How to understand and prepare for wildfire evacuations

Once a wildfire ignites, its embers can rapidly jump from vegetation to homes, which can prompt local officials to issue evacuation warnings. If the situation escalates, officials may issue an evacuation order, meaning you have to leave your home immediately.

Wildfires can spread up to 14.27 miles per hour, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Assn., so you should not expect to have time to think about what you need to gather.

In some cases, an evacuation order can come without any warning or via a channel you do not expect, like a public address system or a law enforcement vehicle driving down the block.

It’s always difficult to predict how much or how little time you might have to gather your things and run out the door to safety. That’s why it is so important to prepare in advance. Your assignment this weekend is to prepare for evacuation warnings and orders.

Create an action plan

Wildfires are fast-moving and it’s crucial you be too The best way to prepare for a possible evacuation is to have a plan that includes escape routes, a meeting point, animal care arrangements and a communication strategy.

• Escape routes. Figure out which roads (yes, more than one) you could use as an escape route. Make sure everyone in the household knows these routes; practice using them.
• Designate a meet-up point. Find a predetermined meeting spot outside fire and hazard areas that family and loved ones can go to.
• Animal care arrangements. Find out which local boarding, veterinary or other animal care facilities could take in your pets and larger animals during a disaster. Have their contact information handy.
• Communication plan. Designate a person outside your area to be the main contact point for all family members if you get separated or have trouble with cellphone networks in the disaster area.

You can write or type this plan up and pin a printed copy to your refrigerator or a central place in your home that’s easily accessible. It’s also important to know where your electric, gas and water main shut-off controls are and how to turn them off — a task you can do if it doesn’t take up too much time or hinder your safe evacuation.

Sign up for local emergency alerts

Experts advise you listen to local officials and follow the instructions of emergency alerts that are sent to your smartphone and/or broadcast on TV or the radio. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services website allows you to find your county and learn more about what alerts you can sign up for locally.

All 58 counties use the same statewide evacuation terminology, which includes: shelter-in-place, evacuation warning and evacuation order.

Other wildfire-prone states may not have all three evacuation categories, but officials nationwide urge residents to follow emergency officials’ guidance and sign up for local alert systems.

Shelter-in-place means stay inside your home with the doors and windows locked. During this order you need to prepare to self-sustain until further notice or until contacted by emergency personnel for additional direction.

Evacuation warning means there’s a potential threat to life and property. Those who require additional time to evacuate and those with pets and livestock should leave now. Everybody else should be prepared to leave.

Evacuation order means there’s an immediate threat to life and you’re lawfully ordered to leave now. The evacuated area is now closed to public access.

As you watch for emergency alerts, you can use online resources to track the wildfire’s behavior, such as whether it’s active, acreage burned and the percentage of containment.

Resources you can tap into are:

• Watch Duty is an app that provides real-time updates on fires in 22 states.
• Cal Fire’s Current Emergency Incidents map. Fire-prone states have online incident maps with updates; to find yours, check with your state department of natural resources, conservation and wildfire.
• The National Interagency Fire Center has a “current large” wildfire map.

Once you receive an evacuation warning, you should make plans to leave as soon as possible, even if you aren’t mandated to, experts advise.

Waiting until the last minute can lead to gridlock on the road for you and obstruct first responders trying to get to the active fire zone.

When you receive a shelter-in-place or evacuation warning, you should start preparing a “go-bag,” if you don’t already have one. This is a bag that carries important documents, extra medicine and other essentials and that’s easily accessible if you need to urgently run out the door.

These types of emergency situations often happen unexpectedly, leaving little time to grab essential and valuable items from your home.

If you are evacuating your home or preparing for the possibility, here are a few things you should pack in your go-bag (a sturdy backpack or bag).

Prepack your go-bag with the following items

What goes into the go-bag:

• Water and nonperishable food, along with utensils and a can opener
• A flashlight and extra batteries
• A first aid kit that includes all the usual items such as bandages, gauze and antibiotic cream. Add in a few other items like antacids, anti-diarrhea medications, antihistamines and over-the-counter pain relievers
• A fire extinguisher (look for a small one designed for cars and homes)
• Hygiene products including moist towelettes, garbage bags and toilet paper (the moist towelettes also will come in handy for cleaning off soot and ash)
• A whistle to signal for help
• A battery-operated or hand-crank radio
• A printed map of your area, in case GPS isn’t working or you have to look for an alternate route

Your go-bag also should include the following items:

• Face masks (N95 and KN95 masks work better for smoke and air pollution than a cloth mask)
• Batteries and chargers for your phone and other portable devices
• Several days’ worth of clothing — including coats, pajamas, underwear, socks and sturdy closed-toe shoes
• A blanket or sleeping bag
• Comfort items and things to pass the time, such as stuffed animals, board games and books

In smaller or solo households, it might make sense to keep everything in one bag; for bigger families, these things might go into individual go-bags.

When evacuating, prioritize packing the “6 P’s”

On top of what’s in your go-bag, make sure to pack what Cal Fire officials call the “6 P’s of Evacuation”. The 6 P’s are organized by what you should grab first as you make your way out the door:

1. People and pets: All the living creatures in your house.
2. Important documents and phone numbers: Essential documents like birth certificates, passports, vaccination records and insurance information, as well as a list of crucial phone numbers. Have phone numbers for family members, friends, a boss or co-worker, your doctor, your veterinarian or pediatrician if applicable, an out-of-state contact, your lawyer, your insurance agent, your landlord and whatever destination you have in mind when you evacuate, like a hotel or a designated evacuation site. Your phone could run out of juice or cell service might be down, so you’ll need a physical copy just in case.
3. Prescriptions: Aside from your pill bottles don’t forget your eyeglasses or contact lenses.
4. Pictures and personal items: This category includes all the things you couldn’t stand to lose. Pack up photo albums, framed photos, memorabilia and heirlooms, video game consoles, musical instruments, plants and jewelry. Anything is OK as long as packing them won’t delay your evacuation or take up space in the car that you need for more vital supplies.
5. Personal computers: Most of our lives are on computers, so make sure yours goes into the car. Take your laptop or follow a preplan pro tip: Store copies of vital documents in the cloud or on a flash drive or external hard drive.
6. Plastics: This includes your ID, credit and debit cards, plus cash.

Your plan of action might include a door neighbor who needs extra help evacuating from their home, so help them prepare for the worst-case scenario by sharing this go-bag checklist with them.

Look for the next installment of In Case of Fire, the L.A. Times’ newsletter guide to wildfire readiness and resilience, in your inbox. You’ve got your second preparedness assignment; the next will be what you should know about the residence you left behind if the worst-case scenario happens.