Mini Guide on Wildfires, Evacuations and How to Stay Safe

During an emergency is not the time to start planning. The time to act is now! Regardless of what State you live in, or what the Emergency is, the tips in these Articles will be useful in planning for an Emergency. This Guide to Wildfire Safety provides information on Evacuations, items that you should have in an Emergency Kit for everyone including pets, and much much more.

The Articles included in this Guide were written for Californians, but the tips and resources are valuable for anyone. CA has Wildfires, earthquakes, flooding and slides, and being prepared for one, helps you be prepared for another. So, just because the information about evacuations is for Wildfires, the Emergency Information is valuable for any disaster, in any state.

Learn tips like texting 9-11, how to use ICE for an emergency, must haves for Pets during an evacuation situation, and a host of other information to help you be prepared now, before an emergency occurs.

I will write more about these later....but check on available apps for your phone. A couple that can be really helpful in an emergency are:

1) Smart ICE

2) Droid 911

3) POM (Peace of Mind)

4) Flashlight

5) SOS

Also remember to TEXT not phone during a major emergency.

Amber Rice of Yucaipa, CA caught in the Pendelton Fire

After I wrote the information on Wildfires I received an email from a friend that had to be evacuated in the Pendleton Fire Her tip was so useful for today's computer literate generation I asked her if I could put it here.

"My parents house and our shop were in the middle of both, we were under mandatory evacuation. We got all the important stuff out and went back with our water truck and fire hoses to stand our ground. We were lucky, it was less than half a mile away and the firefighters were able to hold it back. It was some pretty scary nights, the water drops would stop at night and the fire had over 200 ft. flames when it would hit the groves of oaks and pines."

Imagine that, and imagine trying to get your stuff out. Be prepared! Read the article on Evacuations and Amber's tip for an easy way to Inventory the contents of your home or office.

After I wrote the information on Wildfires I received an email from a friend that had to be evacuated in the Pendleton Fire. Her tip was so useful for today's computer literate generation I asked her if I could put it here. This info is from Amber Rice of American Eagle Interiors of Yucaipa, CA.

I have a great tip for everyone. After a disaster passes I always remember that we should catalog our items for insurance purposes but every time I start I get so overwhelmed with all the stuff we seem to acquire! Try this, take a picture of the receipt and the item that you want to catalog and upload them to one of the many free photo sites. Make sure you can clearly see model/serial numbers, more than one picture might be necessary. If you don't have the receipt, at least jot down the price/store/date and include it in the picture.

For important documents, scan or take a picture of the document and email them to yourself and put into a special file. If you are evacuated or lose everything you will be able to access them in your email. If you don't have access to a computer, take the pictures and have them made into a photo CD at a photo printing place. You can make several copies and mail one to a family member for safe keeping. It should save you a lot of time and make recovering from any disaster a little easier.

Everything you need to know and have to be prepared

The Evacuation Guide is full of tips, and resources to help you be prepared in case of an Evacuation. It was written for Californians that might get caught in Wildfires, but the tips for Pet Owners, and your Evacuation Bag, are universal. I will add things to it, like the tip on taking pictures and uploading them onto a web hosted site, as I learn of new things.

Defensible Space, Fire Resistant Plants and more

Do you know how to properly plant around your property for the 100 feet of Defensible Space. That's a CA law, but protecting our homes is important no matter where we live, and the suggestions and information on Protecting Your Home can be used by everyone.

Smokey Bear, or Smokey the Bear is now over 66 years old. That means for 66 years he has taught us "Only YOU can prevent forest fires" which has been changed from forest fires to Wildfires because of all the development in previously remote areas. Read about Smokey Bear and programs for kids.