Summer fires: bushcraft tips for fighting the flames

Summer, a season of holidays and relaxation, can turn into a nightmare in a matter of hours. The devastating fires of July 2025 that engulfed Marseille and Narbonne serve as a stark reminder of this reality. The Narbonne fire, described as "exceptional" by firefighters, burned 2,100 hectares in just a few days, while the blaze that started in Pennes-Mirabeau reached Marseille's 16th arrondissement, even closing Marignane Airport and injuring 146 people. These events, following the massive fires of summer 2022 in the Gironde region where more than 30,000 hectares of forest went up in smoke, illustrate a new climate reality: summer fires know no bounds and strike with unprecedented ferocity.

These phenomena, once confined to the Mediterranean scrubland, now affect major cities with an intensity that often exceeds traditional response capabilities. Images of France's second-largest city threatened by flames in July 2025, with entire neighborhoods evacuated and hundreds of people confined to their homes, serve as a reminder that, faced with this new climate reality, traditional bushcraft survival techniques must adapt to the modern challenges of urban and suburban megafires.

Recognizing the warning signs: when nature catches fire

Knowing how to read the warning signs of a fire can give you the crucial head start needed to evacuate before the flames block your escape routes. This environmental awareness blends traditional observations with modern realities, as highlighted by the recent events in France in July.

Critical weather indicators

The fatal combination of high temperature, low humidity, and strong winds. When the thermometer rises above 30°C, the relative humidity drops below 30%, and the wind blows at over 30 km/h, conditions become explosive. This "fire trinity" was present during the fires in Marseille and Narbonne, where the mistral and tramontane winds fanned the flames with gusts exceeding 60 km/h.

Observe wind reversals: when the usual sea breezes reverse and blow towards the sea, they can push a nascent fire towards inhabited areas. Firefighters are particularly concerned about these changes in direction, which render their forecasts obsolete, as was the case during the Marseille fire, which spread faster than expected towards residential neighborhoods.

Visual and olfactory signals

Smoke is your first indicator. White smoke signals a smoldering fire, burning mainly green, damp vegetation. Black smoke reveals an active fire consuming dry wood, structures, or hydrocarbons. Orange-red smoke indicates an extremely hot fire, often accompanied by strong winds, as observed during the recent megafires in France.

The smell of smoke carried by the wind can alert you several hours before you see the flames. This acrid odor, different from that of a fireplace, should trigger your vigilance. Residents of Marseille's northern districts report having smelled this characteristic odor several hours before the flames actually reached their neighborhoods.

Revealing animal behavior

Wild animals instinctively flee danger zones. Birds taking flight en masse, mammals crossing roads and inhabited areas, insects suddenly disappearing: these are all natural warning signs. This animal wisdom often precedes official alerts, as residents of the Aude region witnessed during the Narbonne fire in July 2025.

Emergency evacuation: the minutes that count

When the evacuation order is given or you detect imminent danger, every second counts. Recent French wildfires in July 2025 have shown that fires can sometimes spread with lightning speed. The Narbonne fire, described as "exceptional" by firefighters, surprised everyone with its rapid spread, while the Marseille fire required the evacuation of 400 people in just a few hours.

The 5-minute rule

You theoretically have 5 minutes to gather the essentials before evacuation. This constraint imposes a drastic prioritization: first people (children, elderly people, animals), then vital documents (identity papers, insurance, medications), finally your evacuation belongings.

Prepare your evacuation bag in advance, a "fire bag" containing, at a minimum:

• Copies of important documents under airtight protection.
• medication for 7 days (if you are undergoing treatment),
• change of clothes,
• Hand-cranked emergency radio , waterproof flashlight, mobile phone with charger, ideally a charged power bank .
• cash.

Multiple evacuation routes

It's often said that preparedness doesn't happen during a crisis. Therefore, before a crisis occurs, it's crucial to plan three different evacuation routes from your home, avoiding wooded areas, elevated areas (where fires tend to spread and which are often traps due to the difficulty of escape), and narrow roads. Fires create their own winds that can block certain roads in minutes. The A9 motorway near Narbonne was partially closed during the recent fires, demonstrating that even major roads can become impassable.

Make sure your vehicle always has at least half a tank of gas during periods of high risk. Gas stations close during alerts, and evacuation traffic jams consume a lot of fuel.

