Three weeks ago my wife and I evacuated our home in the Santa Cruz mountains, as a newly sparked fire climbed over the ridgeline and toward our house.

I learned that burning embers can travel great distances and spark new fires miles away from their origin point. So if you are watching a fire some distance away from you, waiting for it to come closer before you start preparing, you may find yourself unprepared.

I’m not an expert or authority, but we learned a lot from going through an evacuation. Instead of being forced to learn as you go, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the tips below, so that you’re prepared in case the worst happens. CalFire has similar resources which you can review here.

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Pre-evacuation

1. Monitor the wildfires around you. Tools via ArcGIS, the Incident Information System, NASA’s Worldview, your local fire department’s Twitter account, or one of the many other resources listed here are good options.
2. Pack a go bag. This is a bag you can grab in a hurry because it’s already packed. Pack a week of clothes, medications, books, pet supplies, and chargers. Add cash, water, a first aid kit, a flashlight or headlamp, glowsticks, a radio, and an emergency blanket. Add chocolate. Or a flask. Don’t forget to pack two sentimental items. (Yes, just two. Picking a couple things will help to make this a manageable task; in wildfire survivor groups, we have often discussed how overwhelming it can become if you attempt to stuff your go bag with every sentimental item.)
3. Put your credit cards, valuables, passports, and important documents together in an easily accessible spot.
4. Make a list of what you need or want to grab in the minutes before you leave that don’t make it in the go bag. Family photos? Childhood stuffies? Important medical equipment, like a CPAP, wheelchair charger, insulin, etc.? Spiritual or stress reducing items? Order this list by importance. Place it in a private yet easily accessible place — you may need to direct a friend or neighbor to find it if evacuations are ordered when you’re away.
5. Locate N95 or P100 or, if nothing else, cloth masks for each family member. Put them on top of your go bags. If using cloth, two-layer is best. If you have goggles, add them here.
6. Locate all your evacuation routes on a map. How many different ways can you leave your home? Are they through forested or residential areas? Are they all public roads? If your route involves a private road, will you need anything special in order to access these roads, like gate codes (or, for true life-or-death scenarios, a bolt cutter or chainsaw)? Are all of your vehicles compatible with all evacuation routes?
7. Can you help a neighbor evacuate or prepare to evacuate? Do you need help? Make mutual aid agreements now and make sure you have each other’s contact information.
8. Animals will be frightened by smoke and may try to run or hide. You won’t have time to search for them in the event of an evacuation, so make sure you keep them inside or on a leash so that you can collect them quickly. Put your crates, leashes, and animal trailers out near the car or front door for loading.
9. Locate the shut-off valve for your gas or propane. You’ll need to turn it off before you leave.
10. Take photos and videos of your land, house, interior, furniture, and possessions; if the worst happens, you’ll need these.
11. Always have gas in your car.
12. Hose down your property, clear brush and flammable materials (cardboard, green waste, leaves, dry grass). You most likely have defensible space already planned around your home, and if not, this is an excellent planning guide.
13. When you are short on time and want to focus on the most crucial area, focus on Zone 1, which is the 5–7 feet of cleared defensible space immediately around your home.
14. Fill your outdoor buckets or kiddie pools with water. Wildlife fleeing from fires will need a drink, and it may be useful to firefighters, too.
15. Move old paint, lighter fluid, barbecue starter, portable propane tanks, etc. away from your home.

Evacuation:

1. Grab your go bag. Pack up your laptop/tablet/phone, chargers, and external batteries. Get your valuables, credit cards, passports. Grab a coat, pillow, and a blanket, even in warm weather. Your most beloved and frequently worn clothing is usually in your dirty clothes hamper, so grab everything from the laundry room on your way out.
2. Check your evacuation route. Which way is the fire coming from? Which route are officials advising you use? What is the wind speed and direction? What creeks, rivers, and lakes will you be near, in case you need to seek immediate protection?
3. Close all your windows and doors.
4. Hose down your roof. Turn on your outside sprinklers briefly before you go, but don’t leave them on — firefighters will need all the water pressure they can get.
5. Locate your masks. If using cloth, wet them on the outside layer only. They should be damp but not soaking. The idea is to trap large particles, not to breathe very damp air. Put them on as soon as you smell smoke. Rewet them often. Put your goggles on your neck or belt.
6. Pack your vehicles. Load your pets and animals.
7. Turn off your gas or propane, but do leave your power and your lights on, so firefighters can locate your home in smoky or dark conditions.
8. If you have to leave animals behind, tape a list of those animals to your front door. Volunteers and firefighters will be looking for animals who need food and water in the coming days, so your note will let them know that your animals need help. If you have to leave your horses behind, take off any halters or blankets, and consider setting them free. You will need to close the gates behind them or they may return out of fear.
9. As you leave, make sure any gates or other obstructions are left open so firefighters can get access quickly.
10. Stay hydrated.

