For you and your family
No matter where you live – in a city or the country, in an apartment or house – you should take steps to prepare for wildfire before its smoke or flames become a worry.
In the moment, it will be a lot easier to deal with the effects of wildfire if you’ve got the essentials covered in advance. Your future self will be glad you did.
1. Prepare now to evacuate easily when needed
When an evacuation order comes suddenly, even in the middle of the night, will you be ready? Take steps now to ensure not only that everyone in your household has the best chance of staying safe, but also that your most important documents and belongings make it out with you.
People, pets, and essentials
1. Sign up for emergency alerts
This should be quick, so you might as well do it right now. Go to oralert.gov and follow the prompts to sign up for your local alert system.
2. Make an evacuation plan
Do you know your best evacuation routes? Does your family have an emergency meetup location? Avoid deciding these things as you rush out the door – you’ll have other things to focus on at that moment, like checking for road closures.
3. Pack a go bag
For everyone in the home. The folks at Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands center suggest having enough supplies for at least three days – things like medications, foods, clothing, a paper map, cell phone charger, and more. Follow their checklist for a good start (acceso en español). And build your kit with any disability needs in mind.
4. Don’t forget pets and livestock
It’s horrifying to think that sometimes animals get left behind in evacuations. Plan now to take pets with you. If you have livestock, you may need to make additional arrangements, including early evacuation, protecting them from smoke, and finding special animal shelter locations.
2. Deal with smoke
Smoke is one of the reasons that wildfire is a statewide issue. Fires from other states, even Canada, can affect our air quality and, therefore, our health. Whether you’re indoors or outdoors, when wildfire smoke isn’t avoidable, you can still protect yourself.
It’s all about the right tools
1. Know your air quality and react accordingly
Knowing when the air is bad is step one. The Air Quality Index (AQI) can help you make decisions about how to handle smoke. When levels are high, you may want to limit your exposure. Even if you can’t avoid being outside in smoky weather, you can still take steps to protect yourself.
2. Get the right masks or filters
A properly worn N95 or P100 mask can be a strong defense against smoke. So can indoor-air filters and other tips and tricks for keeping your indoor air healthy.
3. Know who is most at risk
Experts say that children, older adults, and people with certain health conditions are at additional risk of health complications from wildfire smoke. Learn if that includes you or your loved ones.
Some excellent resources:
Smoke and your health
Wildfire Smoke Trends and the Air Quality Index
Cleaning residue from wildfire smoke