Wildfire Preparation and Evacuation Tips

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As wildfires rage throughout the West Coast, many homeowners are being evacuated from their homes, while others stand by for information as the spread continues. The following tips are meant to inform your household’s wildfire evacuation protocol, whatever your evacuation timeline may be.

 Immediate evacuation

Evacuation orders come from local law enforcement agencies, but if you have not received an official evacuation notice and feel threatened by wildfires in your area, do not hesitate to leave. Take only essential vehicles on the road, this will minimize traffic and reduce the chance of gridlock when evacuating the area. Keep the windows rolled up to avoid inhaling smoke and tune into local radio for updates as you head toward safer ground. And remember your masks!

 What to bring 

The Six P’s

• People and pets
• Phones and personal computer
  • Chargers, any additional computer hardware
• Papers and important documents
  • Birth certificates, passports, insurance, legal documents
• Prescriptions
  • Medication, eyeglasses, contacts
• Pictures and irreplaceable keepsakes
• Payment (credit & debit cards, bank cards, cash)

Go bag

• Face masks or coverings
• Extra clothing
• First aid kit
• Toiletries
• Tools
• Flashlight
• Batteries
• Sanitation supplies
• Copies of important documents
• Three-day supply of food and water

Evacuation Preparation 

If you live in an area that is not being evacuated, there are steps you can take now to prepare your home and family, if and when the time comes.

• Create a “defensible space”
  • Clear your home’s surroundings of brush and vegetation
• Turn off sprinklers and main gas lines
• Clean out roof and gutters
• Move furniture away from windows toward the center of the room
• Remove flammable household items
• Prepare your emergency kit
  • Include useful items listed above in “Go bag”

For additional information on protecting yourself from smoke while addressing COVID-19 health concerns, Click Here. Be sure to check your local news and emergency alert radio stations and social media profiles for the most up-to-date information and helpful resources.

Wildfires are unpredictable. Knowing what to do both in preparation for and during an emergency evacuation will have your household prepared in the event that a wildfire spreads to your area, neighborhood, or home.