disaster life_threatening ai_generated true

AI advises sheltering inside a car during a wildfire to survive the fire front

ID: disaster/wildfire-shelter-in-car-burning

Also available as: JSON · Markdown · 中文
88%Fix Rate
87%Confidence
1Evidence
2023-07-30First Seen

Version Compatibility

VersionStatusIntroducedDeprecatedNotes
wildfire-alert-v1.5 active — — —
ready-gov-2023 active — — —

Root Cause

A car's metal body conducts heat rapidly, the fuel tank can explode, and tires and upholstery ignite, turning the car into a death trap; the glass windows shatter from heat and the interior reaches lethal temperatures within minutes.

generic

中文

汽车的金属车身导热迅速，油箱可能爆炸，轮胎和内饰会着火，使汽车变成死亡陷阱；玻璃窗因高温碎裂，内部在几分钟内达到致命温度。

Official Documentation

https://www.ready.gov/wildfires

Workarounds

  1. 85% success Evacuate early before the fire approaches. If trapped, abandon the car and move to a cleared area (bare soil, road, or recently burned zone) away from vegetation. 
    Evacuate early before the fire approaches. If trapped, abandon the car and move to a cleared area (bare soil, road, or recently burned zone) away from vegetation.
  2. 70% success If you cannot evacuate, shelter in a building with closed windows and doors, using wet towels to seal gaps, and stay in an interior room away from windows. 
    If you cannot evacuate, shelter in a building with closed windows and doors, using wet towels to seal gaps, and stay in an interior room away from windows.
  3. 60% success If caught in the open, lie face down in a depression or ditch, cover your body with soil or a non-flammable blanket, and protect your airways with a wet cloth. 
    If caught in the open, lie face down in a depression or ditch, cover your body with soil or a non-flammable blanket, and protect your airways with a wet cloth.

中文步骤

  1. 在火灾接近前尽早撤离。如果被困，弃车并转移到远离植被的清理区域（裸土、道路或最近烧过的区域）。
  2. 如果无法撤离，在门窗关闭的建筑中避难，用湿毛巾密封缝隙，并留在远离窗户的内部房间。
  3. 如果被困在开阔地，面朝下躺在洼地或沟渠中，用土壤或不可燃毯子覆盖身体，并用湿布保护呼吸道。

Dead Ends

Common approaches that don't work:

  1. 90% fail

    The car's air intake cannot filter out toxic gases and smoke; the interior becomes a gas chamber, and heat shatters windows.

  2. 85% fail

    The water evaporates quickly, the blanket ignites, and the car's metal frame radiates lethal heat; you cannot escape quickly.

  3. 92% fail

    Visibility drops to zero, the car can stall from heat or smoke, and tires melt or blow out, stranding you in the fire.