It’s an important way to be ready when wildfires happen.
A wildfire action plan is a well-rehearsed series of preparation steps your family agrees to take in the event of a wildfire. It gets everyone on the same page about what to do when an emergency strikes and they need to act immediately.
Your wildfire action plan should include…
- Establishing a family meeting location outside the fire zone
- Memorizing/practicing several escape routes from your home/community
- Setting an evacuation plan for any animals you keep
- Designating an out-of-area friend or relative to be a single point of contact should onsite family members become separated
- Keeping fire extinguishers handy and making sure everyone knows how to use them
- Staying current on fire extinguisher expiration dates
- Instructions on safely shutting down your home’s gas, electric, and water
Supplies to Include in Your Plan
American Red Cross has some great suggestions for preparing an emergency kit, and we’ve already covered “go bags” on the blog—but all the supplies in town won’t do you any good if you don’t take them with you.
Be sure to include grabbing your go bags as part of your wildfire action plan, as well as bags for anyone who isn’t home when you need to evacuate.
Keep the 6 Ps in Mind
While determining what to include in a wildfire action plan, many people have found it helpful to focus on “The 6 Ps”:
- People & pets: Nothing is more important than making sure loved ones are out of danger.
- Papers, phone numbers & important documents: If you have time to grab essential documents like birth certificates, passports, and banking/insurance information, you should.
- Prescriptions, vitamins & eyeglasses: These are easily replaced but anything vital to your ongoing health should really be in your go bag.
- Pictures & irreplaceable memorabilia: Gather such items if there’s time, but remember—things are just things and your family’s safety is far more important.
- Personal computer, hard drive & disks: Again, if you have time to gather such items, go ahead. However, keeping an updated portable hard drive in your go bag is a good way to preserve your data without worrying about equipment. And of course, there’s always the cloud.
- “Plastic” (credit cards, ATM cards) & cash: You’ll need to make purchases after evacuating your home, so consider including a supply of cash and duplicate cards in your go bag.
Be thorough
Make your wildfire action plan as complete as possible, and be sure to write down every detail. Don’t make the mistake of relying on memory when an evacuation is called and your adrenaline is pumping. Have detailed, printed copies of your plan ready and make sure every member of your family has one.
Download this comprehensive Wildfire Action Plan overview from CAL FIRE to get started. Be sure to tailor it to your own family’s needs.
A wildfire action plan is just one way to get ready, so you can be ready when wildfire strikes.