The 2024 California wildfire season has started, and if you live in an area where wildfires are a threat, now is the time to double-check how prepared you are if a fire is burning toward your neighborhood.
Don’t wait for an evacuation order or even a warning to start thinking about what you should take if you have to flee.
Here’s a checklist of important things to gather together and be ready to take. For more information, check out FireSafeMarin.org’s list and other tips on how to prepare for wildfires.
Photographs of all family members.
Food and water (for up to seven days, if possible).
Pets (if advance warning, take to an approved shelter).
Pet ID tags, medications, leashes and water bowls.
Change of clothing for each person (for one to seven days).
Cell phones and chargers. Laptop computer. External backup hard drives.
Health and car insurance cards and related documents.
Property deeds.
Marriage license.
Tax papers.
Birth certificates.
Drivers’ licenses.
Checkbook, credit cards, cash, wallet, purse.
Prescription and other medications.
First-aid kit.
Prescription eyewear, dentures, hearing aids.
Jewelry.
Irreplaceable keepsakes.
Flashlights and a portable radio with extra batteries.
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