Vehicle evacuation technique

If you are caught in a car fire, call emergency services immediately (dial 112 or 18 for the fire department in France) and never attempt to drive through a wall of flames. While Hollywood movies may promise a magical experience, you should never apply this advice in real life: you don't know what temperatures your car and tires can withstand, nor how much smoke could enter the passenger compartment as you drive through. With the best of intentions, you could cause severe damage to your vehicle (and even worse if it's electric!), asphyxiate all the passengers, and reduce your chances of survival to zero.

Instead, try turning back: the path you came from is probably the only one that was definitely clear a few minutes ago. Barring extreme bad luck, it's the safest way to leave the area.

If you are surrounded, pull over away from vegetation, with your headlights and hazard lights on (in dense smoke, these signals might be the only way to alert emergency services). Close all windows and doors, set the air conditioning to recirculate, and stay inside. As counterintuitive as it may seem, your vehicle offers better protection than the outside: flames are extremely intense, and outdoors, smoke kills faster than fire.

Keep blankets and water bottles inside the vehicle. If the heat becomes unbearable, spray yourself and dampen fabrics. Only exit the vehicle once the fire front has passed, taking care to avoid weakened trees that may collapse.

Survival on foot in the face of flames: emergency techniques

Sometimes, evacuation by vehicle becomes impossible. Blocked roads, broken-down vehicles, or the fire spreading too rapidly: you must then rely solely on your own strength and knowledge of the terrain. Recent events have shown that this situation can arise even in suburban areas.

Choosing a survival route

Head towards less flammable areas: wide roads, cultivated fields, water sources, and bare rocks. Absolutely avoid ravines and narrow valleys, which act as natural chimneys, concentrating heat. Stay in open areas where fire spreads more slowly.

Water becomes your primary objective: rivers, lakes, swimming pools, retention basins. Even a muddy puddle can save your life. Locate these bodies of water during your outings in normal times; they are your last resort refuges. Some residents of Marseille even headed to the Calanques to escape the toxic fumes.

Body protection techniques

Wear protective clothing made of natural fibers: cotton, wool, linen. These materials burn without melting, unlike synthetics that stick to the skin. Dampen your clothing if possible; this creates temporary protection against radiant heat.

Protect your airways with a damp cloth. Toxic smoke kills more people than the flames themselves. Breathe near the ground where the air is less polluted with particles. If you must cross a smoky area, hold your breath and move forward crouched.

Signaling and rescue in the smoke-filled hell

Being rescued from a forest fire presents specific challenges: reduced visibility, disrupted communications, and limited aerial resources due to smoke. Your signage must adapt to these constraints.

Appropriate visual signage

Use signals that contrast with the orange-red environment of the flames: blue or green fabrics, mirrors, shiny metal objects. Avoid red and orange, which blend in with the fire. Civil Security helicopters look for these color contrasts during their reconnaissance.

Create geometric signals visible from above: crosses, triangles, arrows with light-colored objects. These artificial shapes attract the eye of pilots accustomed to scanning natural forms. Regularly change their position to show that you are alive.

Long-range audible signaling

Use whistles, horns, and striking metal objects. Noise carries well in the dry air of fires. Follow the international code: 3 long signals, pause, 3 more signals. Continue at a steady pace; emergency services may be nearby without you hearing them.

Save your voice: shouting quickly exhausts and dries out your throat. Use sound-producing objects instead of your vocal cords. Save your vocal energy for crucial moments.

Prevention and preparation: the art of anticipation

The best way to survive a fire is through prevention. This proactive approach, inspired by bushcraft philosophy, allows you to avoid critical situations.

Create a 50-meter safety zone around your home: clear brush, prune trees, and remove dead vegetation. This "buffer zone" slows the spread of fire and facilitates emergency response.

Store water strategically: cisterns, basins, swimming pools. This reserve can save your property and yourself. Plan for independent water extraction methods: hand pumps, buckets, hoses.

The French summer fires reveal our vulnerability to the unleashed forces of nature, but also our capacity for adaptation when we combine ancestral wisdom with modern techniques. Faced with fire, as with all bushcraft challenges, preparation and knowledge make the difference between tragedy and survival.