With many zones (see the county’s evacuation order and warning map here: https://socoemergency.org/emergency/current-socoalerts/) in north county under an evacuation warning and some under an evacuation order, now is a good time to assess what you have packed in your go bag, as well as what you can do to harden your home.
According to CalFire, the following items should be included in your emergency go bag:
● Facial coverings
● Hand sanitizer
● Three-day supply of non-perishable food and three gallons of water per person.
● Map marked with at least two evacuation routes
● Prescriptions or special medications
● Change of clothing
● Extra eyeglasses or contact lenses
● An extra set of car keys, credit cards, cash or travelers checks
● First aid kit
● Flashlight
● Battery powered radio and extra batteries
● Sanitation supplies
● Copies of important documents like birth certificates, social security cards, passports, medical records, proof of insurance, etc.
● Pet food and supplies
If time allows, you may also want to consider taking some easily carried valuables like family photos or other irreplaceable items, personal computer information and hard drives and chargers for cell phones and laptops.
Healdsburg Mayor Evelyn Mitchell said she also likes to include a good book and a pair of running shoes in her bag.
“Of course, we are all getting better at go bags! In addition to the usual makeup and clothing, cell phone chargers, reading glasses, a good book and running shoes. Last time we packed a separate box of important papers, family photos and (a) computer,” she said. “I have taken multiple photos of every room in our house, our yard and garage. I think people forget the fact there are valuables in the garage. In our case, my husband Tom, who is a triathlete, has his bike, wetsuit, etc. Of course in the pandemic era, don’t forget masks and hand sanitizers.”
Healdsburg city councilmember David Hagele said in addition to the usual essentials, he has some kids blankets packed as well as a dog bed and a cat carrier for the pets.
“In preparation, we have done the following:
● Keep the kids calm
● Gas up the vehicles and have a cooler with snacks
● Go through every room to see what is irreplaceable or has sentimental value to determine if we bring it or not
● Backed up all of our photos to the cloud
● All my work documents and council documents are stored and updated in the cloud so I can access them remotely from anywhere.
● I will take a video with my phone of each room in my house as well as our garage and yard, so I have a record just in case.
● I will take photos of our passports, titles to our vehicles, etc. so they are stored in the cloud for easy reference if lost.
● Identify a few places we could go and the route we’ll take if an evacuation order is issued and share that information with our family, so they know we’re OK and where we are.”
Cloverdale City Councilmember Melanie Bagby said she likes to include in her go-bag, “All of my chargers, including my Apple watch, headset, backup battery, first aid kit, protein bars and I am not leaving home without my electric toothbrush.”
“Unfortunately our residents have had to learn how to handle themselves during the stressful times leading up to and including an evacuation. It is amazing how everyone bands together and helps each other,” Mitchell said. “I know the firefighters are dedicated and hard-working and so I have a lot of confidence in their abilities to get this done. I am hoping for the best but am prepared to leave if need be.”
Hagele said that now is the time to be alert, prepared and check to in on neighbors to make sure everyone is ready to depart if need be.
“To our Healdsburg neighbors, especially those who may be worried or concerned during this stressful time, I want to share as mayor last year during the Kincade Fire, I was here and saw our first responders and staff in action. We have a first-class team on the front lines fighting to protect our city. If called to do so, we can all support their efforts by evacuating safely and calmly. For now, let’s be prepared, alert and check on our neighbors to make sure we’re all ready to do our part if needed,” Hagele said.
In addition to going through your go bag checklist, now is a good time to take some additional pre-evacuation steps.
Inside the home, shut all doors and windows and leave them unlocked. Remove flammable window shades, curtains and close metal shutters. Move flammable furniture to the center of the room away from windows and doors and shut off gas at the meter and turn off pilot lights if possible and turn off the air conditioning. Lastly, leave the lights on in your house so firefighters can see your home under smoky conditions.
In a video with District 5 Supervisor James Gore, Healdsburg Fire Chief Jason Boaz said it’s a good idea to remove any outdoor furniture cushions, umbrellas or any other flammable materials away from your home.
CalFire also recommends turning off the propane tanks and moving BBQ appliances away from structures.
CalFire’s “Ready, Set, Go” fire preparation website also advises people to “Connect garden hoses to outside water valves or spigots for use by firefighters. Fill water buckets and place them around the house. Don’t leave sprinklers on or water running, they can affect critical water pressure.”
“If we were to go into an evacuation order, the main purpose would be to facilitate fire crews in putting out spot fires as it is still unlikely that the main Walbridge Fire will move into Windsor. Please take these warnings seriously and be fully prepared in case there is an evacuation order,” Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli said in an Aug. 22 social media post.
In the post, Foppoli also reiterated the importance of “Ready, Set, Go.”
“Have a ‘go bag’ with essential belongings and medications ready to go,” he said. “Be ready: Create and maintain defensible space and harden your home against flying embers. Get set: Prepare your family and home ahead of time for the possibility of having to evacuate. Be ready to go. Take the evacuation steps necessary to give your family and home the best chance of surviving a wildfire.”
If you plan on leaving livestock behind, the Sonoma County Ag Commissioner has a program that allows access into areas for feeding and watering livestock. They are staffed through the weekend according to Hopkins and you can call them at 707-565-2371.
To download CalFire’s wildfire evacuation guide, or to learn about how to prepare for evacuation, visit, https://www.readyforwildfire.org/.
