Fire! What do you think about when you hear the word fire?
This week has given me numerous observations after experiencing a fire nearby that I’d like to share with you all while they’re fresh. Plan, Plan, Practice and Plan more!
Receiving notifications from accurate sources: city emergency notifications Cal Fire emergency resources and the app called Watch Duty (in California) were invaluable this week. It was interesting to observe what sites were updated and where the latest information could be found.
Informational Briefings by the Fire teams were cherished by all – and thankfully uploaded to YouTube quickly to share with those who hadn’t signed up for notifications. ** Important point to note, technology is the main way information is disbursed. Look out for your friends/family who may not have access to technology. **
Pre-Planning Saves Lives
Receiving a notification about a nearby fire can take your breath away. After taking a deep breath, adrenalin kicks in and the action begins. First things first, where do you begin?
Pre-fire: Plan, prepare and practice before a wildfire occurs
A wildfire may make it necessary for you and your neighbors to evacuate. Plan, prepare and practice wildfire
evacuation together and with your local emergency services. This can help save lives!
- Pre-fire: plan
- Sign up to receive local emergency alerts and warnings on all home phones, cellphones and other devices
- Know what your community’s emergency notification and evacuation plans are
- Plan an evacuation route away from your home and other alternate routes in case the first route is closed or threatened by wildfire
- Make sure your designated contact knows your plan and to communicate with you to know you are safe
- Know the evacuation plans for locations where household members regularly are such as workplaces, schools and commuter routes
- Plan to evacuate family, friends or neighbors who have disabilities
- Maintain roads and bridges on your property and in your community if you are responsible for them. Improve roads to have 2 ways out and make them wide enough for emergency vehicles. Make sure everyone can open gated roads. Post load limits on bridges. Build
- culverts with materials that won’t melt
- Pre-fire: prepare
- Prepack emergency supply kits
- Back vehicles into your garage or park them in an open space facing the direction of escape
- Keep the gas tank in vehicles at least half full
- Pre-fire: practice
- Practice often with everyone in your home, using at least 2 ways out of your neighborhood
- Participate in community wildfire drills. If something could keep you from leaving successfully, such as a locked gate, address it immediately
- Practice evacuating animals and pets, including how to operate trailers and other vehicles needed to transport them. Know what resources are needed for their care in case of evacuation
- During a wildfire event
- Charge all cellphones in case of power loss
- Know the local fire conditions and be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice
- Leave early if you are concerned. It may take more time than you think to evacuate due to heavier traffic and decreased visibility, or if you have small children, pets or livestock, or have physical challenges
- Go promptly when told to evacuate
- Don’t drive out with trailers or large vehicles like RV’s, especially if you are unfamiliar with operating them. A stalled or abandoned vehicle makes it hard for others to leave and first responders to get into the area
- Keep your car windows up and the air conditioning on to prevent embers and smoke from entering the vehicle
- Continue to listen for additional evacuation instructions
- After evacuating
- Make sure that everyone is okay once you are out. If someone is injured or not feeling well, get immediate assistance Inform your designated contact as soon as you are safe
- Don’t return to your home until you are told you can safely do so
- Follow safety guidance, including bringing in fresh water and other supplies
What’s Needed If …
You know what I learned? How little “stuff” mattered when the 1st notification came to my phone. Thankfully, I had planned, prepped and this was a heck of a practice 🙂
Any natural disaster can occur quickly and in this case I was home. My go preparation included prepping my car with water, kleenex, disinfectant wipes before loading up. The fire was 5% contained with winds increasing, due to Hurricane (Tropical Storm) Kay.
When the evacuation warning area was within 5 miles, I loaded the car. Winds can take embers miles and with the dry terrain, being ready to be ready is my recommendation. Packing the car is a learning experience and I’m glad to have the experience.
Having my papers, policies, banking info, legal docs, id’s, home inventory videos, lantern, batteries, radio, clothes, shoes and toiletries ready to load, lightened the load. Must confess, my fireproof safe with contents in it, was heavy 🤣 Having a route mapped out and knowing where I would go was a relief.
Get ahead of communication – contact people and let them know how you are. Have multiple devices and chargers with you. And if you haven’t heard of Halo, check out having a spare Halo to automatically be a power source (after you charge it) for hours.
After five days, the rain from “Kay” helped the firefighters, 40% containment was a big deal! Tonight we learned the evacuation order/warnings closest to me were lifted. The firefighters held the line.
Sad news came when we learned one of the helicopters crashed going in for fuel. The pilot and two onboard sustained injuries and taken to the hospital. These firefighters put it all on the line for us. The best way we can thank them is to evacuate when ordered, and prepare when under warning. Things change in the blink of an eye.
If planning and preparing is something you’d like to accomplish, let’s talk! You can send me a note: Lynn@thelivingplanner.com or call/text my office +1951.400.5966.
If you’d like general information about what I do and why I do it, my website is: https://thelivingplanner.com and my online courses/resources will give you an idea of what I offer to assist people, pets and businesses here: https://courses.thelivingplanner.com
In deep appreciation for the opportunity to be here, I thank all who look after all of us 💗 –Lynn
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