Read this first
- Wildfire is life-safety. Confirm prevention, Red Flag, and evacuation guidance against current USFS, NWS, Ready.gov, and your local fire authority (e.g., Cal Fire) before you rely on it. If officials order an evacuation, go — that overrides anything here.
What to do
- 1Check conditions — fire bans, Red Flag Warnings, and local rules before any fire.
- 2Prevent — fire only where permitted, in a proper site, never unattended, and out cold before you leave (drown, stir, drown, feel).
- 3Know your escape — for camp or home in fire country, know two ways out and where you'd go.
- 4Heed warnings and evacuate early — when authorities say go, go; don't wait to see the flames.
- 5Evacuate smart — fastest known route toward safety, away from the fire; follow official directions.
- 6If trapped — call 911 with your location, get to bare ground, a clearing, or water away from vegetation, and make yourself findable.
- 7After — don't return until authorities allow; watch for hot spots and hazards.
How wildfire behaves
- Mostly human-caused — the U.S. Forest Service puts it at roughly 85–90%+ of wildfires; campfires, debris burning, equipment, and discarded smoking materials are leading causes.
- Red Flag Warning — the NWS alert for critical fire weather (low humidity, warm, windy); don't build open fires then.
- It moves fast — faster uphill and with the wind, and embers can start new fires far ahead. Don't flee uphill ahead of a fire.
Common mistakes & safety
- A poorly-extinguished campfire can start a wildfire after you leave. The single most important scout action: put every fire out cold, and never light one in banned or Red-Flag conditions.
- Evacuate EARLY, don't wait. Wildfire moves fast and unpredictably; the time to leave is when you're told, not when you see flames — rescue during a fire may be impossible.
- Fire runs uphill and with the wind. Move to already-burned ground, roads, clearings, or water, away from vegetation and out of the fire's path.
- Know two ways out — roads can be blocked by fire or traffic; have alternatives and a destination.
- Obey fire bans and Red Flag Warnings — no open flames in critical fire weather.
Going deeper
- Only YOU. The most famous conservation message in America is literally true — most wildfires start with a person, so most are preventable.
- Too hot to touch = too hot to leave. The one-line campfire test; a fire you can't put your hand near isn't out.
- Leave early. In a wildfire, the mistake that kills is waiting — evacuate when told, on a route you know.
Official source
Campfire safety — Smokey Bear / U.S. Forest Service →The human-caused share, "Only YOU can prevent wildfires," and extinguish-completely method are from USFS / Smokey Bear. Confirm the exact statistic and evacuation specifics against USFS / NWS / Ready.gov / your local fire authority. No dosages appear here.