I have fire on my mind a lot lately apparently because this morning I woke up to a panicked state of feeling. Last night I literally had a dream that the hills surrounding the valley burst into a fiery inferno and the flames were slowly closing in on the valley. Everyone got in their cars and headed down the highway far and away from the blaze. Sadly enough for me my car was sputtering down the highway at an incredibly slow pace because I didn’t have enough gas and I couldn’t get away fast enough. Luckily enough in my dream there was a gas station nearby. I park next to the pump only to find that the hose is too short to reach my car so I am not able to refuel my car! While I’m trying to think of an alternative, ash and embers rain down on everyone and the fire is quickly approaching. At this point we abandon our cars and run away from the fire. Not a very reassuring thing to dream about right?
Like in my dream, you don’t want to be caught in a bad situation like this where you don’t have enough gas to get away from a bad situation. With all of the fires happening lately, before any evacuation residents know that they are on the verge of being evacuated. Here’s what you can do if you’re potentially evacuated.
• If you know that your home is more than likely going to be evacuated make sure that you have a full tank of gas. Just like in my dream you don’t want to get stuck without transportation and in danger’s way. Make sure that you can make a speedy exit with a full tank of gas
. • Make an emergency plan for your family. Create a meeting place where your family can meet if they get separated. Run through this plan a few times with your family, especially little children so that they can know what to do in a situation.
• Have a 72 hour kit ready to go for those few essentials that your family will need to have to tie you over whether it’s an hour or a few days. You probably won’t be able to grab much from your home in such a hurry but a 72 hour kit is an essential
. • Un-plug all of your appliances such as televisions and toasters. Do not unplug your refrigerator or freezer unless there is a risk of flooding
. • Lock all doors and windows. Cover all ventilation systems in your house to avoid smoke damage to the inside of your home
. • Leave early enough that you do not get stuck in traffic. Avoid congested areas like this when trying to evacuate. Avoid bridges and short cuts because they may be down or blocked.
• Listen to the local battery powered radios to listen to evacuation instructions. Follow their guidelines and directions. Go to your local states emergency websites to learn more information on making emergency plans and other great tips and ideas to protect what you love the most.
