What is the minimum distance you should keep from a large incident?

The recommended minimum distance to maintain from a large incident is 500 feet. This distance is crucial for ensuring personal safety and allows emergency responders to operate effectively without interference. Being too close to a large incident, such as a fire, explosion, or hazardous materials spill, can expose individuals to various dangers, including toxic fumes, projectiles, or secondary explosions.

Maintaining a distance of 500 feet provides a buffer zone that helps protect people from the potential consequences of these incidents. It also allows for proper situational awareness to identify evolving threats and to observe how the situation is being managed by first responders. The 500-foot guideline is widely accepted as a standard practice in emergency management and response protocols, reinforcing the importance of safety when approaching and evaluating large-scale incidents.