We are not currently in a danger zone, but many people are. With the brown skies and smoky air outside, there is no way of forgetting that there are fires burning across the state.
Our family was especially moved by this article:
https://www.statesmanjournal.com/in-depth/news/2020/09/10/oregon-wildfires-santiam-fire-evacuations-leave-family-members-dead/5759101002/?cid=facebook_Statesman_Journal&fbclid=IwAR3_wOMLVMlXGr58Z-CqT11zYbPoXQiQiyPkBhVzMaRyKGwp9UNm-0by-qs
We hurt for them, but we also thought of things that could have made a difference. That is not to criticize; I'm sure they will be thinking of everything that could have been different for a long time. I have nothing but compassion for them.
It seems the biggest issue is that the fire came in the night, catching them off guard and damaging the car.
I don't know a sure solution for this; you've got to sleep sometimes. If you are in an area where you don't have to evacuate yet, but might have to soon, for your specific circumstances think about that before you go to bed. Maybe you just decide to leave that night anyway, even though you may not need to. Maybe you set the alarm to check every two hours. Maybe you take turns sleeping and watching the news. Circumstances can change really quickly.
Like I said, my family is not in danger now, but we are talking about it.
I have posted on wildfires and evacuation before (August 2018 and December 2012 respectively), and those links are at the end of the post, but because we have been thinking, I am going to go over some of those thoughts now.
Transport:
It will be terrible trying to get three adults, one dog, and four cats in carriers into one car. It will be crowded and stressful. It is probably still better than trying to keep two vehicles together, especially if everyone else is trying to leave the area at the same time.
I am nonetheless very grateful that most shelters take pets now, and they are even making allowances for livestock.
Health and nutrition:
If you are going to a shelter, they are often bringing food in, at least for the humans. It still might not hurt to have some food for the animals and humans.
Take medications. Take information about the medications, like papers with the prescription doses and doctor information. And think about how taking the medication will work out.
If I bring my insulin, but not syringes, I can't take it. It I have syringes but not sterile alcohol pads, it's less safe taking it. If I don't have somewhere to put the used syringes, that's a problem. Also, the insulin is supposed to be refrigerated. It can hold up for a while, but those are all things to think about.
Also - back on pets - if we bring our dog's pills but no peanut butter, getting her to keep taking her pills will be much more challenging.
Clothing:
I did figure out what clothes I would take, but I had to acknowledge first that I have a lot of clothes that I would not take, and do not wear, and am not ever likely to need; why they are still in the way of the things I do need? I have so many socks with holes that I have been meaning to go through and haven't yet. I could make my day-to-day life easier, let alone my semi-panicked evacuation.
Memory:
The last time I wrote about this I was thinking of physical photo albums, but most of our pictures are digital now. With the space we'd have I can't take my computer (if you are using tablets you probably can and should take it), but I should be doing regular backups, and have one of those backups on a USB drive that I do take. Remote backups are still great - I could lose that thumb drive or it could melt - but it's good to have it.
Random:
I would take the library books, because they aren't our property and so that requires a higher level of responsibility.
Of course you should have birth certificates and things like that together and take them.
Always!
Check with your neighbors and make sure they are okay. In our neighborhood, almost every home has its own transportation, and the one who doesn't has relatives close by. She might still need a ride to family, or help contacting them. Don't leave anyone behind.
The more you work out early, the less room you leave for regret.
Stay safe.
Related posts:
https://preparedspork.blogspot.com/2012/12/evacuation.html
https://preparedspork.blogspot.com/2018/08/making-plan-wildfires.html
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