Out Of Control Fires

[dartanyon]

Just a reminder that trying to stay alive by lighting a fire can create yet another survival situation. Be aware of surrounding vegetation and wind.
Learn how to protect yourself if faced with a wall of fire coming toward you. As a last resort get in a ditch and cover up. Sure there's lots of methods to protect yourself depending on where you are.

 

[bearthedog]

dartanyon,
Hi buddy, I was just in Victoria yesterday and for the last heatwave. It sure was brutal. Hope you and your family are doing alright!

-RB

 

[southern bigfoot]

It's a great idea to learn to survive in a bushfire, simple things sometimes make all the difference. Take note of wind direction, angle of slope, water sources, natural hollows/holes, (one girl dived into a wombat hole and the fire front went straight over the top of her and she crawled out after ok.

And learn to put your camp fires out, completely out, just in case.

In Victoria's recent fires cigarettes, lightning, and fire-bugs are the most likely causes.

 

[Ankar Sheng]

You should remove the duff layer around your camp fire, down to the mineral soil or rock if possible. Fires can smolder underground for a very long time and spread through tree roots.

If there's a fire raging, never try to out run it up hill or with the wind, and avoid tall grassy areas, they go up like kindling. More injuries/deaths occur in grass fires than big crowning forest fires, partially because they can move extremely fast, but also because people don't show it the respect the would a more intimidating fire.

Also, hiding in a cave or hole can be very dangerous, if the fire is strong it can suck out the oxygen and you could suffocate, though I suppose it's preferable to being burned alive.

If there's no fire breaks like a river, rocky area, road, ect and you have no where else to escape, get into the burn, find a reasonable place to cross the perimeter of the fire and get to where the fuel is already burnt up. In the burn you have to be careful of falling trees/branches, and hot spots, people have put their foot through the ground into basically a bed of coals.