Experts reveal their wildfire survival tips

Fill bathtubs with water, lie face down in a ditch….. or if all else fails, just run: After a series of deadly wildfires around the world, experts reveal their top tips for surviving in different scenarios

Communities around the world have been ravaged by wildfires in recent weeks
With temperature records tumbling and more communities coming under threat, MailOnline asked experts: How can you survive a wildfire?

Communities across the world have been ravaged by wildfires in recent months and years, forcing people to flee their homes, leaving everything behind.

Last week, a ferocious inferno on the Hawaiian island of Maui – fuelled by strong winds – claimed more than 100 lives, with the toll still rising.

Meanwhile, over 1,100 firefighters had to tackle a blaze in Portugal, hundreds of wildfires are raging across Canada and bearing down on a city of 20,000, and another has been described as ‘out of control’ on Tenerife, the Spanish canary island.

These fires came after thousands of Britons had to escape the Greek island of Rhodes as a wildfire engulfed more than 20 percent of the island in July.

The deadly blazes come during a period of extreme global temperatures, with people in communities previously unaffected by such natural disasters now facing the possibility of losing their homes, their livelihoods and their lives to the flames.

As seen in Maui – where early warning systems failed to sound and officials said flames raced as fast as a mile every minute (60mph) in one area – wildfires can give little or no warning to those who lay in their path.

Now more than ever, people should be prepared for wildfires. Here, MailOnline spoke to experts and asked: How do you survive a wildfire?

US: An aerial image shows destroyed homes and vehicles after a wind driven wildfire burned from the hills through neighborhoods to the Pacific Ocean, as seen in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, on August 17

SPAIN: Military firefighters battle a forest fire on August 17, 2023 raging in the northeastern part of the Canary island of Tenerife

CANADA: The McDougall Creek wildfire burns on the mountainside above a lakefront home in West Kelowna, Canada on Friday, August 18

Wildfire knowledge and preparedness

The most important piece of survival advice is knowledge and preparedness, says Carrie Berger of Oregon State University.

As Fire Program Manager at the university’s Forestry & Natural Resources Extension Fire Program, Berger has done extensive research into wildfires, how communities can adapt to the risks of fire and smoke, and how to be ready.

While authorities in areas at risk of wildfires will have plans in place, she says that it’s vital that individuals are prepared themselves.

‘The reality is when wildfires happen, they can happen so quickly and abruptly that there is no time for officials to give emergency or evacuation orders,’ she says.

Citing the 2020 Labor Day Fires in Oregon as an example – when five simultaneous ‘megafires’ and 12 smaller fires burned across more than one million acres – residents can often be told to evacuate immediately with little advance warning.

‘In the 2020 Labor Day Fires in Oregon, there were many instances where residents got the GO NOW! order (the US state’s fire warning level three of three) or no evacuation order at all,’ she said.

‘That’s why knowledge and preparedness of community members is so important.’

Pointing to the fires in Maui – where anger is mounting over a lack of warning given by Hawaii’s supposed-world leading emergency warning system – Berger said that while it’s easy to assign blame, it’s also vitally important to learn from such events.

US: The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames along Wainee Street on Tuesday, August 8

People watch as smoke and flames fill the air from raging wildfires on Front Street in downtown Lahaina, August 8

‘It’s easy to place blame when devastating events like this happen and we are hurting’ she said. ‘[But] I think instead we need to focus on and learn from what didn’t work so we can be better prepared in the future.’

With this in mind, Berger has outlined to MailOnline a series of survival tips, as well as advice for people living in fire-risk zones on how they can prepare themselves.

First and foremost, she says, ‘people can sign up for their local emergency alert system and understand the evacuation levels’ of the local region.

Emergency alert systems can vary from state to state in the US, and from country to country elsewhere. In Oregon’s case, there are three levels.

Level One evacuations means ‘be ready’ for potential evacuation, Level Two means ‘be set’ to evacuate’ and Level Three means ‘GO’, or ‘evacuate NOW.’

There are also differing evacuation plans that residents in fire risk zones should be aware of, including local evacuation, partial evacuation, full evacuation and – in some extreme cases – orders to ‘shelter in place’ (finding a safe location indoors and staying there until given the all clear, because it’s too dangerous to go outside).

GREECE: Smoke rises from a wildfire on the island of Rhodes, Greece, July 22

Locals watch the wildfires near the village of Vati, just north of the coastal town Gennadi, in the southern part of the Greek island of Rhodes on July 25

However, Berger says, ‘understand that depending on the situation, orders might not be given and community members should use their own situational awareness and do what they think is right, like leaving an area if they sense danger.’

She also says it’s important to understand the conditions, and whether the area you are in is at high risk of a fire due to factors such as high temperatures, drought conditions, low humidity and high winds.

In the US, such conditions can lead to a ‘red flag’ warning – a warning issued by the National Weather Service to alert residents that the risk of fire is high.

‘It’s my understanding that a red flag warning was issued in Maui on August 7,’ Berger says. ‘Because of the 2020 Labor Day fires in Oregon, safety measures designed to help protect communities in high fire-risk areas are in place.’

One such measure, she says, is ‘public safety power shutoffs.’

This is because downed or damaged power lines that are still active can keep sparking fires, causing flames to spread further in dry conditions. Power lines are often damaged in high winds, which then in-turn spread flames further.

Wildfire action plan

The next piece of advice Berger gives is for individuals and families to create their own wildfire action plans.

