10
Dec

While there are often evacuation orders during wildfires, they can come too late. There may not be a way out whether it’s because the fires have surrounded you or the roads have become blocked. You’re caught at home in the middle of a wildfire, and now you need to act.

The majority of people trapped at home during a wildfire die due to inhaling the air. It’s hotter than normal, causing the lungs to end up damaged. You need to protect your airways and find a way to avoid the heat. What are your options?

Sheltering at Home Is Safer Than Attempting to Run

If you missed the evacuation orders or they came through too late, you may feel like fleeing the home is the best chance of survival. This isn’t the case. Being inside is safer than being caught in the open, but it will get extremely hot!

Don’t try to run at this point. Call 911 and let them know that you have to shelter in place. This helps the firefighters know where they need to get to.

Use Fire Resistant Window Coverings to Your Advantage

If you have venetian blinds and other fire resistant window coverings, make sure you close them. This will help to reduce some of the heat as they offer insulation, and it can offer a barrier against the fire. If your window coverings aren’t fire resistant, you need to fully open them or remove them if you can.

You’ll also need to get rid of other furniture that isn’t fire resistant. Get it all to the middle of a room, and keep as much as possible away from the windows and glass doors. The windows can break due to the heat!

Close the interior doors to further help reduce the spread of the heat and the fire.

Fill Sinks with Water

Don’t rely on the power to stay on, and don’t rely on any emergency generators. You can lose water access, but you need it to help reduce the spread of the flames. Fill up all your sinks and your bathtubs. Have buckets of cold water in each room as well if you can.

Pull out all the towels and rags that you have. Cover them with water. They are great to put over flames and embers as they make their way through the home. You can also put them along the bottom of the doors to help reduce the smoke coming through and put out some of the flames.

While you still have power, use it to your advantage for your gardens. Spray the lawn with the hose to make sure the ground is as wet as possible. Water and fire don’t mix well.

Keep Everyone Together

Don’t split up once you’ve done the emergency steps. You will all need to stick together in one room. This includes children and pets.

Make sure everyone is wearing cotton, long-sleeved shirt and pants. Have thick blankets with you. If you have thick wool blankets, you can shelter underneath them. The fires are loud, though, so you’ll need to listen out carefully for any firefighters who do come through. When they are there, call out! Let them know where you are!

It is possible to survive while caught in the house. Remain calm and together.