Thousands Evacuate After Wildfire Explodes In Washington

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Thousands of Washington residents fled their homes over the weekend after more wildfires broke out in the state.

The Nakia Creek Fire started October 9 on Larch Mountain in the Yacolt Burn State Forest, which is northeast of Camas in Clark County. Firefighters were reportedly making good progress on the blaze until this past weekend. Fierce winds, low humidity, and unusually hot temperatures whipped up the fire, which burned 2,000 acres within hours on Sunday (October 16), according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

Reporters say nearly 3,000 homes were under mandatory evacuation orders by Sunday night, while over 29,000 were told to get ready to leave.

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This is an example of why someone might have to "bug-out" (evacuate) their home. In the case of a wildfire or similar disaster (i.e., hurricane, flooding) having a bug-out plan is important. This plan should focus on getting to a safe area (which may be a hotel in a neighboring town, or with friends and family in another state). 

Survival writer Creek Stewart wrote: “The term bugging out refers to the decision to abandon your home due to an unexpected emergency situation – whether a natural disaster or one caused by man… A Bug Out Bag (BOB) is a self-contained kit designed to get you through at least 72 hours of independent survival while on the journey to your destination… Your BOB should be designed to sustain you and your family for 72 hours. You should be able to reach a safe destination with access to supplies within a 72-hour time frame.”  (Stewart, 2012, pp. 8-9 & 13)

The SHTF-BS we so often see from the keyboard commandos with their plate carriers and AR rifles simply doesn't apply in most real-world scenarios. And planning to bug-out to the forest and live like the legend of Mick Dodge just isn't an option when the forest is on fire.

Bug-out planning should consider real-world events and the steps you would take if you had to evacuate in the face of an approaching wildfire. You might have several hours warning (maybe even a couple of days) of an approaching storm or wildfire. What irreplaceable items (family heirlooms, photos) would you take with you. Could you rent a U-Haul (moving truck) and pack up and move most of your possessions out of the danger area? (Of course time would be a factor here, but how much could you load into the truck and save if you had four or five hours?)

 

 

Source: https://local.newsbreak.com/washington-state/2789334096393-thousands-evacuate-after-wildfire-explodes-in-washington

Stewart, C. (2012). Build The Perfect Bug Out Bag. Blue Ash, OH: Betterway Home F+W Media, Inc.


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