What To Bring During a Fire Evacuation

Fire season is upon us in California, and fires can move quickly. If you have a fire in your area, it’s best to be prepared even before you’ve been placed on a fire evacuation warning so that if it shifts to an evacuation order you can waste no time getting your loved ones and furry friends to safety. It’s always ideal to leave as soon as there is risk of fire – it’s better to be safe than sorry. We’re laid out our top evacuation preparation tips for those who may experience fire risk this season.

Items of Importance

The most important things to pack during a fire evacuation are your important documents and items that are hard or impossible to restore. This can include identification like driver’s licenses, passports, birth certificates, and social security cards. 

You may need these items to access insurance money, rent temporary accommodations, and access public benefits during disaster declarations. It may also be harder to replace these items without any of the others, for example you cannot get a new passport without other forms of identification.  

Additional important documents to bring are homeowner’s documents, automobile titles, legal documents, and more. If it’s the only copy you have of a document – pack it up to prevent losing it.

Other items of importance to bring are sentimental items like photo albums, baby mementos, wedding rings, and family heirlooms. If you have time, grab as many sentimental items as possible. These items cannot be replaced with the same sentimental value they hold, so it’s important to get those items together and in the car along with your documents.

Pack a “Go” Bag

When you’re at risk of fire evacuation, you should pack a “go” bag for everyone in your family. These go bags should be items that you need to be able to pick up and leave on a moment’s notice. A go back should include any medications needed, a change of clothes, a sweater, pajamas, socks, undergarments, and a pair of shoes. If you have any small children in your family, be sure to pack diapers, wipes, bottles, formula, and any other essentials. Prepare these bags as soon as there’s fire risk and keep them by the door or in the car for easy evacuation.

You should also pack essential toiletries like deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, shower products, and a hairbrush and comb. If you’re on the go you may not have time to stop for these essentials. Additionally, don’t forget your wallet, keys, cellphone (and charger), and other personal essentials.

Prepare Your Furry Friends

If you’ve got pets, keep them nearby and ready to go. Ensure that all animals have some form of collar or identification tag just in case. For dogs, make sure you have their leash ready to go. For cats and other small animals, have a pet carrier ready to go. Pack away extra food, bowls, litter boxes, and litter and put it in the car for quick reaction time.

For large animals that cannot be transported, make sure they have food, water, and some form of identification to contact you if they get loose. During a fire evacuation there are agencies that will help you move your large animals like horses or cattle to a safe location.

Get Your Home Ready

Once you’ve got your personal items, documents, go bag, and pets ready to evacuate – there are measures you can take to give your home the best chance of survival. Turn off any gas lines to your home, including grills. Likewise, turn off the electricity lines throughout your home to prevent additional fire risks or damage to your property.  Close all windows and interior doors, and remove any curtains or drapery from the windows to reduce flammable surfaces. If you have time, hose down the exterior of your home with water, soaking any greenery that sits close to the structure. This will reduce the likelihood of the home catching fire from ash and embers.

Restore Upon Return

Once the fire evacuation has been lifted and you are able to return to your home you may need a fire restoration company. If your home has been hit by the fire directly, you will need to have a professional crew come into the home and assess the damage. S&S Restoration is experienced in fire restoration from assessment to insurance claims and beyond into the actual restoration process. We’re available 24/7 because disaster can strike at any time – give us a call and let us handle the stress after your home has been affected by fire.

About S&S Restoration

S&S Restoration is a Temecula, California restoration company that specializes in both residential and commercial buildings affected by fire, flooding, mold, and storms. We proudly serve the Inland Empire, San Diego, High Desert, and San Bernardino County areas. Give us a call at (800) 608-8447 or visit our website at ssrestorationinc.com, we’re available 24/7 for emergency response to guarantee the best outcomes.