Trapped in Your Car by a Wildfire? Stay in the Car
If fire blocks the road and you're trapped in your car, staying in the car is safer than running. Here's what to do.
Nobody plans to get trapped by a wildfire on the road. But it happens, usually to people who left late or got caught when a fire moved faster than anyone expected. If it ever happens to you, the instinct to jump out and run can kill you. Wildfire guidance from firefighters is clear: if you're trapped, your car is safer than running.
Where to Park
- Find a spot with no brush around the car if you possibly can. Pavement, gravel, or a cleared turnout is best.
- Stay out from under power lines and overhanging trees.
- Avoid gullies, saddles, and spur ridges. Those are the places where fire moves fastest or hits from more sides.
What to Do in the Car
- Engine running, headlights on, so crews and other drivers can see you.
- Windows up, vents closed to keep smoke and embers out.
- Doors unlocked, so rescuers can get to you.
- If you carry a fire shelter, cover the windows with it, shiny side against the glass.
- Get low and cover up with a wool blanket or jacket. Wool doesn't melt the way synthetic fabrics do.
- Call 911 and tell them where you are.
- Wait for the fire front to pass. It may get hot and loud. Stay in the car until it passes.
What You Need to Know
- This is a last-ditch plan, not a strategy. The real plan is to leave early when an evacuation order or warning comes.
- Keep a wool blanket and water in your car during fire season.
- This is general safety information, not a substitute for instructions from your local fire department.
It's insanity not to be prepared.
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Sherwin Ross is the founder of Ace Fire Defense, based in West Hills, CA. After the 2018 Woolsey Fire, he became CERT-trained and started building wildfire defense equipment for homeowners.