Originally published at Notes From The Bunker. You can comment here or there.

Seems to be the season for ‘em….here’s a somewhat local story about a guy that got caught out in the boonies when a forest fire blew up and cut off his avenue of escape. Note that he made some interesting and very specific decisions. He paced himself so he wouldnt tire out and be left exhausted and helpless, he kept his gear instead of ditching it, and he remained constantly aware of his surroundings and planned ahead where he would go.

LIVINGSTON (AP) — Charles Worth was about a mile from his truck, parked at the trailhead for the south fork of Deep Creek Wednesday afternoon, when it became obvious to him that the Pine Creek fire could become an issue — a big issue.

“It was clear from where I was that if they didn’t get it under control, there would be a problem,” Worth, 54, said Saturday afternoon as he sat on a patio outside his Livingston home.

For the past couple of days, Worth, a longtime hiker and backpacker, had been backpacking with his dog, Brownie, in the Davis high country area and the Deep Creek area. As he headed to his truck, he was ready to get on the road.

“I was tired and I had potato salad waiting for me in the fridge at home,” he said.

Instead, he spotted the Pine Creek fire.

 

Another excellent example of how keeping your head together, thinking ahead, and not panicking gives you a tremendous advantage in a bad situation.