Wildfires

It is important to build your action plan in advance so that everyone in your household knows what to do. Important topics to cover in your plan include:

• Meeting Point: Identify a meeting location outside of high-risk areas so that you do not need to wait in or head into dangerous areas to meet your household.
• Escape Routes: Your usual way out of the neighborhood may be blocked during a wildfire. Know several different routes out of your neighborhood and practice using them.
• Animal Arrangements: Plan for care of your pets and livestock. This includes making sure food and medicine for your animals are packed up and ready to go. If you have larger animals like horses, have a plan for relocating them.
• Communication Plan: Know how to get in touch with each other and your out of area contact while separated. Update your out of area contact anytime you make changes to your emergency plan. The communication plan you build for other disasters should work for wildfires with minimal or no changes.

Prepare your household with a variety of skills, knowledge, and activities. Remember, practice may not make perfect, but it does help make your household more ready. You and your household can attend a City of Oakland Personal Emergency Preparedness course to learn more about some of the items below.

Practice your Communication Plan

Have everyone in your household go somewhere in town without telling each other where you're going. Then use your out of area emergency contact to help coordinate getting everyone to meet at a location outside of your neighborhood. 

Learn Important Skills

Make sure everyone knows how to do the following:

• Fire Extinguisher Training: Know how to use a fire extinguisher, when it is and isn't safe to try to put out a fire, and how to check that your fire extinguisher is still usable.
• Utility Control: Know how to turn off the gas, electricity, and water in case of emergency. This is also useful for general problems with your utility. Remember, if the gas has been shut off, do not turn your gas back on. Only PG&E or a qualified contractor should turn your gas back on. 

Build Emergency Kits

Make sure you have a Go Bag and emergency supplies for everyone in your household. See our Be Prepared page for more details about what should be in your kit.

If you are able to, store an extra kit in other locations you visit often in case you cannot reach your home. Example locations include:

• Office or workplace
• School (like your child's locker)
• Car
• Friend or relative's home outside of the area (this can be a mini-kit with essentials such as a small supply of medications, spare pair of contact lenses, and a change of clothes if your friend or relative has other emergency supplies such as food and water)

Stay Informed

Make sure everyone is able to receive emergency alerts from AC Alert and knows where to look for additional information. See our Stay Informed information for additional details.

Preparing your household isn't just building your Go Bag and leaving it in the closet until the evacuation order comes. During a red flag warning or other time of increased risk of a wildfire or other disaster, make sure you are prepared to evacuate. If an evacuation order comes, you will already be a step ahead.

Some useful tips:

• If you park in your driveway, make sure you back in so that you can easily pull out. Your trunk will also be facing your house to make it easier to load.
• If you park on a narrow road, make sure your car is not impeding the movement of emergency vehicles should they need to access your street.
• Keep your car outside of your garage during periods of elevated risk in case of a loss of power.
• Make sure you have at least half a tank of gas. Fully filled up is even better.
• Gather your emergency supplies including your Go Bag and pre-pack your car. If there are safety concerns, you can gather everything into a pile near your door (but safely out of the way) so that you can quickly grab and load.
• Take only one vehicle if possible. More cars on the road increases congestion and slows down the evacuation for everyone.

If you are able to quickly leave, you can get ahead of some of the traffic that will result from your entire neighborhood evacuating at the same time. 

During a wildfire, if you anticipate your neighborhood will be evacuated AND you have the time take the following actions:

Outside:

• Gather flammable items from the exterior and bring them inside - including cushions for your patio furniture, umbrellas, door mats, etc.
• Turn off propane tanks and move portable tanks away from all structures and wooden fences.
• Connect garden hoses to outside water valves or spigots for use by firefighters.
• Fill water buckets and place them around your house.
• Turn off sprinklers, running water, and disable automatic timers for these items. Leaving them on can reduce critical water pressure. 
• Leave exterior lights on so your home is visible to firefighters in the smoke or darkness of night.
• Leave a ladder out for firefighters to quickly access your roof.
• Close all shutters and vents to stop embers from entering your home.

Inside:

• Shut all windows and doors.
• Remove flammable window shades and curtains.
• Move flammable furniture away from windows and doors.
• Shut off the air conditioning, heater, and ventilation system to reduce the smoke that may enter your home.

If you anticipate the possibility of evacuation, keep your pets in a carrier or leashed so that you can quickly move them. 

Read emergency information to find out which shelters accept pets and animals. Per California State Law, if the City of Oakland opens a shelter, at least one location will be designated as animal-friendly. Depending on the size of the evacuation, we may designate multiple locations. 

Don't forget to bring pet medications and food. Shelters may not have supplies on hand, especially in the first few hours or days. Keep a copy of vaccination and medical records available with you. 

• Ensure officials have reopened your neighborhood for entry.
• Beware of flash floods and landslides. Burn scars near you or upstream from you can cause flash flooding and landslides. Avoid these areas to prevent encounters with rapid water and debris flow. 
• Monitor AC Alert and the local news. Wildfires that aren't fully extinguished could change directions and head your way. 
• Maintain evacuation readiness in case of landslides, flash floods, or further fires.

• Make sure there is no gas leak. If you smell gas or hear hissing from a gas line, do not continue your safety walkaround. Evacuate immediately and call 9-1-1.
• Look for hot spots, smoldering areas and vegetation on your property.
• Inspect the roof and exterior of your home for any sparks or embers.
• Search the attic and all rooms for hidden sparks or embers.
• Examine your home for fire damage. Ensure all appliances are off and the main circuit breaker is safe to turn on.
• Be aware of hazardous materials. If you live in an older home, asbestos and lead could be present in the debris. Even in a newer build, asbestos and lead could be blown over from another structure in your area. Use a mask and gloves before touching any debris. 
• If you spot any danger, call 9-1-1 immediately.

• Until authorities confirm the safety of tap water, don't use it for drinking or cooking. 
• If your property relies on well water and the well has been exposed to fire, have it inspected professionally for any damage.
• Throw away food affected by lack of refrigeration or exposed to smoke and ash. 
• If your gas and electricity does not appear to be functioning correctly, keep everything shut off any contact the utility company for assistance. If you feel it is unsafe, do not stay in your home. 

• Don't just rebuild. Build back better. Take this opportunity to bring your house up to modern fire code. Use fire-resistant material and make landscaping and vegetation choices to help your resilience during drought and fire. 
• Reach out to your insurance company as soon as possible. They may have specific requirements for the clean up and rebuilding process. Failure to follow their processes and policies may result in a rejection of your insurance claim in part or in whole.