[pct-l] ...wild fires

[dsaufley at sprynet.com (dsaufley@sprynet.com)]

Horses and deer have been known to do the same thing.  The chances of outrunning a fast-moving wildland fire headed your way, even in a vehicle, are slim to s***.   BTW, my only credentials on the topic was being married to a firefighter for ten years, but there were many vivid lessons impressed upon me during those years.  

L-Rod

-----Original Message-----
>From: Robert Ellinwood <rellinwood@worldnet.att.net>
>Sent: Mar 2, 2006 10:39 AM
>To: 'Jeff Moorehead' <jeffmoorehead1@cox.net>, pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
>Subject: RE: [pct-l] ...wild fires
>
>Jeff, I posed your question to Richard Miles, who was the expert I turned to
>for
>"Conversation: Hikers and Wildland Fires."  His response was:
>
>"While this may sound good, I would not depend on it. Most of the time 
>animals do try to get away from the fire. But you also see them panic and 
>even head into it. I would not make it a habit to follow them. This would be
>
>more of a Old Wives tale than anything else."
>
>My own personal  reaction might be that birds, with the ability to get high
>enough to see/sense the larger picture, might indeed be headed in the right
>direction.  Insects and rodents, so close to the ground, surely couldn't
>have a better sense of where to head than humans.  Perhaps my assessment is
>influenced by watching a large frog hop into a campfire and die on a cool
>autumn night in the Smokies years ago.
>
>Dr Bob
>
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-
>> bounces@mailman.backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Jeff Moorehead
>> Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2006 1:58 PM
>> To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
>> Subject: Re: [pct-l] ...wild fires
>> 
>> 
>> I've never been in a wildfire or too close to one so I am not sure about
>> this, but I hear if you carefully observe the flight paths of birds and
>> insects and note rodent movement, they will be vectoring in a direction
>away
>> from the fire. The closer the fire, the more true the actual vector.
>>  Can any firefighters confirm? That would at least give you a small
>measure
>> of relief from these nightmares...
>> 
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