Savanna, steppe and dry grassland: fire risk

Fire needs fuel, oxygen and heat. Grass is a fine, airy fuel with a lot of surface and a lot of air in between. In sun and wind it dries out within a few hours, ignites easily and burns through quickly. That is why a grass fire is not a slow smoulder but a front that runs across the land.

Wind works like bellows: it pushes the flames forward, preheats the unburnt grass and carries sparks further. On a slope something similar happens, because the flames there are closer to the grass above. That is why fires run especially fast uphill and in gullies – and why fleeing uphill is so dangerous.

Conversely, areas with little fuel barely burn: roads, gravel, ploughed fields, wet meadows, water. These areas are your goal when you see a fire. If you notice them on the map and in the terrain beforehand, you know immediately where to go when it matters.

Most vegetation fires are caused by people – prevention campaigns such as the US Forest Service's Smokey Bear stress this. When fire danger is high: no open fire, no cigarettes, no barbecues outside permitted places. Bans on fires, barbecues and smoking apply in many regions; check the local rules and follow them strictly.

An often overlooked igniter is the car. The exhaust and catalytic converter get very hot and can ignite dry grass underneath. So park only on paved or bare ground and do not drive through tall, dry grass. Take glass bottles and rubbish away with you.

Before the trip, check the fire danger level and wind forecast. Weather services publish indices for this, calculated from temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation. On days with very high danger and strong wind, it is better to postpone trips into tall grass.

The biggest mistake is waiting. People stop to watch or take photos and lose the minutes they would have needed to get away. As soon as you see smoke nearby, start moving – across the wind or into the wind, towards roads and areas with little fuel.

Do not flee uphill, into hollows or gullies, or in the direction the wind is blowing. Fires run especially fast there. Call the local emergency number (112 in the EU) and describe your location as precisely as possible.

When authorities order an evacuation, follow it immediately. Keep roads clear for emergency vehicles. This text deliberately does not explain how to fight fires – that is the job of trained firefighters. Your job is to get yourself and others to safety early.

Grass fires do not only happen in distant savannas. In Central Europe too, harvested fields, embankments along railways and roads, and heathland burn in dry summers. Anyone camping or hiking at the edge of fields or pastures in high summer should follow the same rules as on the steppe.

In savanna regions land is sometimes burnt deliberately to renew pasture. As a traveller you cannot tell from the outside whether a fire is under control. So ask local guides and authorities before you go into such areas.

Smoke from vegetation fires irritates the eyes and airways and can particularly affect people with asthma or heart and lung conditions. If smoke drifts into a town, follow the authorities' advice, for example closing windows and avoiding exertion outdoors.

Open grassland also has an advantage: you often see smoke very early, and areas with little fuel are usually within reach. If you keep an eye on wind and terrain and act early, you can use that head start.