Wildfires, including forest fires, are a major concern when travelling overland, or camping.

Prevention

• Be careful when smoking. Find a safe method for ash and match disposal before lighting up.
• Respect directives from authorities. During the dry season, open fires are usually prohibited. Be very careful also with camping stoves.
• If driving, be aware that parts of your car might get hot, and ignite vegetation. Stop at safe spots. If you have a fire extinguisher, check that it is in easy reach (and controlled as recommended).
• Drought and thunderstorms, especially in combination, heighten the risk of wildfires.
• If in an area with wildfires or high risk of wildfire, follow some media channel where you will hear about warnings (or check with your hotel).

Risks

You do not want to start a wildfire. One cigarette stump in the wrong place can cause destruction of vast areas. The wildfire can in some circumstances begin hours after you left.

Wildfires can spread fast in windy conditions. You have to have good margins in an unknown area, where your road or your means of transportation may be affected.

The smoke from wildfires is unhealthy. Major wildfires from hundreds of kilometres away can sometimes be similar to passive smoking – possibly a real problem if you have asthma or similar.