During the fire

Caught in a forest fire whilst driving: what to do

Smoke billowing across the road, flames below, a traffic jam in the middle of the scrubland : when you’re on your way to your holiday destination, a fire can catch you off guard in an instant. Contrary to popular belief, the car’s interior does provide protection — provided you follow a specific sequence of actions. Here it is.

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3-minute read Content verified — July 2026

Key points

NEVER walk through a smoke screen: turn back calmly at the first sign of it, or stop at a safe spot.
If there’s a fire: stop in an open area, away from vegetation, with your headlights and hazard warning lights on, the engine switched off but the key still in the ignition.
Everything closed : windows, air vents, ventilation switched to closed-circuit mode and then switched off.
We stay INSIDE the cabin below the level of the windows; the shockwave takes a few minutes to pass — a fuel tank doesn’t explode like it does in the films.
We only set off again once the fire front has completely passed, heading towards the area that has already been burnt.

Firstly: avoid finding yourself in this situation

Before setting off on a summer journey to a high-risk area, do check the vigilance and the fires currently burning. A 20 km detour is better than coming face to face with a wall of flames.
Whilst there, please observe any road closures and massive : they anticipate the spread of the fire, not just the fire as it stands.
Is that smoke drifting across the road in the distance ? A smooth U-turn as soon as possible. Visibility drops from 100 metres to zero in a matter of seconds, and behind the smoke there is sometimes a fire.

What to do if you’re caught out by the fire

Choosing where to stop

The area that is most clear If possible: a car park, lay-by, open field or wide hard-surfaced verge — well away from trees, undergrowth and, if possible, other vehicles. Never stop in a patch of smoke where you could be hit by another vehicle.

Making yourself visible

Dipped headlights, warnings, stay on the part of the road that is accessible to the emergency services but visible to other drivers. Switch off the engine (as the air intake would draw in smoke and embers), with the key in the ignition.

Sealing the passenger compartment

Windows up, sunroof closed, ventilation set to recirculation mode, then switched off, with the vents closed. A cloth (even a dry one, but preferably a damp one) over everyone’s nose and mouth.

To stoop and wait

Get below window level — radiation passes through glass — and cover yourself with clothes or a blanket made of natural fibres. The forehead passes through 2 to 5 minutes : As for the passenger compartment, it holds up. Modern fuel tanks do not spontaneously explode when a wall of flame passes over them; tyres may burst — it’s impressive, but not fatal.

Alert

Whilst waiting : 112 including your location (the emergency call will transmit your details), the number of people involved, and a description. If the network is overloaded, send a text message to 114.

Starting off on the right foot

Once the flames have died down and visibility has returned: set off again towards the area that has already been burnt (the fire will not return there), at walking pace, with your headlights on. Make yourself known to the first emergency services you come across.

Should we get out of the car?

Just two cases:

A permanent shelter is within easy reach (buildings, concrete structures, large tarmac car parks): make your way there calmly BEFORE the front arrives, not whilst it is passing.
The vehicle is in direct contact with the flames (if trapped in burning vegetation): exit on the side opposite the fire, make your way to the area that has already been burnt or to the tarmac road, crouching down and protecting your face.

In all other cases, It’s safer to stay in the car than to flee on foot. Victims in cars are almost always killed because they drove through the smoke or fled on foot — not because they stayed put in the right place.

By motorbike, bike or on foot along a road : You are not in a vehicle. Immediately look for the most open, hard-surfaced area (a wide road, car park, ploughed field), move away at right angles to the wind, get down, take cover, and call 112. Never attempt to ‘outrun’ the fire in the direction it is spreading.

It’s not like in the films. A modern petrol tank does not explode spontaneously: it requires a prolonged fire involving the vehicle itself. As a wall of flame passes over the vehicle (2–5 minutes), the tyres burst and the exterior plastics may be damaged, but the passenger compartment remains an effective shelter against heat and fumes during this time.

No. Any ventilation system that draws in outside air will also draw in smoke and soot. Procedure: switch to recirculation mode first (to close off the fresh air intake), then switch off the system completely with the engine switched off when stationary.

Slow down significantly, switch on your hazard warning lights and headlights, keep your windows closed, and follow the tail lights of the vehicle in front at a safe distance; do not stop in the middle of the road where visibility is poor. Drive out of the fog bank and then stop in an open area to wait for the fog to clear.

The risk changes every day. So do your reflexes.

Check the fire alert status for your department, monitor current fires and report a fire via the Feux de Forêt mobile app.

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