Wildfire Preparedness & Evacuation

In a major conflagration, fire protection and law enforcement agencies may not have enough equipment and manpower to go door to door advising you to evacuate; you should be ready to make this decision yourself.

During a wildfire, roads become congested with vehicles, making evacuation a slow process. Long before evacuation seems likely, gather your family, your pets and your belongings and leave the area. When evacuating, use a route that takes you in the opposite direction of the fire. Try to avoid roads encased in dense vegetation and lined with trees; if the fire sweeps through this area while you are in your car, you may become trapped.

IF YOU NOTICE A FIRE IN THE AREA:

• Call 9-1-1.
• During large fires 9-1-1 dispatchers become inundated with hundreds of non-life threatening calls. DO NOT CALL 9-1-1 for the following:
  • To ask if you should evacuate or stay in your home. If you're unsure, be safe, not sorry…EVACUATE.
  • To ask for directions out of town. Plan a minimum of at least two escape routes out of town well in advance. Be sure your entire family is familiar with this plan.
  • To ask what roads are closed. Dispatchers do not have this information. For updates, stay tuned to local news radio KOGO AM-600 or KFMB AM-760, or ask law enforcement officers or firefighters in the area.
• Take a deep breath and stay in control of your situation. With adequate planning and practice you can be confident in your skills to survive the disaster.
• If you decide to stay with your home during a wildfire, evacuate all family members and pets that are not essential to protecting your home.
• Dress properly to shield yourself from the heat, embers and flames. Wear cotton or wool long pants, a long-sleeve shirt or jacket, gloves, boots and a damp cloth to cover your nose and mouth. Do not wear a short-sleeve shirt or synthetic fabrics.
• Take steps to prepare your home for the approaching fire.
• If caught in the open, seek shelter where fuel is sparse.

REMEMBER:

Wildfire is ERRATIC, UNPREDICTABLE and usually UNDERESTIMATED.
Life safety is always the most important consideration!

When Wildfire Approaches - Defending Your Home
When Caught in the Open
Evacuation Orders and Road Closures

When Wildfire Approaches - Defending Your Home | Back | Top
In a major conflagration, fire protection agencies may not have enough equipment or firefighters to be stationed at every home; you cannot depend solely upon the help of fire agencies. One of the principal responsibilities of firefighters is to stop the spread of fire from house to house. Therefore, if one home is on fire, firefighters may have to pass it by to save another in the path of the fire.

Careful planning and action on the part of you, the homeowner, can help save your home during a wildfire. Be prepared. Talk with your neighbors to see what resources are available and consult with local fire personnel for professional advice and assistance.

If you do not evacuate in time, or if you decide to stay with your home, the following suggestions will increase your chances of safely and successfully defending your property.

• Evacuate your pets and all family members who are not essential to protecting your home.
• Dress properly during a wildfire. Cotton and wool fabrics are preferred to synthetics. Wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt or jacket, gloves, goggles, boots and a damp handkerchief to shield your face.
• Remove all combustible items from around the exterior of your home including lawn and poolside furniture, umbrellas and tarp coverings. If these items are left outside they may catch fire; the added heat could ignite your home.
• Close outside attic, eave and basement vents. This will eliminate the possibility of sparks blowing into hidden areas within the house. Close window shutters.
• Place large plastic trash cans or buckets around the outside of the house and fill them with water. Soak burlap sacks, small rugs and large rags; these can be helpful in beating out burning embers or small fires.
• Inside the house, fill bathtubs, sinks and other containers with water. Water from toilet tanks and water heaters can also be used.
• Place garden hoses so they will reach any place around the house. A spray-gun type nozzle works best; adjust the nozzle to the spray position.
• If you have portable gasoline-powered pumps to take water from swimming pools or tanks, make sure the pumps are operable and in place
• Place an aluminum ladder against the roof of the house opposite the side of the approaching fire. If you have a combustible roof, wet it down.
• Back your car in the garage, keeping the windows closed and keys in the ignition. Close all garage doors and disconnect the automatic garage door opener (so you can still remove your car in the event of a power failure).
• Place valuable papers and mementos inside your car in the garage for quick departure, if necessary. Any pets still with you should also be put in the car.
• Close windows and doors to the house to prevent sparks from blowing inside. Close all doors inside the house to prevent draft. Open the damper on your fireplace to help stabilize outside-inside pressure, but close the fireplace screen so sparks will not ignite the room.
• Turn on a light in each room to make the house more visible in heavy smoke. Turn on porch and yard lights, as well.
• Turn off pilot lights.
• If you have time, take down your drapes and curtains. Close all Venetian blinds or fire resistive window coverings to reduce the amount of heat radiating into your home. This gives added safety in case windows give way to heat or wind.

