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How to Make a Family Wildfire Evacuation Plan

Learn how to prepare a family wildfire evacuation plan: check local alerts and routes, choose contacts and meeting places, pack for every household member and pet, and practice leaving promptly.
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Make your family’s wildfire evacuation plan before fire threatens: learn how your local authorities issue alerts and define evacuation zones, routes and shelters; agree on contacts and meeting places; prepare supplies for each person and pet; and practice who does what. When officials order an evacuation, follow their current instructions and leave promptly. Local arrangements differ, so a general checklist cannot tell you which route or shelter is right for your address.

Start with your local evacuation information

Bookmark your county or municipal emergency-management agency, local fire agency and official alert channel. Find out how to receive warnings, what local evacuation terminology means, how zones are identified, and where authorities publish current road and shelter instructions. Keep a way to receive official information if power or household internet fails; a battery-powered radio may be useful alongside a charged phone.

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Alert names, zone maps, road controls and shelter arrangements vary by jurisdiction. General guidance from Ready.gov, the National Weather Service and CAL FIRE is not a current route map for your home. During an incident, use directions from your local authorities rather than assuming a route you chose in advance remains safe.

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Agree on contacts and meeting places

Write down each household member’s phone number and important medical or support contacts. Choose two meeting places: one nearby for a sudden separation and another outside your neighborhood in case nobody can return home. Pick an out-of-area contact everyone can reach to report their status.

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Make sure children know, in an age-appropriate way, where to go and whom to contact. Coordinate pickup and communication arrangements with schools, daycare providers, workplaces, caregivers and anyone else who may be responsible for a family member. The National Weather Service-hosted family disaster plan recommends two meeting places and an out-of-state check-in contact.

Plan multiple ways out and where to go

Identify at least two practical ways out of your neighborhood. Review local evacuation guidance and decide where your household could reunite outside the affected area. Look up possible shelter or lodging options and any local rules relevant to pets or accessible accommodation. The Red Cross wildfire checklist hosted by the National Weather Service also recommends practicing two ways out and choosing an outside meeting place.

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A planned route is a starting point, not a guarantee: wildfire conditions and road access can change quickly. Follow real-time official directions and any road controls during an evacuation.

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What should I pack in a wildfire evacuation go bag?

Use portable bags or containers that household members can carry. A family emergency supply kit can be a starting point, but inspect and personalize it rather than assuming it includes your medicines, documents, child or pet supplies, or accessibility equipment.

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The quantities below come from different checklists and should not be combined into one universal requirement. The NWS-hosted family disaster plan calls for a three-day water supply of one gallon per person per day and nonperishable food. The Red Cross checklist calls for seven days of medications and medical items. Follow current local guidance and individual medical advice.

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Health and first aid First-aid supplies, prescription medicines and medical items. The Red Cross checklist specifies seven days of medications and medical items.
Light, information and power Flashlight, radio and extra batteries, phone and charger, and local maps. Consider how you will keep essential devices charged.
Documents and money Copies of key documents, family contact information, keys, and cash or credit. Keep documents in a waterproof container or make accessible digital copies.
Clothing and daily needs Clothing and sturdy footwear, bedding or a blanket, and hygiene supplies.
Individual needs Items for infants, older adults, people with disabilities or other access and functional needs, and pets.

Ready.gov offers the “Five Ps” as a memory aid: People (and, if safe, pets and animals), Prescriptions, Papers, Personal needs and Priceless items. Make a household-specific list of irreplaceable items, but do not let gathering possessions delay an evacuation.

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Account for medical, accessibility, child and pet needs

List prescription medicines and dosages, medical equipment, batteries and power cords, eyeglasses, hearing aids, mobility aids and communication supports. Add infant supplies and any documents or equipment a household member relies on. Assign who collects each item and who assists each child, older adult or person needing support.

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For pets, decide who retrieves each animal and keep carriers and leashes accessible. Find your jurisdiction’s animal evacuation and shelter instructions ahead of time because arrangements are local. CAL FIRE advises locating pets and taking them when immediate evacuation is necessary.

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Decide what each person does when told to evacuate

Before fire season, assign practical roles: who checks official alerts, who collects dependents and pets, who takes the bags, and how family members communicate if they are apart. Keep responsibilities simple enough to carry out under pressure.

  1. Follow the order. Use the instructions and route issued by authorities, and leave promptly when told to evacuate.
  2. Take people and pets. Bring household members, animals and the supplies already prepared. Do not delay departure for possessions or optional home-preparation tasks.
  3. Dress for exposure if time allows. CAL FIRE recommends protective clothing such as long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes or boots, a cap, a face covering and goggles or glasses. Immediate evacuation takes priority.
  4. Check in when safe. Contact your family meeting point or out-of-area contact so others know your status.

CAL FIRE’s guidance is direct: “Give your household the best chance of surviving a wildfire by being ready to go and evacuating early.” Any home-defense steps are secondary and should be attempted only if time allows and it is safe to do so.

Practice and update the plan

Walk through the contact plan and departure roles with everyone in the household. Make sure each person knows the meeting places and how to reach the out-of-area contact. Practice finding the bags and getting everyone, including pets, ready to leave.

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Review the plan when household members, medicines, vehicles, school or work arrangements, pets or local guidance change. National Weather Service family-preparedness guidance recommends practice, and its weather-ready family checklist recommends reviewing plans annually; wildfire guidance does not establish one universal drill interval.

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