# Don't get in the water during a forest fire? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 15, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-get-in-the-water-during-a-forest-fire/269440 "2004-10-15T19:51:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-get-in-the-water-during-a-forest-fire/269440/21 "2004-10-18T02:33:30Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > A motor car is ideal (believe it or not). Get in, seal it, and lie low. I’ve witnessed an automobile catch fire and explode. Nothing like in the movies, mind you, but the flaming interior didn’t look particularly inviting. I’ve also passed to within 40 feet of another flaming automobile, and the radiant heat was surprisingly intense, even through my vehicle’s windows were closed and I was moving, not stationary. As a forest fire approached, I’d be concerned about the 15 gallons of gasoline located five feet from me. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-get-in-the-water-during-a-forest-fire/269440/22 "2004-10-18T03:07:00Z")
Curious **Malodorous** -what song was that? BTW, if you’d like to know more, in addition to Maclean’s book (a practical ‘must read’ for everyone in forestry fire suppression), Google for “Mann Gulch” and you’ll see a number of links to information about that terrible day. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-get-in-the-water-during-a-forest-fire/269440/23 "2004-10-18T03:51:23Z")
Are we really trying to get good advice from a _Donald Duck comic book?!?_ :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-get-in-the-water-during-a-forest-fire/269440/24 "2004-10-18T04:09:10Z")
I’m just merely asking about the statement that the science was accurate. Not asking Donald Duck to teach me hostage negotiation. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-get-in-the-water-during-a-forest-fire/269440/25 "2004-10-18T08:39:33Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Are we really trying to get good advice from a _Donald Duck comic book?!?_ :dubious: Hey, about half of what I know now is from Carl Barks’ duck comics. I remember the comic in the OP quite well, actually. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nekosoft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c2a13f/32.png) [@Nekosoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nekosoft)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-get-in-the-water-during-a-forest-fire/269440/26 "2004-10-18T15:24:46Z")
If I may speak for **Malodorous** , the song that occurs to me is James Keelaghan’s “Cold Missouri Waters” (recently covered by Cry Cry Cry). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-get-in-the-water-during-a-forest-fire/269440.md?page=1)