Not the way we want to be "Blazing Trails."

Of all the things I thought would be good to discuss here, I hadn’t thought that wild fires would be on the list. But here we are, mid-November, the state of Massachusetts is in either “severe” or “critical” drought, and as of November 9th, there were a reported 175 wildfires across the state. Then up to 210 on the 10th.

Admittedly, this is nothing compared to the devastating wildfires that occur in other parts of the country, this is just unusual for New England in this time of year.

With this many local fires, it's inevitable that our trails are going to be affected. Some of the popular systems near me have been burning; Boxford State Forest, Georgetown-Rowley State Forest, and Lynn Woods, to name a few. So if you’re out riding or hiking, it’s not inconceivable that you could encounter a fire.

First, let’s say this, if you KNOW a fire is in a certain area, stay away. The men and women fighting the fire will have enough to worry about without having to think about your safety or you getting in the way. Go home and watch Backdraft if you want to see some fire fighting action.

Next, if you know that a fire has BEEN in a certain area, you probably want to stay away for a while as well. Trees with burned out root systems can fall with no warning, and smoldering fires underground can pop back up to life.

My co-instructor, Mike Lawless, who is a fire fighter in West Newbury, but has been providing mutual aid over the area tells of a recent situation where they had put a fire out, took a break for lunch, and within 20 minutes the fire had returned.

When Mike isn't driving his Element, or his convertible Mustang 5.0 or his 3/4 ton pick-up, he can be seen cruising around in one of these.

But what if you’re on the trail and find a fire that’s active?

Make note of where the fire is so that the Fire Department can be notified, but you don’t need to stand in the path of the fire to do that. Fires can move quickly and can be unpredictable due to changes in wind and what’s being burned. You’ll want to move away from the fire by either staying upwind or moving perpendicular to the edge of the fire, at least that’s the recommendation. Obviously if you have to choose between moving quickly on a trail or moving slowly through the brush, the trail is probably the better option.

Wildfire Map for Massachusetts

If you do get stuck and don’t think you’re going to make it away from the flames, try to find some rocks or something else that won’t burn. I don’t know what that other “something else” would be, but fortunately here in New England, we have plenty of rocks. You’d want to shelter yourself as best as possible and lie down, face down, with some cloth over your nose and mouth. You should be able to find more air to breathe down low.

Beyond that, there really aren’t many good recommendations, at least not concrete ones. If you can find a body of water that’s deep enough to cover your body, but not deep enough to down in, that’s an option. You can just run as fast and as far as you can, but smoke in the air can make it harder to breathe and you could fatigue quickly. You could try to find a spot to “hunker down” in, such as a depression in the ground or downed log and again, lie face down with cloth over your mouth. If you want to know how bad of an option this is, there is actually discussion as to whether or not you should leave synthetic clothes on—and run the risk of them melting into your skin, take them off and face the flames au natural.

 However, that does not mean that you should be hitting the trails naked, 'just in case' you encounter a fire. 

 Be safe, and let's hope for some rain (but no much that I have to write about flash floods)...

Please remember, the information presented here, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.