Living in California comes with perks and sunshine, but we are prone to fire risks. Windy weather is a factor, and anyone who has ever evacuated or lost a home feels the panic of a windy forecast on a dry day.
My husband is a fire department battalion chief, and our family evacuated during the Thomas Fire of December, 2017. Wintertime is no longer a safe bet. We witnessed that then, and we’ve all seen devastation during cold weather since.
Our thoughts are with everyone who has ever been impacted by fires, past or recent.
Fire Evacuation
As the Thomas Fire neared our home within the Ojai Valley, the first thing I did was sit down and make a list. Originally from Michigan, it was my first fire evacuation, and I needed to focus instead of haphazardly gathering random and precious items.
For safety reasons (regarding yourself and the first responders involved), if you are under mandatory evacuation, please don’t delay. In that case, here is a short list of essentials.
The Six P’s: 1) people/pets 2) papers 3) prescriptions 4) pictures 5) personal computers 6) plastic cards/cash
The following is a more detailed list of items you might want to consider if applicable and if time and space permit.
- Basics while away from home – clothes, toiletries, eyeglasses/contacts, hearing aids, purse/wallet, medicines/vitamins, first aid kit (and masks for air pollution), snacks/water/food, flashlight/batteries
- Pet considerations – food, medicine treats, water bowl, leash/collar
- Baby/kid considerations – diapers/wipes, bottles/cups, favorite blankets/stuffies, baby bag, activities for kids to do while on evacuation orders (toys, games/cards, drawing/reading/crafting materials, instruments, homework, school backpacks)
- Legal documents – whatever is in your safe (birth certificates, marriage license, passports, wills/POA, deeds/titles), unpaid bills, checkbook, files
- Electronics – laptops, thumb drives, external hard drives (backup memory drives), chargers, passwords
- Work related – uniforms, gear/tools, paper portfolios
- Expensive items – artwork, jewelry, bikes
- Keepsakes – graduation, marriage, genealogy, holiday and/or childhood related memorabilia if easy to access/transport, generational heirlooms, collectibles, baby books, treasured recipes, address books
- Irreplaceable items – journals, cards/letters, yearbooks, birth/death notices, military records/plaques, home videos, and photo albums that pre-date electronics
- Comforts for yourself – reading/writing/listening/crafting/exercise material
* Other recommendations: First, keep in mind, fire “season” is not contained to summer and fall. So, form an ongoing Wildfire Action Plan by determining: evacuation/escape routes and meetup locations (there might not be power or cell service); photographing your home for insurance purposes; shutting off gas, electricity, and water; and creating a Defensible Space by: removing weeds/brush/flammable objects from around the house, trimming tree branches, clearing the roof, and cleaning out rain gutters.
Our homes are safe spaces, comfort zones, the place we make and hold memories; a residence is a symbol of stability, family, hard work, and investment. Not everything can be replaced.
My heart goes out to anyone who has lost a home, business, school, church or loved one due to unfortunate fire damage and destruction.
And yet, after a fire, there is beauty, compassion, connection, strength, and a sense of resilience within affected communities. Thank you to everyone who has donated time, given money, shared resources, and offered gifts or services. Special thanks to the first responders.
Here are some helpful links to prepare for fire risks:
Ready Set Go, A Wildfire Action Plan – LA County Fire Department
VC Alert (register in advance)
Ready Set Go – City of Ventura
Ready Set Go – Montecito Fire Protection District
Watch Duty app – Wildfire Maps and Alerts
