Squaw Valley Fire Department
Wildland Fire Evacuation
If a wildfire is threatening your home and you need to evacuate:
Attire and Equipment:
Cotton or wool clothes are more fire resistant than synthetics
Proper attire includes long pants, long sleeved shirt or jacket and boots
Carry gloves, a handkerchief to cover your face, water to drink and goggles.
Keep a flashlight and portable radio with you at all times
Tune in to a local radio station and listen for instructions
Family Members and Pets:
If possible, evacuate all family members not essential to preparing the house for wildfire first
Make sure to designate a meeting place and contact plan using cell phone, email or a relative in another area
Evacuate pets to a safe location - contact the Humane Society or Animal Control for assistance if needed
Vehicles:
Place vehicles in garage or in the driveway, pointing out. Leave the keys in the ignition!
Roll up the windows, close sunroof, close the doors - embers blowing into a vehicle will ignite it!
Open the garage door using the garage door opener, then disconnect the garage door opener drive and manually lower the door so that the door can be opened manually from the outside if needed
Essential Items:
Important documents (financial records, insurance policies, birth certificates, medical records, etc)
Credit and ATM cards, insurance cards, address book, PDA, laptop computer
Drivers license, passport
Medications, prescription glasses, toiletries
Computer backup files - flash drive, external drive for desktop machine
Inventory of home contents (video before possible emergency), photographs of interior and exterior of house
Cell phone and charger
Change of clothing
Family photo albums and videos, family heirlooms
Place essential items in car
Inside the House:
Close all interior doors
Leave a light on in each room
Remove lightweight curtains and other combustible materials from around windows
Close fire-resistant drapes, shutters and blinds
Turn off all pilot lights
Move overstuffed furniture - couches and easy chairs - to the center of rooms
Outside the House:
Place combustible patio furniture in the house or garage
Shut off propane at the tank
Close all exterior vents if possible
Prop a ladder against the house to provide firefighters easy access to the roof
Make sure that all garden hoses are connected to faucets and attach nozzles
Close all exterior doors and windows, leaving all exterior doors unlocked
Turn on outside lights
If available and if there’s time cover windows, attic openings, and vents with 1/2" plywood
Wet down wood shakes or shingle roofs before leaving if possible
Fill trash cans and buckets with water and place where firefighters can find them
If you have an emergency water source (pool, pond, etc.) and/or portable pump, clearly mark its availability so it can be seen from street