Advice To Help You Prepare For A Fire Emergency

With the fires still raging in parts of LA and even expanding to other neighborhoods, the following is some advice to help you be prepared and get out of harm’s way:

1. Get out as soon as an evacuation order comes your way, DO NOT WAIT. Waiting can have life-threatening consequences and won’t do you any good.
2. Create an evacuation plan:
   • If you have small children and pets, have a plan, discuss who will be in charge of which child or pet so there is no confusion;
   • Who will be responsible for taking supplies and other bags (described below)
   • Where is everyone in the household going to meet;
3. Even if you are not faced with an evacuation order yet, just put on alert, get some items ready in an easy-to-access bag, and have it all ready to take off immediately:
   • All your important documents: Passports, insurance company information, ID and Credit Cards, all in one bag
   • All your jewelry, watches, and high-priced items in one bag
   • All necessary medicine and other medical supplies and devices
   • A week’s worth of clothing, underwear, shoes, socks, and jackets, pack masks in that bag and have some close by for immediate use
   • Pack some light blankets in your car
   • If you have pets, all the necessary items for them
   • If you have an air purifier or air filter get those ready to go too
   • Extra bags that you can carry not roll
   • Have an emergency stash of cash available
     Then, make sure of the following:
   • That all your devices are charged: phones, laptops, tablets, watches, and even your car if it is a plug-in
   • That you have a full tank of gas in your car
   • Look at everything and ask yourself if you can live without that item, if not, have it ready to be taken
4. Go through your home and start taking photos and videos:
   • Start with the outside of the home, any additional structures
   • Inside, take videos of your furniture, electronics, all belongings
   • Go into the cabinets and closets and take photos and videos of contents
5. Stock up on water, and non-perishable food items for yourself and your animals
   If your house is burning:
   • Do not go back into it for an object you forgot, it could be life-threatening
   • Get on the road
   • Call 211 for emergency community services including Airbnb’s in safe areas where you can stay for free

If you need specific advice for your situation or location, we at Ghassemian Law Group would be happy to help.

This post is for informational purposes only, does not create an attorney-client relationship and does not take the place of specific advice from an attorney. You should not rely on this information alone.