Wildfire Awareness In Backcountry

Hello - to date I've been a fly on the wall soaking up all of the knowledge & tips, while stoking a growing addiction for "need to have" mods from reading through TW. A recent trip spurred a question about wildfire awareness and preparedness which I could not find an existing discussion on. I'll caveat that relative to most I'm just scratching the surface for backcountry exploration in my Tacoma. That said, there is no journey too small to make sure you're prepared for.

Context: I recently was on a day trip in NE WA state where we had departed from a campground w/out cell service. Trip went smooth and had a blast, including catching a plethora of bass. Upon returning from the trip a fellow camper notified us that fires throughout the state had rapidly grown and the situation was developing. This camper was one of the only other groups present, and had they not just arrived and shared news we would not have known of the fire until the next morning. Had we in fact been closer to the fires this situation could have been far worse.

Question: how do you all stay apprised of wildfires, which are becoming ever more frequent and catastrophic, while exploring the backcountry? Many sat communicators (i.e. Garmin InReach which I own) do not provide advanced warning services. HAM radio? CB? Other?

I'm looking into getting a HAM radio cert and acquiring the necessary add-ons to leverage this, but not sure if this is sufficient.

Thank you in advance for any advice!

Coleton

 

Sat phone, emergency beacon, and portable radio.
Ham radio and cbs are common, but only reach a certain distance unless you can access a repeater. I am a novice in this area, but several on here have better info than I.
@WileECoyote

 

People can text you via the InReach. Could always ask whoever you rely on the most as your emergency contact back in 'civilization' to text you if something big pops up.

 

Thanks WileE for your input!

Good point on the friends back in 'civilization'. Would be great if Garmin would include fires and other natural disasters in their weather reports. Thanks!

 

a few years ago an arkansas campground was flash flooded

what happens might not be on Ur door step

some advanced planning helps as local satelite weather are %wise good out to 5 days

i ride moto everyday & rely on reasonable forecasts

some days they are just Wrong !!

park rangers usually have good info

 

Check Inciweb and check in with local land managers before you go, be aware of any forecasted storms, and GTFO if you see any smoke at all.

Beyond that, you need satellite communications. A cell signal booster is a cheaper option but it won't always work.

 

You can usually see the smoke plume, in some cases from hundreds of miles away.

If the smoke is coming towards you, the fire probably is, too, so GTFO.

Go with the InReach for this type of stuff. Way better signal than HAM or anything else. You can text 2-way if you need to. Definitely have someone back in town to communicate with. Make sure they know how to contact you with the InReach.

Also, know your terrain. Have an alternate escape route or 3.