they'll miss us

[KLPNO]

Hello everyone
I'd like to ask about the meaning of the phrase "they'll miss us" in the following context:

"I keep telling people that I'm staying," announced one of Jopale's neighbors. A bachelor like Jopale, bright and well read, he admitted, " I'm always saying that the fires will be put out, or they'll miss us. But when it comes down to it, do you know what I'll do? Run. Run east to the Ocean, just like you're running west. If I can slip past the provincial guards and dissapear into the chaoos..."

What does "they'll miss us" mean in this context?

My guess is that the phrase means "when fires come, we'll be in another place", but I'm not sure.

[susiedqq]

It's impossible to know unless we see more about the story.

[banderas]

it could be antyhing, give us more context, please

[KLPNO]

It's impossible to know unless we see more about the story.

This Jopale's neighbor is mentioned only once in the whole story, i.e. in the passage quoted above.
The general plot in the story is as follows: This man, Jopale, is a school teacher. When the news comes that big destructive fires has begun not so far from the place where he lives, people there react in different ways -- some want to go away, others want to stay... The author mostly describes how Jopale and a mysterious woman travel and sometimes he goes back to give some information about Jopale's earlier life.

[engee30]

Hello everyone
I'd like to ask about the meaning of the phrase "they'll miss us" in the following context:

..." I'm always saying that the fires will be put out, or they'll miss us..."

What does "they'll miss us" mean in this context?

My guess is that the phrase means "when fires come, we'll be in another place", but I'm not sure.

It reads like this to me, ...they (= the fires) won't hit us/we won't be hit by them (= the fires)...

[banderas]

Hello everyone
I'd like to ask about the meaning of the phrase "they'll miss us" in the following context:

"I keep telling people that I'm staying," announced one of Jopale's neighbors. A bachelor like Jopale, bright and well read, he admitted, " I'm always saying that the fires will be put out, or they'll miss us. But when it comes down to it, do you know what I'll do? Run. Run east to the Ocean, just like you're running west. If I can slip past the provincial guards and dissapear into the chaoos..."

What does "they'll miss us" mean in this context?

My guess is that the phrase means "when fires come, we'll be in another place", but I'm not sure.

fires here is in plural so fires will be put out by someone stops them or fires will go through not hitting the place Jopale lives.