The first 24 hours after evacuating

1. Go to the nearest shelter or evacuation center, or if you are able, arrange to stay at a hotel or friend’s house. (Check the air quality and wind direction maps: IQAir and NullSchool are great resources for these, respectively. If you have a medical condition that affects your breathing or circulatory system, consider going to an area with good air quality. You are not required to stay near your house.)
2. If needed, take your outside animals/livestock to an animal evacuation center, which are often at fairgrounds. Ask about pet boarding, if needed. Many dog and cat boarding businesses will offer free or discounted services, and your insurance ALE (additional living expense) will also cover this. You may think that keeping your animals with you is easier on them, but as someone who just shared a hotel room with four dogs for three weeks, I can assure you that your mental health needs to be your first priority.
3. Take inventory of what you have with you. What did you forget? Write a list of priority items that you will need to get through the next week. Think of what you would pack for a trip: toiletries, pajamas, etc.
4. Take a deep breath. This is a really, truly, completely shitty situation. You will be energized, and scared, and sad, and tired, and part of you will be utterly convinced that this is all a mistake and everything will go right back to normal tomorrow. It’s okay to feel all of this. This is an endurance race, not a sprint. Pace yourself. Stay hydrated.
5. Call your insurance company and file a homeowner’s or renter’s claim. Some companies will call it a “prohibited use” claim, others a “loss of use.” This isn’t a claim for damage, but rather for your evacuation; your home is not usable by you at this time. Even if you don’t think you’ll need anything, file a claim. (A week from now when your in-laws are driving you nuts, Future You will thank Past You for your forethought as you arrange a hotel through your insurer.)
6. Call or register online with FEMA. Especially if you are uninsured, but also if you have insurance. They will offer housing, cash assistance, and referrals. Apply even if your area isn’t a declared disaster yet. It will likely be one soon.
7. Call or register online with the Red Cross. They will have clothing, gift cards, hotel vouchers, and food.
8. Tell everyone that you are a fire evacuee. Most will be very, very kind and generous. We’re all in this together.

Now, I’ve entered the third stage, which is waiting, and I’ll be continuing to document this experience as I live through it.

The waiting stage

In some ways, this is the worst stage. In most situations, you will have to endure a Schrödinger’s house scenario, in which your home has both burned to the ground and is still standing. It is hard enough for firefighters to battle a fire, and it is nearly impossible for them to battle a fire while also updating maps, taking photos, and notating damaged structures. Maps will be vague, the firefighters will be exhausted, and rumors will be hot.

In the meantime, focus only on what you can control. Focusing on things you can do will distract you from catastrophizing, and achieving tasks will help lower your stress levels.

1. Keep all of your receipts. You will need these for your insurance, and to make sense of your budget later.

2. If you are insured, here’s a crash course on your insurance coverage’s Additional Living Expenses (ALE). This is the portion of your policy that covers everything you must spend above your typical household budget when you can’t live in your home. This includes hotel costs, food expenses above the cost of your typical grocery bill, fuel costs for a longer commute, pet boarding, etc. Some companies require that you meet your deductible before ALE kicks in, others don’t. Most companies will ask you to submit receipts as you go, and many have a handy app for that process. Here’s more info.

3. Limit your “doom scrolling” (this includes looking at maps, news, weather, and social media for situation updates) to specific times of the day. I highly — no, I strongly recommend not doom scrolling first thing in the morning or last thing at night.

4. As you shop for supplies to get through the next week (toothpaste, extra socks, etc.), keep in mind that you don’t know when (or even if) you’ll be able to go home. I found myself wanting to replace every item I missed, like my Yeti cup, my Instapot, and even a few houseplants, but also burdened just by finding room for the necessities.

5. Consider buying a cargo box for your car if you don’t have one.

6. Stay hydrated.

7. Plan ahead: If this lasts another week, what will you need? Another two weeks? Write lists. If you need prescriptions filled in the next 10 days, call now.

8. This is not a time for big decisions. We nearly surrendered our six-month-old puppy, a devastating choice which was far more based on the stress of our circumstance rather than our hearts.

9. Talk with your neighbors. Use social media, NextDoor, or call. You can share experiences, resources, and connect missing pets with their owners. (In our area many pets left behind choose to “self-evacuate” with a friendly neighbor.) If anyone understands this roller coaster of emotions and responsibilities which you are riding, it will be your community.

10. Reach out to other wildfire survivors. I joined a Facebook group of people from Paradise, and they were so, so helpful.

11. Read your insurance policy. You can request a copy from your insurer, and it’s a really good idea to understand what you have been paying for. Make sure they send you the full policy and not just the declarations page. It’s also a good idea to remember that it will be the adjuster’s responsibility to protect their company’s assets, and your responsibility to protect your own.

12. Grieve. You are grieving what you may lose and what you left behind. You’re grieving normalcy; your morning cup of tea with the birds, the unfinished book you forgot, your favorite frying pan. When we realized how close the fire was, my wife and I just sat and cried for our sweet little house, even knowing it might be spared. Nothing was ever going to be the same. For two days we listed everything we’d miss as we thought of it. Her: “my sock collection,” me: “the Neil Diamond rose;” her: “my piano,” me: “the redwood circle.”

13. As you have time, research companies that specialize in disaster cleanup, from smoke remediation to debris removal. You can even make a “pending appointment” with them for after the evacuation orders lift. If you end up not needing their services, you may know a friend or neighbor who didn’t have the opportunity to schedule a service.

14. Set aside time for your immediate family and pets. Everyone will be stressed and may show that stress in unusual ways. Check in with everyone regularly, and make an effort to acknowledge how they are in that moment. There are no “right” or “wrong” ways of responding to a crisis.

15. Use humor. Our running gag is “worst vacation ever.”

16. Expect “trauma brain,” or something of an emotional hangover; you’ll likely misplace your keys, walk out of a room and forget what you were doing, and in general experience life through a haze. If your work environment is a supportive one, be frank about this. It’s okay to delegate responsibilities or ask for someone to check your work during this time. You’re human.

17. Find a way to help others. This is the absolute best recipe I have for not turning into a whimpering pile of Jell-O: Find something to do, and do it every day. Staying in a hotel with other evacuees? Offer to walk someone’s dog. Staying someplace with a nice kitchen? Bake cookies for the firefighters. Have access to the internet? Respond on social media to other evacuees needing support. You’ve got this.

Useful wildfire maps:

1. Wildfire and Weather Information Map
2. InciWeb- Incident Information System
3. NASA EOSDIS Worldview
4. Multiple in-depth mapping tools via GIS Geography

Useful air quality and wind maps:

1. IQair Earth
2. Nullschool Wind Map

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