The Silverado Fires hit close to home this past week, and it has brought to our attention the necessity to have personal belongings, apart from your safety and well-being, a priority if you have to evacuate, like many Foothill Ranch and Lake Forest residents had to. With fire season still going on, we have compiled a list of things to do to prepare in the event of an evacuation:
- Pack plenty of water – You will need water if you might be waiting outside for extended periods of time in the sun.
- Pack important personal belongings, including your passport, social security, and book of passwords that you might have laying around the house – It is imperative to have some form of photo ID with you to make the process, in the event that you need to replace a form of identification, easier. Generally, you need multiple forms of identification to apply for another form of identification.
- Keep your birth certificate with these personal items, as well – Purchase a safe box that is fire resistant and place all these forms of ID inside of it! You will thank your memory later and your patience once you have discovered how efficient it is to gather everything in this box with you, knowing everything is in one safe place.
- Pack sunscreen – May sound overrated, but if you’re standing in the sun, going in and out of houses or buildings, and you’re completely exposed to the sun because you might have forgotten your sunglasses, a small contained of sunscreen might be your best friend. Pack a carry-on sized tube of sunscreen and throw it in your car or purse for your protection against the elements.
- Cash – Cash is king, and your card might not work, you might have left your money in the wrong account, and you might be out of luck if you can’t find an ATM around you, or you have to wait in long lines for the ATM.
Of course, your safety and well-being of yourself and your family members is top priority; everything else can be replaced. If you have the chance though to prepare for the worst case scenario, we hope you take our advise and be a little bit ahead of the game in the event that we get a fire close to home again.