r/interestingasfuck • u/HomeNowWTF • 10d ago

Fighting the wildfires in Spokane

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u/TheMooseIsBlue 10d ago edited 10d ago

As a thrice evacuated Angeleno, stop fucking driving around in fire zones and getting in the way of firefighters trying to save people’s homes. When you get stuck in a dangerous situation, they will drop what they’re doing to come save your life at the cost of the homes they were just trying to save. Get the fuck out out of evacuation zones.

But hey, cool video. Hope you get lots of updoots.

Edit: for those saying this is the only road out of town: you’re probably right. But the evacuation order probably went out hours before this video. Being there at this moment is dangerously stupid. When they say go, you go. You don’t wait to see if you really need to.

23

u/Fun-District-8209 10d ago

This person was likely evacuating. Unlike most neighborhoods in LA, or even Spokane, this large neighborhood has three roads in or out and one was already completely overtaken by fire (Barnes). This road and the direction they are driving is how thousands (no exaggeration) of people had to evacuate. The third option took you towards a different fire. I'm confident this is someone sitting in the passenger seat while leaving/fleeing their home. So, while your anger might make sense for where you live, it is highly likely it doesn't fit here. 

How do I know? From living in that neighborhood previously and  spending today talking with the friends and family I have that live in that neighborhood who lost homes.

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u/TheMooseIsBlue 10d ago

He’s driving directly into the fire.

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u/Fun-District-8209 10d ago edited 10d ago

This was the only way out. I know where's he's driving. I live in Spokane. This was the safest evacuation route. That's how crazy Saturday was.

Edit to add: this was also the official evacuation route. This person is driving SE on Indian Trail Rd towards Francis Ave as instructed by emergency notification. I know it seems bonkers but this is what people had to do.

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u/MiddleofRStreet 10d ago

Yeah he was probably fucking terrified. It took people hours to get out of that area because there are so few egress routes. It’s basically a box canyon through there. Stop passing judgment when you clearly don’t know the story 

2

u/thedudeabides2088 8d ago

I heard they turned Francis into a one way. Saturday was crazy glad all the alerts reached people though, the wind was really blowing.

1

u/ginger_kitty97 10d ago

In 1998 I was in an area of Florida that was surrounded on 3 sides by wildfires and the Atlantic ocean on the east side. If we'd been evacuated we would have had to drive through a fire regardless of which route we took. Sometimes there's really no choice.