Stay Safe-- Defend Smart Or Run?

Deciding to stay and defend your property or evacuate depends on the whether. It also depends on the weather, whether or not you should stay to defend or leave while the leaving is safe to do. A slow-moving fire that creeps along or moves gradually through the brush and grass is a much easier and safer fire to extinguish. A fire that is pushed along by the wind is extremely dangerous to take a stand against. A wind-driven fire can move so rapidly that the flames can overtake a large area in mere seconds. Wind-driven fires have been known to spread at a rate of half a mile per minute or faster depending on the humidity, fuel moisture content, and terrain.

A well-prepared and hardened home can withstand a wind-driven fire and an ember storm. An unprepared home will likely succumb to the fire, and staying to defend is likely foolhardy. Creeping fires can be handled with the proper training and equipment to knock down the flames, but it must be kept in mind that fire conditions can change rapidly-- so prepare for the unexpected and have an escape plan and route. Getting the proper training and equipment is crucial to defending smart or running.