Communities cannot evacuate or shelter safely during wildfires

Wildfire evacuation can fail when alerts arrive late, depend on one communications channel or do not account for the speed and direction of fire. Communities with limited roads can face congestion, while hospitals, care homes, tourists, people with disabilities and residents without vehicles require specific arrangements.

Some locations cannot be evacuated safely under every scenario and lack a defendable refuge or shelter plan. Paper plans may also remain untested against real road capacity and communications failure.

This issue concerns movement or shelter during imminent wildfire danger. Smoke exposure outside immediate evacuation zones is treated separately.

Source: UNDRR wildfire hazard information.