Such plans should include emergency meeting locations, escape routes, a plan for pets and animals, plans for communication, emergency supply kits, fire-fighting equipment, and knowing where power and gas shut-off controls are.

The action plan should include an emergency go bag, Berger says, that is placed in an easily accessible location and so it is easy to grab as you evacuate.

‘Go bag contents could include water, medications, money, phone chargers’ Berger says – essentially anything you might need when fleeing a wildfire and living away from home for an uncertain amount of time. A checklist has been compiled below.

In order to protect your home or business, Berger says you should create a defensible space and clear the ignition zone.

ITALY: A burnt house is seen following a wildfire in the Sicilian village of Romitello, near Palermo, July 25, 2023

By doing so, you make it more difficult for the flames to spread to your property.

Checklist: What should I put in my go bag?

The American Red Cross recommends each individual has an emergency go bag that includes the following:

Face masks or coverings (for smoke)
Three-day supply of non-perishable food and three gallons of water per person
Map marked with at least two evacuation routes
Prescriptions or special medications
Change of clothing
Extra eyeglasses or contact lenses
An extra set of car keys, credit cards, cash or traveler’s checks
First aid kit
Flashlight
Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
Sanitation supplies
Copies of important documents (birth certificates, passports, etc.)
Pet food and water

Other items to take, but ONLY if time and capacity allows:

Easily carried valuables
Family photos and other irreplaceable items
Personal computer information on hard drives and disks
Chargers for cell phones, laptops, etc.

Escaping a wildfire

In the event that fires are encroaching, Berger says, people should not hesitate to follow emergency orders. ‘If you’re feeling unsafe, get out and leave,’ she says.

This is when the action plan comes in, she says. Grab the emergency go bag if there’s time, and get to safety as quickly as possible.

‘The biggest mistake is not being prepared,’ Berger says. ‘Not understanding evacuation orders, not understanding what a red flag warning means and what you should or should not do, not having a wildfire action plan, not having a go bag.’

Another mistake people make is feeling unsafe – and knowing that they are in danger – but waiting for someone to tell you to leave, she says.

If you are feeling unsafe, trust your instincts.

However, it is also important not to panic. ‘People should try hard not to panic, but instead remain as calm as possible,’ Berger says.

GREECE: Tourists are evacuated as huge wildfire rages across Rhodes island on July 22, 2023

A damaged house is seen inside a burnt forest in Mandra, west of Athens, Greece, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023

‘We tend not to think straight when in a panic state.’

If you are fleeing a fire and a wildfire is closing in on you or your property – Berger laid out a series of survival advice to follow.

‘While in your vehicle,’ she says, ‘park in an area clear of vegetation, close all windows and vents, cover yourself with a wool blanket (non-synthetic) or a jacket, lie on the vehicle floor and call emergency services if you are able to.’

‘While on foot, stay calm, go to an area clear of vegetation – a ditch or depression on level ground if possible – lie face down and cover your body,’ and again, she says, ‘call 911 [or other emergency services] if you are able to.’

If you are still at home, it is important to stay calm and keep your family together, she says. ‘Call 911, fill sinks and tubs with cold water, keep doors and windows closed but unlocked, stay inside the home and stay away from outside walls and windows.’

Experts recommend a number of other survival tips if you are escaping a wildfire on foot, although no matter what you do, this can be highly dangerous.

It is important to keep your clothes dry as in high heat, wet clothing can scold.

Putting your shirt – or better yet a facemask – over your mouth can keep you from inhaling too much smoke and particles.

PORTUGAL: Smoke billows in the sky in a forest fire as pictured from the A1 highway in the locality of Cardosos caused the motorway to be cut off this afternoon, Leiria, August 7, 2022

When running away from a fire, head downhill if possible, as fire moves uphill faster because of updrafts. Smoke also rises.

It is also important to consider wind direction. If the wind is blowing towards the flames, run into the wind as it is less likely to travel in that direction.

If the wind is blowing from behind the fire, try to run perpendicular to the wind and fire to escape from the side.

Another key point is to avoid canyons and chutes, as these can funnel heat like a tunnel, and try to move through an area that has already been burned as it is less likely to re-ignite again than an area yet to be affected by the flames.

It is also vital to stay hydrated.

Wildfire smoke and the health risks

Another dangerous factor of wildfires that people should be aware of is smoke.

While fires present the most immediate danger to life, the vast amounts of smoke pumped into the air by the huge infernos seen in recent years can have a detrimental long-term impact on a person’s health, causing both respiratory and heart problems.

For this reason, experts say anyone fleeing a wildfire and living close to one should take precautionary measures to reduce how much smoke they inhale.

SPAIN: A combination of satellite images shows the island of Tenerife before and during the wildfire, Spain August 13, 2023 (left) and August 16 (right)

Speaking to MailOnline, Dr Gabriel Lambert – Head of Clinical Operations at TidalSense (a medical tech manufacturer) and formerly a doctor working for the NHS in the UK – he says wildfire smoke ‘contains a nasty cocktail of different substances’.

Fill bathtubs with water, lie face down in a ditch….. or if all else fails, just run: After a series of deadly wildfires around the world, experts reveal their top tips for surviving in different scenarios

Wildfire knowledge and preparedness

Wildfire action plan

Checklist: What should I put in my go bag?

Escaping a wildfire

Wildfire smoke and the health risks

READ MORE: Is climate change causing the world’s wildfires? Why Maui, Portugal, Greece and others are experiencing extreme fires