May is Wildfire Awareness Month and, since Saturday May 3rd was Wildfire Community Preparedness Day (#WildfirePrepDay2025), what better way to keep the activities going than to learn what to do around your property just prior to an evacuation (the pre-evacuation stage)? These are the steps that will hopefully help reduce damage to your structure but, very importantly, will also support the responding firefighters.
 
Days-to-Hours Before Evacuation:
If you anticipate an evacuation alert, or if you choose to evacuate on your own and there is time after you’ve packed everything in your vehicle:

• Check on Zone 0 (refer to Week 4’s tips). Clear away anything combustible in that 0-to-5-foot zone around your house. This includes any dry or dead plants, toys, patio furniture, doormats, trash cans, grills, and propane tanks.
• Remove debris from your roof and gutter.
• If you have vent screens, remove any debris buildup.
• If you do not have screens, cover all outdoor vents with duct tape, metal, or pre-cut plywood – the goal is to block embers from entering the building. Remove the covering after the threat of embers and wildfire passes.
• Seal dryer vents and wall-mounted make-up air openings for furnaces with metal tape or duct tape.

 
Hours-to-Minutes Before Evacuation:
If you only have a little time to do a few things after the vehicle is packed, here is what is recommended:

• Shut off the gas supply to your home. Shut it off at the meter and turn off pilot lights.
• Close all doors and windows to prevent embers from entering your house. But leave the doors and windows unlocked in the event firefighters need to enter to put out flames ignited by embers that made it indoors.
• Remove flammable curtains and window coverings. Close any metal shutters.
• Move any flammable items away from the windows and to the centers of the rooms.
• Turn off attic fans, whole house fans, and air conditioning, if you have them.
• Place a metal (not wooden) ladder near your home so that firefighters can access your roof faster, if needed.
• Connect garden hoses to the spigots. Do not turn the water on.
• Turn off sprinklers. Leaving water on negatively affects the water pressure and decreases the volume of water available to firefighters.
• Leave buckets of water around your home.
• Leave any gates unlocked.
• Close the garage door.
• Leave your indoor and exterior lights on so firefighters can see your home under smoky conditions.

 
Cost: $0 - $$$$ (Depending on the supplies you need to buy now, such as hoses, a ladder, buckets, and materials to cover vents)
Frequency: Check your supplies annually, but you’ll only need to take the listed steps if you prepare to evacuate.
 
Even though this isn’t a particularly long list, this is a lot to remember if you’re experiencing a great deal of stress due to the potential threat of wildfire. What tips do you have to remember what to do when it officially becomes pre-evacuation time? For example, will you create a checklist and tape it to a door or include it in your “In Case of Emergency” binder? Do you have a mnemonic or a song that helps you remember the important steps? Let me know in the Comments.
 
References:

• CAL FIRE. “Go! Evacuation Guide.” Link: https://readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/go-evacuation-guide/
• Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (2021) “Be Wildfire Ready – A guide to help you protect your property from wildfire. Home Pre-Evacuation Checklist” Link: https://disastersafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Wildfire-Home-Pre-evacuation-Checklist.pdf
• Nader and Smith (August 27, 2019) “What You Should Do Before Evacuating Your House.” Surviving Wildfire. Link: https://surviving-wildfire.extension.org/what-you-should-do-before-evacuating-your-house/
• Severn, Garces, Peterson, and Stryker (June 2, 2024) “Fire Evacuation: What Actually Happens? And How Can You Plan?” KQED, NPR, PBS. Link: https://www.kqed.org/news/11834901/fire-evacuation-what-actually-happens-and-how-can-you-plan
• Sievertson (January 8, 2025) “Cheat sheet: A short guide to giving your home a fighting chance if you need to evacuate.” LAist. Link: https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/short-guide-how-to-leave-your-house-if-you-evacuate

 
Important Disclaimer: I am not a fire preparedness professional. I am merely sharing my research, opinions, and what I find that applies to my geographic and personal situations in hopes that it will help others. Please make sure that whatever steps and advice you follow are what is best for you.

I’ll address a “Go” Bag in a future #FirePrepFriday but, this week, I want to share what I call my “Get Home” Bag. In my mind, a Go Bag is what I have packed and stored in my house – it includes emergency essentials and is among the things I would quickly grab after receiving an evacuation alert. A Get Home Bag, on the other hand, is always stored in my vehicle. That way, if an emergency occurs while I’m away from home and out in town or in the wilderness… whether it’s a wildfire, a blizzard, or just a flat tire… I have supplies I can use to get back to the house.

Here are the items in my Get Home Bag:

• The bag itself is good quality, but just a basic backpack I no longer use
• KN95 masks
• A reflective belt
• Tough tape
• Water purification items
• Fire sticks and a fire starter
• Small knives
• Emergency shelters (not fire shelters, but shelters for staying dry and warm)
• Emergency ration food provisions
• Paracord
• Camping soap
• Rain ponchos
• Headlamp, flashlight, and batteries
• Charge cords
• Compass
• Medical kits
• Extra clothing layers (gloves, ear warmer, neck gaiter, and pullover)
• Sturdy shoes with good tread

Is this a perfect bag? Not entirely, no. For example, I can make the upgrade to a tactical-level pack and boots. Also, I should have clothing that is 100% cotton, in case I need to move near a fire. Could I consolidate items? Sure. But I know that I can carry the weight of what fits in my bag, and I’d rather be safe than sorry.

Here are the additional items I keep in my vehicle:

• My “In Case of Emergency” binder. Each time I complete a #FirePrepFriday task that involves paperwork (such as my pet’s emergency information from Week 2, potential evacuation routes and shelter locations from Week 3, etc.), I add it to the binder.
• The “no matter the weather” items: traction cleats, snow chains, a small shovel, a windshield ice scraper, and an umbrella
• A tire air gauge and pump
• A tackle box with medical supplies (bandages, antiseptic wipes, plastic gloves, etc.)
• The warmest jacket I have
• Blankets and towels
• Toilet paper (you never know)
• Not pictured: Maps and gazetteers

What I need to add soon is water. We’re still occasionally experiencing freezing temperatures here, so I’m waiting for the weather to be consistently above 32 degrees Fahrenheit before I add something that could risk a freeze/thaw followed by a leaking situation.

Cost: No Cost - $$$$ (depending on what you already have and what you need to add to your supplies)
Frequency: Check your Get Home Bag at least semi-annually. If you have items like mine, you need to ensure the batteries aren’t dead, the medical supplies aren’t expired, and you have weather-appropriate clothing (for example, in your location, you may not need several blankets, gloves, or the warmest jacket you have).

What’s in your Get Home Bag? What do you recommend I add to mine? Share your thoughts in the Comments.

Important Disclaimer: I am not a fire preparedness professional. I am merely sharing my research, opinions, and what I find that applies to my geographic and personal situations in hopes that it will help others. Please make sure that whatever steps and advice you follow are what is best for you.