Preparing for a Wildfire, Is your Go Bag ready?

The recent Tamarack Fire | Courtesy U.S. Forest Service

Courtesy Tahoe Fire & Fuels Team & Cal Fire

If you were told to get ready for an evacuation or to evacuate immediately, do you have a Go Bag of essential items ready? If not, there’s no better time than right now to put yours together.

Find more wildfire safety info

A Go Bag should be prepared before an emergency, be easily accessible and filled with at least a three-day supply of items needed to help you quickly and safely evacuate your home.

Essentials include:

  • Clothing and personal toiletries
  • Face masks or coverings
  • Inventory of home contents and photographs/videotape of the house and landscape
  • An inventory checklist from your insurance agent
  • Flashlight, portable radio tuned to an emergency radio station and extra batteries changed annually
  • Extra set of car and house keys
  • Contact information for family, friends and physicians
  • Cash and extra credit cards
  • Medications and prescription glasses
  • Water and non-perishable food
  • First-Aid kit
  • Pet necessities including food, prescriptions, leashes and toys
  • Important records – passports, birth certificates, titles, medical records, etc.
  • Electronic chargers
  • Paper map marked with Evacuation Routes (especially if you don’t live here full time)

Other items to pack:

  • Hand sanitizer/wipes
  • Books and magazines
  • Games, cards and toys
  • Trash bags
  • Rain poncho
  • Blankets
  • Laundry detergent
  • Rubber gloves
  • Sleeping bag and tent
  • Family heirlooms and photos
  • Computers and hard drives

If you anticipate an extended evacuation at an emergency shelter or your family is returning to a home without functioning electricity and water, consider also creating a disaster supplies kit. Find information at redcross.org.

Always keep a sturdy pair of shoes and a flashlight near your bed and handy in case of a sudden evacuation at night.


Resources

Cal Fire | readyforwildfire.org

Create a disaster kit | redcross.org

Create a home wildfire checklist | readyforwildfire.org

Current fire conditions & restrictions | tahoelivingwithfire.com

Nevada Fire Info | nevadafireinfo.org

Prepare for a disaster | tahoelivingwithfire.com/get-prepared

Truckee Travel Alert | visittruckeetahoe.com

Wildfire Evacuation Checklist | livingwithfire.com

Un Kit De Suministros De Emergencia | readyforwildfire.org

Emergency Preparedness Guide
& Evacuation Routes

Alpine County | alpinecountyca.gov

Incline Village & Crystal Bay | nltfpd.org

North Lake Tahoe & West Shore | bit.ly/3CRDgtG

South Lake Tahoe area | southtahoeemergencyguide.com

Tahoe Donner | tahoedonner.com

Truckee | truckeefire.org

Hard copies available at local fire districts

Sign up for emergency alerts

Alpine County | alpinecountyca.gov
City of South Lake Tahoe | cityofslt.us
Douglas County | douglascountynv.gov
El Dorado County | ready.edso.org
Nevada County | mynevadacounty.com
Placer County | placer.ca.gov
Town of Truckee Nixle alerts | local.nixle.com
Washoe County | washoecounty.us