Fire Season
There used to be “seasons” where we could expect wildfires in Ca, but something has changed in the past 3 or so years. Drought, building in hazard prone areas, weather, you name it. I’m not here to answer the why, just the what you’ll need “if” you need to grab and go.
Being married to a firefighter, it’s ritual in our home; go-bags, full tank of gas, shoes by exit pathways, etc. But it may not be a wildfire you’re fleeing, it could be a house fire, in which experts now say, you have approx. 2 min of less to escape without further harm. So how do you prepare? Here are a few tips:
Have a Go-Bag for every family member (if you have small kids-under 1 year, add their stuff to yours). Older kids can make their own. Make it fun, let me add items they feel are important and talk about the “why” and the importance of preparing.
••••••• Suggested items are: family pictures, coloring books or paper, crayons, markers, playing cards (things that don’t require electricity, batteries, or the internet-say what??! 😳)... your kid can’t be on his or her iPad, if connectivity is an issue, plus, save the bandwidth for real emergencies and to let family know your safe 👍••••••••••
Sign-up for emergency alerts from your local jurisdiction! Some areas have a service that you can text your zip code to 888-777, find out what your city provides and REGISTER. Most people don’t have house landlines anymore, and they are useless when trying to reach the masses.
Make sure your smoke detectors work. Check them at least once a month and change the batteries preventativly during daylight savings.
Identify at 2 ways (if possible) out of every room in your home. Door and window. If you are in a multistory home, figure out how you would escape from the upper floors if needed. Do you need a throw ladder? Do you know how to use sheets as last resort? Figure it out BEFORE a fire.
Teach your kids to not open doors immediately if they smell smoke. Always try and feel the door first for heat, or see if smoke is visible from the doorway. NEVER open a door if it’s hot or smoke is escaping from it.
If possible, close bedroom doors at night. It could give you precious seconds when trying to escape.
UNPLUG all kitchen appliances or anything plugged directly into a wall outlet. Remember the episode of This Is Us?? MY WORST NIGHTMARE...Enough said.
If you’re told to evacuate, LEAVE. Don’t wait, don’t try and spray your house with a hose. GET OUT. You’re risking your life and the lives of first responders by staying. If they are telling you to go, there is good reason, go.
Make sure you have copies of all your important documents such as copy of mortgage statement, credit cards, birth certificates etc. Most things are digital now, but make copies of everything and keep in your go bag. You won’t have to deal with the hassle of trying to get copies of stuff later, or at a shelter.
Make digital prints of pictures that are important to you. Put it all on a flash drive and send one to your mom, your dad, your cousin, your friends mom, etc. I print everything in doubles and send my mom copies of all my favorites just in case. But that’s me and I plan for the possibility of an EMP, so there’s that. I also use the cloud through Apple, amazon, and Shutterfly. 😉
Buy a few extra yoga mats to take with you if you have to go to a shelter. Have you ever slept in a cot? Exactly...
Create a video walking through you’re entire home documenting each room, items, etc. You will need this for insurance if your house is damaged. DO IT NOW.
Charge your phone, especially if you’re in an area under an advisory (or even near an area 3-4miles under an advisory). Have it on, charged and ready to go. Also have a back up charger just in case.
Look out for your neighbors. We are all in this together, so make sure people who live alone or who may need assistance evacuating are aware of what’s going on. Also people with small children may need help evacuating so make sure to just check in with them if you have time.
Make sure you have a fire extinguisher (at least 1) in the kitchen, garage, and I suggest every floor of your house. Make sure it’s handy and you know how to use it (and that it was bought in the past 5 years 😳)
Don’t forget your pets! Have a go bag for them with a leash, copies of their vaccine records, and a plan for where they will go if you can’t take them to ththe shelter with you. Some require crates, so if you have one, take it.
This list isn’t all inclusive by any means, but hopefully it gets you talking and started!
Soraya