As a new hiker in Western Canada, one of the many new skills I needed to learn was how to survive a wildfire while hiking. Back east, wildfires are not as common and fire is not a hazard we learn about as outdoors people. In this post, I want to help you learn more about wildfire areas and offer tips about what to do if you find yourself near or in an active wildfire.
Avoid Wildfire Areas
The first way to ‘survive’ a wildfire while hiking is to avoid high risk areas! This is principle #1 of LNT – plan ahead and be prepared.
Know before you go and asses your decision to hike there;
- what is the fire status in the area?
- are there fires already burning?
- what is the wind doing today or during the time you plan to be out?
- note the fire ban restrictions
Firstly check for current updates on wildfire status in the area you want to hike. The National Wildland Fire Situation Report is a good place to get a summary for all of Canada, otherwise choose your province below.
British Columbia – BCwildfire.ca
Alberta – wildfire.alberta.ca
Saskatchewan – saskatchewan.ca
Manitoba – gov.mb.ca/wildfire
Ontario – ontario.ca/forest-fires
Quebec – cartes.sopfeu.qc.ca/dangers
New Brunswick – gnb.ca/forest_fire_watch
Nova Scotia – novascotia.ca/wildfire
Newfoundland & Labrador – faa.gov.nl.ca/forest_fires/
North West Territories – enr.gov.nt.ca/nwt-current-wildfire-situation-report
Yukon – yukon.ca/emergencies-and-safety/wildfires
Nunavut – enr.gov.nt.ca/wildfire-update
If there is a fire burning in or near the area you want to explore, its always safest not to go. Simply choose another area to hike this time. You have to use your best judgement, assess the conditions and decide what is best for you and your group.
Understand Wildfire Behaviour
How to Survive a Wildfire While Hiking
Infographic provided by riderstrail.com
I don’t know about you, but I just learned a lot about wildfires! Knowledge is power when it comes to staying safe in the outdoors. I want to encourage you all to keep learning more about wildfires so you have sharp decision making skills in the field.
Do you have any wildfire survival tips to share?
Add them in the comments below!