Evacuation: What To Know Now
Here we are in the home stretch of wildfire season, just a few months from a collective sigh of relief. To date, Calfire has reported that 326,558 acres have burned in California in 5,541 fires. Three notable fires occurred in Contra Costa County and hard-working fire crews can be credited with managing them quickly. Presumably, you have addressed your home hardening and vegetation management earlier in the summer. As we are not out of wildfire season just yet, making sure that we are prepared for an evacuation is critical. Here are some key items to consider:
Before evacuation is necessary, follow these steps before it's time to GO!
Create a Wildfire Action Plan for your family. Being ready to go also means knowing when to evacuate and what to do if you become trapped.
Complete the pre-evacuation preparation steps (only if time allows) to increase your home’s defense.
Make sure you sign up for text alerts about wildfires in your area, and know your community’s emergency response plan, evacuation orders and evacuation centers. Be sure to sign up for the Contra Costa Community Warning System to receive evacuation alerts.
When immediate evacuation is necessary, follow these steps as soon as possible to get ready to GO!
Monitor fire activity in your area using one of these online tools:
LEAVE EARLY! You do not need to receive an evacuation order to leave the area. Be sure to communicate your plans with someone from out of the danger zone.
Review your Evacuation Plan Checklist.
Ensure your Emergency Supply Kit/Evacuation Bag is in your vehicle.
Cover-up to protect against heat and flying embers. Wear long pants, long sleeve shirt, heavy shoes/boots, cap, dry bandanna for face cover, goggles or glasses. 100% cotton is preferable.
Locate your pets and take them with you.
Do not try to outsmart a wildfire
There is always someone who thinks they know a better way to respond to an emergency. Guess what? They dont! Here are some reasons why those out-of-the-box ideas won’t work:
I will evacuate on a fire road - Fire roads are designed for high-clearance 4×4 vehicles. If you attempt to use one of those trails, you could bottom out or drive off of a ledge. This could leave you stranded or potentially block emergency vehicles coming in the other direction. Also, if you get stuck, no one will expect you to be there, so your chances of being rescued are diminished.
I will park my car on a golf course/open field to escape the fire - You may be able to escape direct flames, but not smoke and embers. It may take hours for the fire to burn over. How long do you think you will last in a small enclosed space?
I will jump into my pool - Again, you may not burn, but you won’t be able to breath with smoke and ember filled air. Also, unless you heat your pool, you could potentially catch hypothermia if you are trapped for hours.
For an updated and much more comprehensive planning tool, download the Lamorinda Resident’s Guide to Preparedness & Evacuation.
