With the current heat waves and seemingly rising annual temperatures and of course what is currently happening not just on mainland Europe but here on home shores also - maybe its worth a bit of a discussion of what to do if you find yourself in the vicinity of wild fires whilst in rural locations ?
Wild fires - Survival Skills.
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There was a bit of advice published covering forest fires many years ago - I've not seen it recently. Living in a wooden barn, next to woodland and heath, I really ought to revise this stuff 
. But, based on memory, it advised:
As soon as you suspect a wildfire take action – don’t wait supposing it’s not close but don't panic and start running without considering your options.
Get your map out, estimate the source of the fire using wind direction and any signs of smoke.
Determine the probable direction of fire travel based on the wind and topography. Fire moves very fast up hill, along gulleys, and into hill saddles.
Look at the vegetation – safety is provided by rocky terrain, close grazed meadow, and large areas of water. Stay away from dry scrub and woodland. Fire moves through woodland and scrub at very high speed – much faster than you can run.
Don’t assume that because a fire can’t reach you (the other side of a river for example) you are safe – radiated heat from flames and smoke can still kill you.
Instead of running directly away, in the same direction as the fire is travelling, consider moving at an angle to reach the edge of the fire where it moves more slowly and you may have a chance to get behind it – this is a risk that requires careful evaluation.
If you are safe from the fire heat but smoke is a problem keep as low to the ground as possible, breath through loose clothing, but watch for flame and ignition of close vegetation.
. But, based on memory, it advised:As soon as you suspect a wildfire take action – don’t wait supposing it’s not close but don't panic and start running without considering your options.
Get your map out, estimate the source of the fire using wind direction and any signs of smoke.
Determine the probable direction of fire travel based on the wind and topography. Fire moves very fast up hill, along gulleys, and into hill saddles.
Look at the vegetation – safety is provided by rocky terrain, close grazed meadow, and large areas of water. Stay away from dry scrub and woodland. Fire moves through woodland and scrub at very high speed – much faster than you can run.
Don’t assume that because a fire can’t reach you (the other side of a river for example) you are safe – radiated heat from flames and smoke can still kill you.
Instead of running directly away, in the same direction as the fire is travelling, consider moving at an angle to reach the edge of the fire where it moves more slowly and you may have a chance to get behind it – this is a risk that requires careful evaluation.
If you are safe from the fire heat but smoke is a problem keep as low to the ground as possible, breath through loose clothing, but watch for flame and ignition of close vegetation.
Report it and get you and yours out of it’s path as best you can.
Return when an authority advises you that you can. That might be immediate and you’ve wasted a day. It might not.
If you are camping in these conditions do so with a mind set that you might have to abandon. What are your escape routes?
If your home is in an area that is possibly at risk of wildfires then I’m sure that you already have a bug out bag.
Just had a brain fart.
Could a smoke detector be useful in camp? Positioning would be important, obviously.
Or are there too many things that might set it off outside. I’ve never tried it but I will - today!!!
ETA:
Have the Canadian fires set off smoke alarms in the Northern US?
Return when an authority advises you that you can. That might be immediate and you’ve wasted a day. It might not.
If you are camping in these conditions do so with a mind set that you might have to abandon. What are your escape routes?
If your home is in an area that is possibly at risk of wildfires then I’m sure that you already have a bug out bag.
Just had a brain fart.
Could a smoke detector be useful in camp? Positioning would be important, obviously.
Or are there too many things that might set it off outside. I’ve never tried it but I will - today!!!
ETA:
Have the Canadian fires set off smoke alarms in the Northern US?
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I think if you said we would have a chance of serious Wildfires in the UK 10 years ago , you'd probably get funny looks.
But if the weather trend to warming and more consistent hotter summers exist in the future for the UK and think its probably something we now need to be aware of.
I guess I'm thinking extreme winter Cold for the UK has now got a bedfellow for the other end of the doom and gloom spectrum.
It maybe one can out pace a fire if you're a capable fit adult - but what if you're a young family with a swarm of young rug rats to manage ? or an older person with limited mobility etc ?
I think its now worth considering as a genuine threat that we need to consider.
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^^^^^^. If your family is in that situation.
They need to be part of a plan, whether that is family, neighbours or community.
Most young families can move fast when they need to.
If family members are of restricted mobility why are they in that situation? They wouldn’t live at the top of a high rise and they shouldn’t be living in a flood or fire risk zone. I realise that we don’t always have a choice but it must surely be a consideration. There should be a plan.
