Last Resort Survival
LOOK AT YOUR OPTIONS AND IMMEDIATELY ACT ON THE BEST ONE!
UTILIZE ALL P.P.E.!
PROTECT YOUR AIRWAY!
Escape if you can:
- Drop any gear not needed for fire shelter deployment (keep your fire shelter, handtool, quart of water, and radio).
- You may be able to use the fire shelter for a heat shield as you move.
- In LIGHT FUELS, you may be able to move back through the flames into the black.
- If you are on the flank of the fire, try to get below the fire.
- Consider vehicles or helicopters for escape.
Find a survivable area:
- Stay out of hazardous terrain features.
- Use bodies of water that are more than 2 feet deep.
- In LIGHT FUELS, you may be able to light an escape fire.
- In other fuels, you may be able to light a backfire.
- Call for helicopter or retardant drops.
- Cut and scatter fuels if there is time.
- Use any available heat barriers (structures, large rocks, dozer berms).
- Consider vehicle traffic hazards on roads.
Pick a fire shelter deployment site:
- Find the lowest point available.
- Maximize distance from nearest aerial fuels or heavy fuels.
- Pick a surface that allows the fire shelter to seal and remove ground fuels.
- Get into the fire shelter before the flame front hits.
- Position your feet toward the fire and hold down the fire shelter.
- Keep your face pressed to the ground.
- Deploy next to each other and keep talking.
Expect:
- Extremely heavy ember showers.
- Superheated air blast to hit before the flame front hits.
- Noise and turbulent powerful winds hitting the fire shelter.
- Pin holes in the fire shelter that allow fire glow inside.
- Heat inside the shelter = Extreme heat outside.
- Deployments have lasted up to 90 minutes.
- When in doubt wait it out.