Urban Wildfire Check List

LA FIRES ADVICE from shegrows*, on Facebook

I cannot stress enough, if the fire is close, DO NOT WAIT ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR POLICE TO SAVE YOU.  You can help them by evacuating safely early.  Don’t stay behind to try to save your home in these winds.  In Maui, over 100 lives were lost and in the Los Angeles fires, over 27 lives to date have been lost.  Check on your elders and disabled neighbors who might have trouble evacuating themselves.

FIVE THINGS PEOPLE WISH THEY HAD TAKEN WITH THEM THAT HAUNTS THEM THE MOST:

1.    Their PETS

2.    Their family printed photos/videos and special irreplaceable heirlooms

3.    Cash safes (cash will burn inside)

4.    Vital records: deeds, social security cards, passports.  These are replaceable but I’ve watched people suffer greatly over replacing these documents after losing their homes and it delays and can even block you from receiving disaster assistance.  Grab them if you can QUICKLY.  BUT NOT WORTH RISKING YOUR LIFE OVER

5.    Vital Medications

IF YOU ARE IN A MANDATOTY EVACUATION AND ORDERED TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY:

-       Put TO-GO BAGS and emergency packs in the car along with your PETS and COMPUTERS

-       TURN ON LIGHTS so Fire Department can see your house

-       Walk through your house quickly with a video camera on and video each room of the house.  If you have time, open all the closets, drawers and cabinets.  This will help immensely with insurance claims later.

-       Leave gates unlocked and open

-       Leave hoses out where they are easy to see

-       Turn off propane or gas lines if possible.  If there’s anything leaning up against the house or fence or propane tank like trash cans, move them.

-       Bring headlamps, water, electrolytes and snacks

-       Grab your dirty laundry – it’s likely your favorite clothes that you wear most often

-       Text someone you trust and sent them your SHARED LOCATION until the end of the day when you evacuate.  Text them your car description and plate number

-       Have an evacuation location set up and have backup just in case.  Download map in case you lose service.  Map marked with at least two evacuation routes.

-       Save all your receipts for hotel/gas/food while evacuated

-       If you have to abandon your car for any reason, pull car off the road and don’t block traffic.  Leave keys in the car if you’re stuck and everyone’s abandoning cars.

IF YOU HAVE 1-2 HOURS BEFORE EVACUATION

-       Shut all windows and doors, interior and exterior and leave them unlocked

-       Remove combustible window shades and curtains.  Close metal shutters if you have them

-       Move furniture to the center of the room, away from the windows

-       Turn off pilot lights

-       Shut off ac/heat and propane tanks – gas, too.

-       Attach hoses to spigots

-       Leave indoor and outdoor lights ON.

-       Back your car into the driveway, loaded, with doors and windows closed

-       DISCONNECT automatic garage doors so firefighters can open them by hand.

OUTSIDE & IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

-       If you have a pool or hot tub, write a note on cardboard with an arrow pointing in the direction for firefighters

-       Move BBQs away from structures

-       Place combustible outdoor items (patio furniture, toys, doormats, trash cans, etc.) in the garage or 30 feet from structures (or in the pool)

-       Shut off gas at the meter or propane tank  

-       Connect hoses to spigots

-       Fill water buckets and place them around outside of the house especially near decks and fences for animals and firefighters

-       Back your car into the driveway, loaded, with doors and windows closed

-       Prop open fence and side gates

-       Place ladder(s) at the corner(s) of structures for firefighters

-       Seal attic and ground vents with precut plywood or metal covers (even duct tape will protect ember entry) if time allows

-       Patrol your property and monitor conditions.

-       Leave if spot fires ignite or conditions change

-       Leave garden implements like rakes and shovels at the front of the house for firefighters

-       Wear protective clothing and bring respirators or N95 masks for the face

-       Fill and ready any gas-powered pumps

-       DISCONNECT automatic garage doors so firefighters can open them by hand.

-       Notify and share location with someone out of town.  Update them as needed.

-       Leave a note with your contact info and out-of-area contact on the fridge

-       Check on neighbors or call to alert them to prepare at first sign of fire

-       Put To-Go bags and emergency packs in the car 

-       Get in the practice of backing the car into the driveway for faster escape

Stay safe and look out for one another.  The most important thing in your disaster recovery is community. These are times that ask us all to strengthen and fortify those bonds. 

(*Rebekah Uccellini, known on Instagram as @shegrows, is a community leader and advocate specializing in disaster recovery and resilience, particularly in wildfire-affected areas. She serves as the Executive Director of the Makai Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting communities impacted by natural disasters.)