The fire may be miles from you and pose no threat to your safety. If the fire is nearby or moving in your direction, travel away from it at a right angle, if possible. That means going south or north if the fire is approaching from the west. While you travel, try to stay close to a large body of water until the fire passes. In extreme cases, paddle to the middle of a lake, wear your life vest and submerge yourself under your overturned canoe, where you can breathe the cool, trapped air to protect your lungs and airways until the fire passes.
Most fires travel east and north.
Make sure you have a safe route to follow in case wind direction changes. Embers can blow more than a mile, possibly starting new fires. As humidity increases in the early morning and late evening, fire activity may decrease. Travel may be safer at these times. Tall smoke plumes indicate a very hot fire.