If you needed to evacuate your home quickly on a moment’s notice, do you and your family have a safe evacuation plan? Do you know what you would take with you and could you grab it quickly? Do you have an off-site home inventory list? These are answers that you should have now, as there are over one million acres of woodlands in the United States that burn every single year. To prepare yourself, your family and your home, here are a few helpful wildfire evacuation tips:
- Plan an evacuation route – Know how to leave your neighborhood quickly and have a meeting place for the entire family in case you must evacuate and are not together.
- Secure documents together – Any important documents that you have inside the home should be kept together so they can easily be grabbed on your way out. This includes bank records, insurance documents, certificates, social security cards, passports, etc.
- Prepare an evacuation kit – This should include important documents that you’ve stored on a flash drive, photos of every room in the house and belongings, flashlight, batteries, First Aid kit, cash, etc.
- Pack a bag for overnight – You will be away from your home for at least a night, so make sure to pack some clothes, bottled water, nonperishable food items, etc.
When you can prepare in advance for wildfires and evacuation, make sure your gas tank is full and tie a white sheet or other fabric on your front door so emergency personnel know you’ve evacuated. For more wildfire evacuation tips, contact the Culver City, CA, homeowners insurance professionals at ISU Wissink Insurance.