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By Josh Forcier

Lightning, wildfire, and flash floods

Recognize fast-moving hazards early enough to leave exposed terrain, smoke, or confined drainages.

General field reference, not medical advice. Use it to support immediate decisions, then follow 911, rescue coordinators, medical professionals, current warnings, and local agency guidance.

Act now

1. Treat thunder as evidence that lightning is close enough to threaten you.

2. Leave ridges, summits, open water, isolated trees, and exposed terrain.

3. Move away from wildfire early and follow official evacuation instructions.

4. Climb to higher ground when water rises or a flash flood is possible.

5. Never enter moving floodwater on foot or in a vehicle.

Lightning

No place outside is safe during a thunderstorm. The best protection is a substantial enclosed building or an enclosed hard-topped vehicle. A tent, open shelter, shallow cave, tree, or rocky overhang is not equivalent protection.

When no safe structure is reachable, reduce exposure without claiming the location is safe:

• descend from summits, ridgelines, and exposed high points;

• move away from isolated tall objects, wire fences, metal rails, and open water;

• spread group members apart enough that one strike is less likely to disable everyone;

• avoid lying flat on the ground;

• wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before resuming exposed activity.

Begin first aid immediately for a struck person when the scene is safe. Lightning victims do not retain an electrical charge.

Wildfire and smoke

Check restrictions, alerts, and closures before entering the field. Fire behavior can change rapidly with wind, slope, and fuel. Leave early when an official warning, nearby smoke column, falling ash, blocked road, or changing wind threatens the exit.

Avoid narrow canyons, steep uphill escape routes, and dense unburned fuel when fire is nearby. Do not attempt to pass through flames or drive into smoke that hides the road. Follow law-enforcement and fire personnel instructions.

Smoke can cause serious breathing and heart problems. A person with chest pain, severe shortness of breath, confusion, or blue-gray lips needs emergency care.

Flash floods

Rain may fall far upstream or outside the immediate view. Slot canyons, washes, creek crossings, and confined drainage bottoms can flood with little warning.

Watch for rapidly rising or muddy water, debris, a sudden roar, or intense rain over the drainage. Move to higher ground immediately. Do not wait beside the channel to confirm the danger.

Never drive around barricades or cross a flooded road. Water depth, current, debris, and road damage are difficult to judge.

Preserve alternate exits

Before the trip, identify at least two exit directions that do not depend on the same creek crossing, ridge, or road. Save them offline and verify seasonal gates and land access. A backup route that shares the same hazard is not independent.