When you need to evacuate because of a wildfire or another life-threatening emergency, you cannot bring all your belongings with you. Unlike the emergency supplies you keep at home in case you have to stay indoors for several days, a lightweight “go bag” serves a different purpose.
If you need to flee on foot or use public transportation, a go bag contains necessary items such as medicines and a portable phone charger that you can carry.
To start, this is what you should do at the moment to get ready:
- Enroll in Public Alerts, Citizen Alert or a service in your county to be notified via text, call or email by emergency response agencies when you need to take action such as shelter-in-place or evacuate.
- Make sure everyone in your household knows your emergency escape plan including how to safely exit dwellings, where you will all reunite and how you will contact each other in case power lines or phone signals aren’t working. Redfora, the San Francisco-based company that sells emergency kits, has a Guide To Creating an Emergency Plan.
- Plan how you will care for your pets in an emergency. Update information on a pet ID tag or microchip if you have changed your address, phone number or emergency contact outside your immediate area. Place a pet rescue alert sticker near the front door or window so it’s visible to rescue workers.
- Know your home and auto insurance policy coverage, limits and requirements. Ask your insurance company now how to create a home inventory list and if you need to take photos.
- Create a digital financial binder. Scan important documents such as passports, birth certificates, Social Security cards, medication list and medical information, insurance policies, financial accounts, titles and a deed/lease to your home for proof of address. Keep copies of important contacts and documents together in a safe, waterproof box. Do not store any documents that reveal your personal information in an emergency bag in case the bag is misplaced or stolen.
- Print out the American Red Cross’ emergency preparedness checklist and see what more you need to do.
- The National Weather Service website posts information about local wind speed and direction, which may inform your fire evacuation route. Follow the instructions of local officials.
Assemble A Go Bag
Make sure to assemble your Go Bag or emergency supply kit well in advance of a wildfire or any other disaster. It should be within reach so that you can swiftly bring it along when you need to evacuate. Prepare yourself for an extended absence from your residence. Each individual should have a readily accessible Go Bag or emergency supply kit. Backpacks are ideal for storing these items (excluding food and water) as they are easy to grab. To facilitate transportation, consider storing food and water in a wheeled tub or chest. Ensure that it is manageable enough in weight to be lifted into your vehicle.
Go Bag Checklist
- Face masks or coverings
- Three-day supply of non-perishable food and three gallons of water per person
- Map marked with at least two evacuation routes
- Prescriptions or special medications
- Change of clothing
- Extra eyeglasses or contact lenses
- An extra set of car keys, credit cards, cash or traveler’s checks
- First aid kit
- Flashlight
- Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
- Sanitation supplies
- Copies of important documents (birth certificates, passports, etc.)
- Don’t forget pet food and water!
Items to take if time allows:
- Easily carried valuables
- Family photos and other irreplaceable items
- Personal computer information on hard drives and disks
- Chargers for cell phones, laptops, etc.
In order to be prepared for a sudden nighttime evacuation, it is important to always have a reliable pair of shoes and a flashlight within reach near your bed.
Sheltering At Home
If it is safe to remain indoors during a wildfire that is distant, make sure to have an alternative power source available in case voltage lines are affected by fire, smoke, and particulate matter and cease functioning.
Step by step, follow these instructions to ensure that weather sealing is installed around gaps. Additionally, make arrangements for both yourself and your pets to occupy a room that has the least number of windows and preferably lacks a fireplace, vent, or any other openings leading outside. If necessary, keep a portable air cleaner or air conditioner running in that particular room.
Basic Disaster Supplies
The American Red Cross and Ready.gov suggest that every household should have a basic disaster kit, containing supplies for three days to support your family and pets during evacuation, and a two-week supply if you choose to remain in your home during a disaster.
To ensure you have all the necessary items, replenish what you’ve used or add the items you currently don’t have. Additionally, make sure to refresh and update your water and food supplies every six months.
There are two options available for obtaining emergency preparedness kits – you can either purchase them pre-made or customize them according to your needs. Another alternative is to create one entirely on your own.
In the event of water pipe damage or contamination of the water supply, it is necessary to ensure a daily supply of one gallon of water per person for drinking, cooking, and cleaning purposes. Additionally, your pet also requires a daily intake of one gallon of water.
Containers that are used to hold drinking water should be certified to be free of plastics that contain BPA.
- Water containers can safely store one gallon of water. Fill them up, mark the date and in six months, use the water to landscape and fill the container again
According to the American Red Cross, it is advisable to have a sufficient supply of nonperishable food that can last for a duration of two weeks. The experts recommend avoiding excessively salty options when choosing nonperishable food, such as canned soup that is ready-to-eat and easy to prepare.
If you are interested in freezing meals, it may be beneficial to have a secondary freezer.
- Canned foods (soups, vegetables, fruits)
- Other nonperishables (grains, pastas, rice)
- Snacks (chips, crackers, nuts)
- Baby food
- Pet food
Fire Preparedness Checklist
To ensure that your family and home are prepared for fires, follow these steps:
- Place fire extinguishers on every level of your home.
- Install smart smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on each level of your home and in each bedroom.
- Purchase collapsible ladders for each upstairs bedroom. Typical ladders measure 15 feet and cover two stories of your home.
- Remove clothes, rags and other materials around furnaces, stoves and other heat-producing equipment.
- Clear the lint buildup in your dryer after every use and the area behind your dryer every few months.
- Close the fireplace screen to stop embers from popping onto the floor or carpet.
- Clean your chimney every year. Soot can harden on chimney walls as flammable creosote.
- Make sure your electrical cords are in covers and don’t run under carpets or against your walls.
- Space heaters and heat-producing appliances like toasters and hair dryers should be at least three feet away from anything flammable such as curtains, beds and other linens.
- Lighted candles should always be contained and monitored.
- Know how to feel the temperature of the bottom of doors and avoid opening doors if they are too hot.
- Practice family fire drills twice per year.