When the fire approaches:

• As the fire front approaches, go inside your home, take a deep breath and remain as calm as possible.

After the fire passes:

• Check the roof immediately. Extinguish any sparks or embers.
• Check inside the attic for hidden burning embers. Extinguish any fires with remaining water from your pool, sinks, toilet tanks, garbage cans, etc.
• Over the next several hours continue monitoring your home for signs of smoke and embers.

When Caught in the Open | Back | Top
Temperatures may exceed several thousand degrees Fahrenheit during a wildfire. If you are caught in the open, it is best to seek temporary shelter where ground fuels (brush, grasses, bushes) are sparse.

Inside an Automobile:
Move your vehicle to bare ground or areas where ground fuels are sparse. Close all doors and windows, lie on the floor and cover yourself with a jacket or blanket. The fuel tank of the car will normally not explode unless the car is fully involved in flames; often times the fuel tank will not explode at all. Try to stay calm and let the fire pass.

Along a Road:
If caught without shelter along a road, lie face down along the road cut or the ditch on the uphill side (less fuel and less convection heat). Cover yourself with anything that will shield you from the heat of the fire.

Danger Zones:
While hiking out of an area where fire is in progress, avoid topographic features like "chimneys" or "saddles."

• Chimneys are narrow, steep canyons that collect heat and explosive gases, drawing them uphill at an alarming rate.
  
• Saddles are wide natural paths for fire winds. Vegetation in this area will normally ignite first.

  Other Areas:
  When seeking shelter outdoors, look for areas with sparse ground fuels (i.e., soft chaparral like black sage or grassland instead of chamise chaparral), and a depression in the ground (if possible). While the fire is approaching, clear as much fuel as you can and lie face down in the depression, covering yourself with anything that will shield you from the intense heat and toxic smoke.

Evacuation Orders and Road Closures | Back | Top
Road closures around emergency incidents are essential to the rapid movement of people leaving an area and the mobility of emergency equipment into the area. On major incidents, immediate road closures become essential to allow accessibility of firefighting forces, orderly evacuation and the exclusion of unauthorized people.

The Fire District is responsible for determining when the need for evacuation exists and the San Diego Sheriffs Department and California Highway Patrol are responsible for carrying out an ordered evacuation. The purpose is to protect people from life-threatening situations. California Penal Code Section 409.5 provides the legal authority for law enforcement officers to close and restrict access to disaster areas; the news media, however, is legally exempt from this provision.

A person has the right to stay on their property if they so desire, and if in doing so that person IS NOT (1) Hindering the efforts of fire personnel, or (2) Contributing to the danger of the disaster situation. In fires or floods, people who wish to remain on site may be able to aid fire personnel in saving their own property; those who desire to remain may be permitted to do so.

During a fire or flood, there may be several different phases of road closures within the disaster area, including:

1. An area that could possibly be involved in the disaster, but presently is not. People without purpose will be restricted from entry to reduce traffic problems or the potential for looting
2. An area of imminent danger with limited access or egress. People would be discouraged from entry, even if they live in the area.
3. An area presently involved in the emergency where extreme danger to life exists and where traffic must be restricted due to movement of emergency vehicles. People, including residents, will be refused entry.