Fire Evacuation Plan For Dog Moms – Free Printable

Modern Dog Mom Lesson Of The Week:

You can never be too prepared for an emergency and should ALWAYS have a fire evacuation plan ready. It’s Fall in California, and while most dog parents are excited about Pumpkin and PUPkin Spice Lattes, we’re knee-deep in wildfire season out here on the West Coast. I’ve always been aware of wildfires, however up until now I’ve never been directly affected by them. That is, until last week when one of my biggest fears came true; a fire started near our home.

Chaos On A Thursday

Our Thursday started off like most normal days do and then quickly turned to concern and chaos. When we first noticed the fire, it looked like it was actually the neighbors’ house that was on fire – that’s how close it was. But upon further inspection, it was actually the trees and foliage behind their house that was on fire, and it was growing quickly. It took a few seconds to sink in before realizing we should probably get ready to evacuate. We sprang into action, collecting the standard essentials for a fire evacuation. If you’ve ever been in a similar situation, you know hard it can be to think of one thing you would need, let alone all the important things that you should grab and do in that situation.

Luckily, I had a general travel list already created for us and the dogs that I referenced to grab the few things that we can’t live without. We ended up not needing to evacuate our home overnight, but it made me realize the importance of having an emergency packing list ready and easily accessible. That’s why I’ve decided to put this printable list together that you hopefully never need to use but should have on hand just in case.

Beyond that, as new homeowners, I realized I had no idea what, if anything, to prepare our home for a wildfire or a fire evacuation. So I reached out to our local State Farm Agent, who provided some super helpful tips for preparing your fire evacuation plan.

5 Minute Emergency Evacuation Checklist

Check out these important tips from our agent, Kevin, at State Farm:

1. Store all of your important documents in one place, together, so they are easy to grab in the event of an emergency. These include Social Security Cards, Passports, Certificates, and more.

2. Take a video walking through your home, honing in on the important and expensive items in your home. This will be helpful in the event that you need to make a claim; it will help you jog your memory when itemizing your belongings.

3. Have an Emergency Go Bag and Supply Kit ready to go (and in your vehicle if you can). This includes flashlights, toiletries, water, and quick food like protein bars. Hint Scroll down to download my printable Emergency Go Bag Checklist.

4. Don’t forget all pets and their necessities like medications, collars with tags, leashes, and food.

5. Have a Wildfire Evacuation Plan prepared that includes several different escape routes from your property, a designated meeting location outside of the fire hazard area, a communication plan for the entire family, and a plan for evacuating all of your pets and animals.

6. Back your car into the driveway and keep your car keys with you.

7. Be a good neighbor – check on your neighbors and make sure they are prepared to leave as well.

Preparing Your Home For Wildfire Evacuation

Here are some additional tips I found from Cal Fire on how to prepare your home for evacuation:

1. Keep pets nearby at all times and prepare them for evacuation and transport so you don’t have to worry about locating them when the time comes.

2. Shut all windows and doors, leaving them unlocked.

3. Remove any lightweight or flammable window shades, curtains, and close metal shutters.

4. Move flammable furniture away from windows and doors. Gather flammable outdoor items and bring them inside or place them in your pool.

5. Shut off your gas meter, pilot lights, and any outdoor propane tanks.

6. Move BBQs away from your home and any other structures.

7. Leave interior or exterior lights on – this helps firefighters see your home under dark and smoky conditions.

8. Shut off the air conditioning and any fans in the home.

9. Connect garden hoses to outside water valves and spigots for use by firefighters. Fill water buckets and place them around the house.

10. Turn off sprinklers and running water – they can affect critical water pressure needed by firefighters.

11. Have a ladder easily accessible outside of your home so firefighters can easily access your roof.

12. Seal your attic and ground vents with pre-cut plywood or commercial seals.

13. Monitor your property and the fire situation. Don’t wait for an evacuation order if you feel threatened.

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