Wildfire evacuation, getting ready to go

A wildfire can spread fast enough that you have to leave in a hurry. Your best chance is to be ready before a fire starts and to leave early. Do the first two sections before fire season.

Before fire season

• Set up more than one way to get alertsSign up for your community's emergency alerts and for National Weather Service alerts through the FEMA app.
• Learn your evacuation zone and routesMany state and county emergency management websites show the zones and routes. Pick a few places to go in different directions, such as a friend's home in another town or a motel, and practice the drive with your pets.
• Find a place to stay that takes petsMost public shelters accept only service animals.
• Make sure everyone in the house knows the planInclude what happens if someone is at work, school or daycare when the order comes, and pick a place to meet if you get separated.
• Check your insurance policies and ID are currentKeep copies in a secure, password-protected place online.

The bag and the car

• Pack a go-bag you can carryPack it light enough to carry on foot or on a bus, and keep more supplies in the car for a longer trip, including water and food that won't spoil.
• Keep a first aid kit and an N95 mask with itThe mask helps with the smoke.
• Keep at least half a tank of gasFill up when an evacuation looks likely. Gas stations may be closed or without power once it starts.
• Keep your phone charged when fires are nearCarry a backup charger.

When it's time to go

• Leave the moment you're told toLeave earlier if you can, so you aren't trapped.
• Wear sturdy clothes and shoesWear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes and a hat.
• Find your pets and take them with you
• Close and lock the doors and windowsUnplug the TV, radios and small appliances. Leave the refrigerator and freezer plugged in.
• Tell your out-of-state contact where you're goingLeave a note at home saying when you left and where you went.
• Check whether a neighbor needs a ride
• Take one car per householdFewer cars keep the evacuation routes moving.
• Use the marked evacuation routesShortcuts may be blocked.
• If you're trapped, call 911Give your location, and turn on the lights so rescuers can find you.

Coming home

• Wait until officials say it's safe
• Stay off hot groundKeep away from hot ash, charred trees, smoldering debris and embers. The ground can hold pockets of heat that burn.

Build an emergency kit covers what goes in the go-bag, and keeping wildfire smoke out of the house covers the days you stay home.