Letter Re: Evacuating Quickly to Escape Wildfires
JWR: As a former California Department of Forestry (C.D.F. which is now Cal-Fire) wild land firefighter I would like to give some professional advice to persons living in wildfire prone urban interface locations. The 100 foot clearance required is really a necessity in defending your retreat. If infrastructure is still up, when told to evacuate, GET OUT ! From a roadway, I once had to listen to the screams of a woman who burned to death because she refused to evacuate her home. It is a haunting memory. Have an advance plan for safety zones and escape routes. A safety zone is an area where you could weather the fire without the chance of being burned over as your escape route has been cut off. A large area, void of vegetation is the best. Sometimes you might come across grazed over areas or a large rocky area that would suffice. Gravel…