My (Learned) Helpful Tips for a Fire Evacuation
Having been a volunteer Firefighter for nearly two decades – and having been evacuated myself in 2007 (When I applied Barricade on my home) - I have some insights to share. These are my personal recommendations - that worked for me – I strongly recommend that you add to, or alter, any variables that will be suitable to your life, your home, and your situation. No two properties are alike and no two fires are alike. Consider all the possibilities. If possible, have plans talked about with your closest neighbors, a planned community response is best in an emergency, as having plans in place ahead of time is ideal. When the time comes – everyone works together for the best results.
I recommend to have several plans in place
Plan A: You have 5 or more hours to evacuate. (And if you have possibly days to plan and prepare – that could be an additional plan as well – more time for more options.)
Plan B: You have 3 hours or less to evacuate.
Plan C: You have 30 minutes or less to evacuate.
Plan D: You must leave immediately.
Plan E: You are not able to leave and must stay and defend
The 6 P’s of Evacuation:
- People & pets – plus needed food and supplies for at least a week
- Papers, phone numbers & important documents - including bank and utility statements
- Prescriptions, vitamins & eyeglasses
- Pictures & irreplaceable memorabilia
- Personal computer, hard drive & disks
- “Plastic” (credit cards, ATM cards) & cash
To keep your home safe from wild fires – focus on 3 main things - These steps form your first line of defense against wildfire:
- Stopping flames from touching your home
- Protecting it from heat
- Block flying embers (High winds and hot fires can drift embers up to 5 miles)
Barricade®II Fire Retardant Gel is Your Best Resource for All Three Lines of Defense!!!
Things to Think About (Ahead of time):
- BE SURE TO THOROUGHLY SHAKE YOUR Barricade® II AT LEAST EVERY 6 MONTHS!! If it feels ‘solid’ (think of it like an opened can of paint stored for years) you need to replace it. Check BEFORE fire season.
- Talk with your neighbors about also having Barricade® II for their protection – if you have several homes in a row with Barricade® II applied on them – you can build your own fire break and stop the fires path.
- When applying Barricade® II - one gallon is used up in about 15-20 minutes. Apply about ¼ inch thick. IMPORTANT: the thicker you apply - the longer it will last - and the more times it can be rehydrated, if needed. Note: Firefighters may rehydrate the Barricade®II for you - if they have the time AND they know that you have applied it to your home. Leave the used Barricade bottles at the front of your driveway in plain view.
- Prepare a bag of clothes, prescriptions, and all of your important items for all family members, including your pets, for all daily living needs. Have the bag in an easy access location.
- Plan ahead of time what items you could/would take for Plan D - as compared to a Plan A time frame.
- If you have more than one person living in the household – assign preset responsibilities. Do rehearsals.
- If you have more than one pet – how will you gather and transport each pet?
- Be sure to have garden hoses in as many places on your property as possible. Make sure your hoses reach EVERY place you MIGHT want to have water – to use with your Barricade® II Fire Retardant Gel. Make sure the hoses are rolled up efficiently so they are not tangled up in an emergency.
- If ladders are needed to reach eaves, roof lines, or trees that are close to the home, be sure they are strategically in place ahead of any fire concerns.
- Do you have a pool or a spa? Do you have a pump to pump out that water? If so – you can be prepared to supply your own water for Barricade® II application if your water supply is cut off for some reason, such as Firefighters are using all the Fire Hydrants in your area and your water pressure is compromised.
- Do you have a generator? If the electrical lines in the area get burned out, or turned off – a generator will save the day. You can run the pump for your pool or spa, and you can keep your well water pumping.
- Walk your property, preferably with another person, to evaluate all that is a major fire concern versus a minor concern – such as trees or shrubs that are up against the house, or your winter wood pile on the deck, patio furniture, wooden fences that lead directly up to your house, propane tanks, etc…
- What areas on your property are most vulnerable?
- Decks, stairs, eaves, and exterior vents - are the most likely entrance points that will catch a house on fire.
- Evaluate what it would be like to have a fire coming at you from each possible direction around your property. Figure out what would burn the fastest and what you can do to mitigate that ahead of time.
- What parts of your home and surrounding area will you want to use Barricade® II on? Make sure to have hoses and ladders ready and waiting – where needed the most.
- Communications – consider having a community network with Walky-Talkies. If the power is out and/or cell reception is inconsistent – Walky Talkies work well for neighbors to communicate during an emergency. Be sure all the Walky Talkies are all on the same channel, testing ahead of time.
- Plan where all your viable exits are from your own property - and your community. What if roads are blocked with the fire? What if the roads are bumper to bumper stopped traffic from all the evacuees?
- Where will you go once you evacuate? Local hotels will fill up fast – and they may not be able to accommodate your pets. And - What if you’re evacuated for more than a week…?
- When evacuating – be sure to close all interior and exterior doors and windows. Ideally – leave your home unlocked for Firefighters to have access. Turn off your gas.
- What if Firefighters are not available to help fight your fire? In my fire in 2007, we had more than a week of an out-of-control fire, without help – due to fires burning all over California and crews and equipment were all in use elsewhere, as our fire was the last of 3 giant fires to have started (by an arsonist!).
- What if you found yourself unable to evacuate? This is a terrifying thought – but one that is wise to ponder – ahead of time. If this were to happen to you – you could apply Barricade® II thickly on all the important areas of your home and property – and then shelter in place inside your home. THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDED OPTION – SAVING YOUR LIFE IS THE GOAL – EVACUATION IS THE BEST CHOICE – but if you had no choice and you are forced to shelter in place, protect yourself to the fullest capacity.
- If you have outdoor animals, or livestock, and you cannot evacuate – plan how to best protect them as well.
So, these are things that I found helpful for my evacuation in 2007. Our (arson lit) fire burned 37 square miles and burned down 14 homes, damaging several others. My community was evacuated for 11 days. I left on day 7, after applying Barricade® II on my home. I hiked back in every day and rehydrated the Barricade® II. I informed fire crews that my home had Barricade® II on it, and they made my home their Command Station, as they knew if the fire storm raged through our tight canyon – my home was the one place they could stay safe and come out alive.