If this is holiday/camp accommodation then flood and fire are factors in your choice.
They need to be part of a plan, whether that is family, neighbours or community.
Most young families can move fast when they need to.
If family members are of restricted mobility why are they in that situation? They wouldn’t live at the top of a high rise and they shouldn’t be living in a flood or fire risk zone. I realise that we don’t always have a choice but it must surely be a consideration. There should be a plan.
If this is holiday/camp accommodation then flood and fire are factors in your choice.
Not in my experience - not when its maybe one adult with three kids who can't 'run' but need to be moved along at a speed that suits without scaring them into a panic state. Which then worsens the situation.
"If family members are of restricted mobility why are they in that situation? They wouldn’t live at the top of a high rise and they shouldn’t be living in a flood or fire risk zone.
I realise that we don’t always have a choice but it must surely be a consideration.
There should be a plan."
Really do think you need to rethink that one.
Dunno if they would help but surely I'd try if caught in such a location where smoke inhalation is a problem, am still carrying FFP3 respiratory masks in both my day pack and my crossbody bag and of course there is also the bandana ' handkerchiefs ' I always carry given how useful they are.
As to fire move away from it if one can but from my pagan fire jumping days speed is of the essence when one has to pass through small bits of it.
If your out and about I would have thought situational awareness would be your best line of defense, know your location. Plan for a variety of escape routes and move early to a place of safety rather than “wait and see” worth remembering that an ffp3 mask will only provide protection from particulate matter if correctly face fitted and worn. It won’t give adequate protection from sunburned products of incomplete combustion (smoke)
For the home keep your gutters clear or moss and leaves, don’t store any combustibles against or near the property including decking, fences and sheds avoid tall shrubs near the house. Areas of short grass lawn will help slow the spread. And be the first person in the neighbourhood to leave not the last you don’t want to be stuck in a queue of traffic trying to flee at the last minute.
For the home keep your gutters clear or moss and leaves, don’t store any combustibles against or near the property including decking, fences and sheds avoid tall shrubs near the house. Areas of short grass lawn will help slow the spread. And be the first person in the neighbourhood to leave not the last you don’t want to be stuck in a queue of traffic trying to flee at the last minute.
Rule of 30 for wild fire:
30 Deg C, 30% humidity, 30 km/h wind speed.
www.theweathernetwork.com
30 Deg C, 30% humidity, 30 km/h wind speed.
How the 30-30-30 rule is essential for wildfire safety - The Weather Network
The Weather Network details the 30-30-30 rule that officials use to alert people when there is a threat of extreme wildfire behaviour
www.theweathernetwork.com
Possibly - but regarding the out & about bit, wind change can make a predicted path of travel yesterdays news.
I think watching how the current chain of events is panning out makes it somewhat easier to see how chaotic and quick changing plans go from crystal to fluid.
With out and about, I would be moving away from it no matter what direction I “thought” it would be heading.
Preparation and prevention - organised mowing fire breaks this morning, and regret nothing....ahead of the government warning 
If you are in a situation where you are caught out with a wildfire a few hundred meters away, with a wide front and you really believe you will be overrun and cornered with no alternative, the best course of action -in such an emergency and especially with others who can't move fast- is to start a new fire and burn whatever can burn downwind of you. Preferably a corridor with little natural fuel in the first place, like a straw field, and ideally with a natural firebreak downwind.
That 'controlled' burn leaves behind a relatively safe area with little fuel left, so you either take refuge there, or at/past the firebreak.
Smoke inhalation would be my main concern, so taking refuge and waiting for the main fire to pass you is not an option, even inside a fireproof building or cave.
That 'controlled' burn leaves behind a relatively safe area with little fuel left, so you either take refuge there, or at/past the firebreak.
Smoke inhalation would be my main concern, so taking refuge and waiting for the main fire to pass you is not an option, even inside a fireproof building or cave.
Also, remember that a wildfire -if it becomes large enough- starts affecting the local wind and it can basically start 'sucking' the air towards it. What is 'downwind' in the general air flow can change quickly as a wildfire approaches, with the wind eventually shifting towards the fire front, so the 'escape fire' tactic I described really is a last resort for extreme emergencies and it needs a bit of consideration, along with reliable firelighting equipment and skills.
Fire runs uphill faster due to rising heat, so heading downhill, possibly towards a river where you can wade in and take refuge by submersing yourself, and if using a bandana or .makeshift mask, wet it. That realy helps .keep as low as possible.
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