Wildfire Quick Tips:
SIGN UP FOR ALERTS
- Sign up for free emergency alerts with your county or local officials because wildfires can move quickly.
- You can choose how to get alerts sent to you when you sign up, including cell phone, home phone, email, text messages, and in some cases, TTY devices.
MAKE A PLAN
- Wildfires may cause power outages, so have backup plans for electrical medical devices and medicines that must be refrigerated and have a battery-powered radio so you can hear emergency updates.
- Get a map and plan three different exit routes where you live and work in case of road closures or unexpected changes in conditions.
- Talk with your family and make an evacuation plan so everyone knows where to go when disaster strikes.
- Choose familiar places to meet up and practice getting there. Pick one in your neighborhood, one outside your neighborhood, and one outside your town in case you have to change plan based on fire location. These could be the home of a relative or friend or a store, library, or park.
- If you have pets or service animals, think about animal-friendly places to meet.
- Have a Go Bag packed with necessary items like money, important documents, phones, medicines and medical devices. Make sure to have key items for babies, elders, people with medical needs, and pets.
DON’T WAIT, EVACUATE
- Listen and watch for evacuation warnings and orders. An evacuation warning means get ready to leave.
- If you need extra time to leave because of children, older adults, people with access and functional needs or pets and livestock, then leave during an evacuation warning.
- An evacuation order means leave immediately. Don’t wait because your life and your family are in danger.
- To find exit routes and safe shelters during a wildfire call your local or county authorities. Know that public disaster shelters are free and no one can ask you for ID. Reach out ahead to see which shelters may better serve people with disabilities or pets.
- If you become trapped by fire, call 9-1-1 and tell them where you are. So rescuers know where to find you, turn on the lights in your home, or vehicle headlights and emergency flashers. Help may not be able to reach you or come quickly. That’s why evacuating early is very important.