What can you do to protect your family and home from wildfires? 

If you are a resident of fire-prone southern California, you probably already know to:

Unfortunately, many people miss the most important action anyone can take to protect their family: creating a Fire Emergency Evacuation Plan (FEEP). However, in the event of a wildfire, having an evacuation plan that informs your household of where to go and what to do should be a staple in every southern California home.

Fire Emergency Evacuation Plan Basics

An Evacuation Sign Near Wooden Toy Houses

A Fire Emergency Evacuation Plan helps reduce the risk and confusion involved in an emergency and can even save the lives of you and your loved ones. It is important to cater the specific aspects of the plan to the needs of your family and property. At the very least, your personal FEEP should detail what to do the instant you are aware of a fire.

Other common elements of a Fire Emergency Evacuation Plan are:

It’s also a good idea to have a family Emergency Evacuation kit and ideally, one for each family member.

Creating a Family Emergency Evacuation Kit

Cal Fire and other fire safety organizations recommend having a family Emergency Evacuation Kit. It should contain what CalFire refers to as the “Six P’s” of fire safety:

If you may end up in a community shelter, protect your family from communicable diseases by following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

Each person should also have a pre-packed emergency evacuation kit of their own in an easily accessible spot, such as a front hall closet or place in the garage. 

Make Individual Emergency Kits

Emergency Evacuation Kit in a Closet

In addition to the collective family supplies, each person’s kit should include:

Having clothing ready to go near each bed, especially including a sturdy pair of shoes, is also a good idea during fire season. Remember: Every second counts when evacuation orders are issued.

Have an Emergency Kit for Your Pets

A Family All Walking One Dog Together

Now that every person knows what to do, where to go and has enough supplies to last several days, what about your pets?

Start by having an emergency kit for them located in the garage or someplace where anyone in the family can grab it on your way out the door.

The Humane Society suggests your Emergency Pet Kit should have:

Having your pets microchipped is a wise suggestion for all pet owners in the event that they become separated from you and your family.

Staying Informed

Okay, you’ve got everyone and their emergency kits loaded into the car, truck or SUV. What do you do next?

At this point, it’s crucial that you get informed on the cause of the evacuation and how authorities advise that you should proceed. Several important information sources are available through your cell phone:

However, in the event that cell reception is unavailable, it is important that you know which radio stations to turn to in order to receive updated information. Find your local emergency broadcast channels and include this information as part of your FEEP.

Protect Your Home With Green Leaf Zone

Every homeowner or property owner dreads being told they need to evacuate immediately. At that point, saving your property is up to the professional firefighters. However, there are crucial ways in which you can make it more difficult for fire to spread through your outdoor space and reduce the impact a wildfire has on your property.

At Green Leaf Zone, we can get your property as prepared as possible for the California wildfire season. Our team provides tree removal and brush clearing services throughout the Los Angeles area. For more info, contact us at (818) 452-3470 or email us at [email protected].

You can also fill out our form for a free consultation.