Riding into a wildfire.

[steve.foote]

This happened to me a couple of years ago, and it's stuck in the far reaches of my mind ever since. Of all the situations I've encountered on a motorcycle, this is the only one that I have no real sense of how best to handle it.

 

Here's what happened. I was leading a group of 5-6 riders on a very rural route. We were in and out of wooded areas all along the route. At one particular point, an oncoming pickup truck flashed his lights at me as he went by. I assumed he was signaling a LEO ahead and checked my speed accordingly. About two miles later, inside of a heavily wooded section, I suddenly found myself in some of the thickest smoke I've ever been in before. It was so thick that it was almost dark, kind of like dusk. You could hardly breathe it was so thick.

 

I had absolutely no idea of what to do. I thought about stopping and trying to turn around, but was afraid my riding partners behind me wouldn't see me and there we all would be, a heap of hurt in the middle of a potential fire. Instead, I stayed focused on the fog line, kept my speed even and hoped the light that was getting brighter ahead of me was the sun and not what I was hoping it wasn't.

 

Seconds later, the smoke cleared and we all rode out like nothing happened. It was pretty surreal, and damned scary. Looking back, I don't think there was much of anything I might have done different, but I would really be interested in what some others might have to say.

 

Best Wishes,

[Quinn]

Time to pull over to the side, allow everyone to bunch up, and then turn around. If the smoke was that thick and no one was there to stop you, I'd assume it wasn't under any kind of control and be worried about it getting bad enough for it to be too late to turn around.

 

Then again, I've done the same thing and kept riding. My excuse was that the trees were pretty far back from the road and I'd have plenty of time to see when things got worse. If this was in South Georgia, there's a lot of tree farms, dry underbrush, and yellow pines that can go up quickly.

 

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[tallman]

Steve,

Sounds like a controlled burn (common here) and I've ridden into them.

We have some forest areas where it happens frequently clearing underbrush mainly, pines survive, but other trees can burn creating a tremendous amount of smoke.

It usually is xX miles to traverse unless it is a bad out of control area.

My commute can take me thru Nat'l Frst and the paved roads are 35 miles apart, other roads are miles of sand (soft).

I've ridden up to a couple miles thru 'em.

Bandana helps, but too thick can get you.

I always carry water, have bandana, have used combo.

But one time it was thicker and the distance to get through was longer (plus, b'leve or not, has some curves and rolling pavement.

Much longer, and I stopped and nervously truned around in the smoke.

Had gone too far, was inhaling too much smoke and visibility almost to my dash.

Big mistake and even though there was probably a mile left (but I didn't know for sure) I turned and rode back, longer but known distance to ride.

I'm not sure I could've breathed the heated smoke for much longer and now I turn around and avoid the situation.

Was scary for a while and it is a risk I can manage.

So avoid the unless it is a very short passage and even then...

[steve.foote]

Quinn, it was on the GA/FL border. It happened really quick, and was over in less than a minute. I did consider turning around, but felt the risk of causing a pile up with my fellow riders, and/or being hit by oncoming traffic was greater than pushing through.

 

In my mind, I'm good with the decision I made.

 

But, there may have been other options that I didn't, and still don't, realize. I don't know much about the dynamics of wildfires or how it would effect someone on a motorcycle if they rode through one. I would imagine that if the fire were large enough, the end result would not be good, but could a fire get big enough, fast enough, to be lethal to a rider without authorities having time to shut down the roadway, for example? Is there a rule of thumb that it's safer to risk the collision and turn around, or is it safer to reduce speed and push through?

 

[steve.foote]

Tim, it could very well have been a controlled burn. There were no warnings to traffic that I saw. It's kind of odd, I don't remember even seeing smoke coming and by the time we were in it, it was too late to stop. Obviously, if I had seen it, I would have simply stopped and found another route around it.

 

Did I read your post correctly, are you dual-sporting your GT?

[tallman]

GT is one better than GS.

No soft sand for me, gravel dirt, etc.

Was on the only paved road thru the forest, no option but go or turn.

Went, previous experiences were short areas, often several, but survivable.

This time miles of increasingly thicker, choking smoke.

Not a good choice but I kept thinking I had to punch through.

The guys who light them and monitor them must not need to breathe cuz it is hot and tough.

[steve.foote]

Tim, I'm going to bring my TKC80's to Cedar Key so we can mount them on your GT. We'll turn it to the dirty side in no time. Resistance is futile.

 

[tallman]

Sounds like a plan.

[ESokoloff]

Glad you made out OK.

 

Today others were not as fortunate..

http://news.yahoo.com/florida-highway-pileup-kills-least-10-people-202612221.html

[steve.foote]

Eric, that's similar to what happened to us, except we didn't stop, and neither did anyone before us. I don't think there is a correct answer on this one. Luck may play the deciding role.

[dJames]

I am on the "when in doubt, gas it" side of the fence. You have a 50/50 chance either way and with a pack of riders at your back it is more than likely that you would have a pile up in the wrong spot ( in the middle of a wildfire) if you were to hit the brakes.

sounds like you made the right decision.

Dennis