroy huge swaths of woodland.

[David]

If caught in a fire you should look for water or a high area (above the tree line if possible). Also, in large wooded areas if at all possible try to make your way directly through the band of flame if you can find a reasonably thin area (you must be able to at least see a path right the way through it). This should lead you to the burnt area on the other side, which will not catch light and will provide relative safety (still use upmost caution though), wheras even far from the fire in unburnt areas, spot fires could cut of your escape route and trap you.

[Marmot]

another desperate option is to clear the area around u as much as possible from flamable material dig an trench that u can fit in and cover yourself wth earth - taking a deep breath at some point would help.
i think this only works if the flames are moving quickly

[Oli-picka]

otherwisw you might end up like the deer as cooked by that guy - ooh whatshisname?

[ollyhol]

I have seen canadairs in the south of France water bombing the fires as well as picking up water on the lakes. I was in France when one was started last year by some people deliberately and the gendarmerie were on the road stopping everyone and questioning you, they were very very polite though. I don't think sheltering under earth would help as the trees that normally burn in forest fire prone area's are very oily and burn instantly very very hot (like a burning Christmas tree).

[David]

If you cleared a large area of flammable material and hid in a trench, I guess you probably would be shielded from radiated heat, but the hot air and CO2 would still probably be a big issue. I would consider swimming out to the middle of a body of water if one was nearby; water is extrememly difficult to heat up (unlike air) and so it would protect most of your body, and you could dive under to cool down. Not so sure if it would be so great if you pass out from fumes, though.

[Marmot]

yer i think lack of oxygen is a major killer rather then the flames - oxygen tank anyone?

[Jayyyrox]

you get alot of fires in the new forest during the summer. but there mostly pretty small as theres so many tracks they cant really spread.

[dasy2k1]

i have heard, not sure on how true it is
that if you soak your coat in water then lie down in a depresion with it over your head it is possable to survive a forest fire (i expect you would still get severe burns though)

[Marmot]

yer - burrying yourself under a layer of dirt has been reccomended too. i depends on how wide the wall of fire is and how fast it is moving. If its narrow and moving quickling then theoretically it could pass over you and youd be able to hold your breath as it passed over.
obviosuly if it was slow moving or very wide then youre trapped in the middle and prone to fatality.

i remember a story about a driver in the mont blanc tunnel during the fire. He was near the event where it started but instead of running away from the fire he saw that it wasnt very thick and ran through it to safety on the other side with only relatively "minor" burns.
where as other people who tried to run away from it only put off the event by which time the fire mass was bigger and moving too fast for them to escape.

[David]

i remember a story about a driver in the mont blanc tunnel during the fire. He was near the event where it started but instead of running away from the fire he saw that it wasnt very thick and ran through it to safety on the other side with only relatively "minor" burns.

I imagine that would be the best thing to do, though I don't know if I'd dare. I find it hard to imagine a fire passing over in the time I can hold my breath. I have had logs burning in a hot fire up to the hour mark - hoping for 3 minutes seems to be pushing it to me (though I am nothing of an expert in this.)