Can someone explain to me why people won't evacuate when an explosive wildfire is coming their way?

[Arkansas Granny]

I'm watching a reporter standing on a highway, bracing himself against a strong wind with the glow of the wildfire behind him talking about people in the path of the fire who are not following a mandatory evacuation order.

What are they thinking?

[hlthe2b]

1. There was a post about the animal sanctuary that evacuated all the animals they could BUT

a handful of their oldest animals--a large pig and an old horse among them, simply were too terrified or crippled to load the trailers. So, volunteers were staying with these animals. Now, I've heard since the winds may have shifted and all may be well, but it did seem as though they were really at major risk.

I understand their thinking, no matter how foolish it seems. I just could never leave a person or an animal I've loved for years to perish alone in a fire. When faced with impossible circumstances sometimes there is no choice. And yes, I share a lot with the person who ends up drowning (or hopefully not) trying to save their dog.

[LuckyCharms]

6. +1. n/t

[Hortensis]

2. Shrug. Reasons are going to vary from person to person.

Me, I've lived in CA fire country. It's top of my list of ways NOT to die, and I'm definitely a better safe than sorry sort.

[cally]

3. Roads are often packed

And difficult to get out. It’s also expensive.

[Hortensis]

5. :) Packed roads would make me question waiting that long.

Difficult to get out would scare me into getting out; if it's bad now, what could worse be? And sleeping in the car or a tent might be uncomfortable but not expensive; we keep a sleeping bag and water in our car as it is. Children? Absolute duty to make their safety top priority.

Lots of people, of course, have genuinely better reasons than some imagine. Some are nearing the ends of their lives anyway, many with older-still dependents, and are fatalistically willing to take their chances in staying where they want to be. Their choice. I won't sneer at someone who stays because her cat would be traumatized by driving in a car, not if the decision's properly informed, made with eyes wide open.

Unless, of course, it could endanger responders. We have a duty to them also.

[3Hotdogs]

4. My cousin's squeeze is in his 60's.

His area was advised to leave the N. Carolina coast during a recent storm. He said he had been in storms before and he was staying.

No reason, beyond that. No pets or such to worry about. Cousin lives about 70 miles inland and he could have stayed there with no problem.

[Tribalceltic]

7. I live in an area that is often evacuated for Hurricanes

some reasons I don't evacuate (every time)
Cost
Abandoning my cats (2)
Stress
Fear of being robbed, losing my meds, or having trouble at a public shelter
Not being able to get out of the shelter

but the main reason I will only leave for a Cat 4 or 5 storm...
19 times I have been told to evacuate, only one storm has come close to us, and that had dropped to a tropical storm by the time it got here.

I do understand and agree that all of those cases were enough to call for evacuations.

[dewsgirl]

9. Same.

[milestogo]

8. Death wish, for a few.