E-Mail 'Our Wildfire Evacuation, Part 1, by SoCal9mm' To A Friend

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1. As always, we can learn from the experience of others. Where there are gaps in our own plans that need revision. Thank you for the insight.

2. I agree with JWR, from the get go this article has great insight. If this first installment is any indication of the following parts this will be an article to refer loved ones and friends too. I believe this article could be used to boost Survival Blog readership!

3. This is the sort of organized thinking I really appreciate.

4. If practicable, you can “pre-load” your vehicle with some of the required items like extra clothing, water, snacks, blanket, shoes, small medical kit, flashlight, portable fire extinguisher etc., however this assumes you WILL be able to use your vehicle. If the vehicle’s tires are already melting however, the go bag is the best thing. All I really need is the gun and as many of the family photo albums as I can carry, everything else is replaceable.

5. 50th anniversary of True Grit release today.

6. I could only watch the Thomas Fire in the distance from my neighborhood, but I, too, was threatened by fire in Ventura County last November during the last major fire. Fortunately, given the evacuation warning through the cable TV service and cell phone service, and given my opportunity to judge the rate of the fire’s advance, I was not forced to leave my home with only a few minutes’ notice.

   The author mentions heirlooms, keepsakes, and photo albums. After returning to my home a few hours later and seeing things that I had left behind, I found myself asking, “Why didn’t I take that?” I suggest that it would be a good idea in normal times to go room to room and to make a priority list of things to save if time is available, and to keep that list in a place where it can be quickly found if the need arises.

7. I’ll be looking forward to the rest of the story. Evacuation checklists are essential. The drama of the danger at hand will compete for your attention. Having a list will help you maximize the precious few moments you have to assemble the things you need to do at a time when there is much competing for your attention.

8. Here in South Louisiana Hurricane Katrina taught many lessons on preparedness and personal protection. Sadly, after 14 yrs, many have forgotten. People forgot the roving criminal gangs looting and robbing. People forgot lack of services. People forgot the NOPD, the Natl Guard and some sheriffs deputies confiscating guns. These are all things to remember

9. Very much looking forward to the rest of the series. This is one that will get printed and condensed for my household’s “Bugout Planning reference.”

   I bought a few UPSes for “strategic” lighting in key locations – even if power is out I have LED-equipped table and floor lamps that the UPS will keep running for 60-90 minutes.

   I reserved one drawer of a legal-size fireproof file cabinet for key documents and photo albums, which are stored in well labeled plastic bins. Remove an album, peruse it and PUT IT BACK, right now, not later. Pro Tip: bins with handles are essential, otherwise each bin is a 2-handed load.

   My secondary “grab ‘n’ go” stuff – a mix of the author’s 1- and 5-minute list – is in 2 orange Home Depot buckets because of the color, and each bucket is horizontally wrapped with a 2 1/2″ wide band of white reflective sheeting to make it easier to find in the dark (plus, the buckets will stack in a corner of the MBR closet, but Gamma lids often crack if full buckets are stored more than 3 high).

   Spares – phone chargers, portable battery packs, eyeglasses, etc. – are essential. Establish a calendar-driven schedule for keeping battery packs charged. A new, unactivated “burner” phone as a backup can also be very useful.

   Meds – HUGE tip from the author on meds+GO bag. Have a fallback, position however. Find a way to obtain 1 full cycle (30 day or 90 day, depending on your insurance coverage, or cash availability) of all meds on hand. The most recent cycle goes in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator with a brightly colored note on the fridge door “BUGOUT MEDS IN VEGETABLE DRAWER” (or wherever in the fridge you store them). Tip: Let them reach ambient temperature before opening the bag to prevent condensation. When you get new meds, those go in the Bugout Meds bag, those in the bag get used so the freshest is always “Bugout available.”

   Turning off ALL electrical power is the smart thing to do BUT it will also kill your burglar/fire alarm system after the battery runs down. Label circuit breakers and turn off everything except the alarm system. Mine reports status changes andconditions via SMS (text) and is accessible via smartphone, which also allows access to the security cameras. Very useful to be able to see what’s going on around the house from miles away.

   When killing power to fridges/freezers, empty them and leave the doors blocked open and wipe them out otherwise you’ll come back to a science experiment. Don’t leave wet clothes. towels, etc. in the house.

   Inventory everything. A detailed room-by-room spreadsheet listing EVERYTHING in each room, it’s purchase date and cost (you’ll probably have to estimate most of that) accompanied by hi-res still photos will be critical if or when you have to file insurance claims. Print it and place in one of the document bins you’ll grab on the way out AND put a copy on a thumb drive, AND burn a CD or DVD of the thumb drive and mail it to a trusted relative or friend.

   I can’t wait for the next 4 episodes.

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