Steps to Prepare for a Wildfire Emergency
Wildfire is an unplanned fire burning in a natural area such as a forest, shrubland, grassland, or prairie. Though it can happen anywhere, at any time, millions of homes throughout the United States live in high or extremely high-risk wildfire areas. Wildfire-prone states include California, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, Washington, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Of lesser risk are Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Kansas, and North Carolina. But the risk is there.
- 71,300 fires burning 6.9 million acres
Wildfires: Causes & Factors
Causes of Wildfires
Between 2011 and 2020, 22.6% were classified as lightning-caused
Often burns larger areas than human-caused fires
Between 2011 and 2020, 87.4% were classified as human caused
By debris burning, unattended campfires, discarded cigarettes, sparks from equipment use and malfunctions, arced power lines, and intentional acts of arson
Factors driving Wildfires
Dry fuel like leaves, grass, branches, and other organic materials
Oxygen
Heat is needed to ignite and sustain combustion
Risk increases with little rain and high winds
Before a Wildfire Starts
If you live in fire-prone states, this destructive force of nature must be part of your family emergency planning. While you can’t stop a fire that is raging, there are things you can do to protect your family and your property.
#1 Protect Your Home
Setting up defense zones (Defense Zone Midigation) limits the source of fuel on and around your home. Building defensible space between your home and its surrounding trees, shrubs, grass, or wildland creates space needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire, and helps protect your home from catching fire - either from embers, direct flame contact, or radiant heat. It also gives firefighters the space to work to defend your home. This is done by setting up 3 distinct defense zones around your home.
Zone 1: Ember-Resistant Zone
This zone extends 5 feet from buildings, structures, decks, etc., and requires the most vigilant work to reduce wildfire hazards. It includes the area under and around all attached decks and requires the most stringent wildfire fuel reduction. The ember-resistant zone is designed to keep fire or embers from igniting materials that can spread the fire to your home.
- Use fire-resistant roofing materials.
- Use low-combustible materials for gates, walls, and landscaping.
- Place wire mesh around exterior attic vents, decks, and patios.
- Place smoke alarms near every bedroom, office, and in each living area of your house.
- Test smoke alarms monthly and change their batteries annually.
- Consider installing fire sprinklers.
- Purchase insurance coverage that is adequate to replace your property.
Zone 2: Lean, Clean and Green Zone
This zone (5-30 feet from the home) is the area transitioning away from the home where fuel should be reduced. It extends 30 feet from buildings, structures, decks, etc., or to your property line, whichever is closer. Remove branches that hang over your roof and keep dead branches 10 feet away from your chimney.
- Remove all dead plants, grass, weeds, dry leaves, and pine needles from your yard, roof, and rain gutters.
- Water and maintain your yard regularly.
- Cut down tree limbs that are 15 feet or closer to the ground.
- Remove any vines or vegetation growing on the side of your home.
- Use only non-combustible outdoor furniture.
Zone 3: Reduced Fuel Zone
This zone is the area farthest from the home. It extends from 30 feet to 100 feet from your home, other structures, decks, etc., or to your property line, whichever is closer.
- Create fuel breaks around your property such as pathways or driveways
- Cut down tree limbs that are 8 feet or closer to the ground
- Remove small trees and brush.
- Create horizontal and vertical spacing between plants. The amount of space will depend on how steep your property is and the size of your plants. If your lot is steep, use wider spacing between plants and between rows.
Water Access
Help the fire department help you more easily by providing easy access to water on your property.
- Install enough garden hose to easily reach the perimeter of your home or any part of your property.
- Designate or install a water source - such as a pond, lake, well, or swimming pool - for access by the fire department if needed.
#2 Understand the Fire Alert System
Understanding the fire alert system gives you early, actionable information during one of the fastest moving emergencies we face. Wildfires can shift direction, intensify, or threaten neighborhoods long before flames are visible. Clear awareness of the alert system turns confusing warnings into a simple roadmap for when to prepare, when to stay vigilant, and when it’s time to leave.
Learning When & How to Respond
When you know what each alert means, and what level of readiness it calls for, you can make calm, timely decisions that protect your family, pets, and home.
- Fire Weather Watch: Potentially dangerous fire weather conditions are possible within the next 12–72 hours. Prepare, stay alert, and monitor updates.
- Red Flag Warning: Critical fire weather conditions are occurring or expected within 24 hours. Fire danger is extreme - avoid sparks and be ready to act immediately.
- Evacuation Notices / Orders: These alerts indicate a wildfire threat to your area. When a mandatory evacuation order is issued, leave immediately. These alerts are issued by local authorities only.
#3 Evacuation Planning
Wildfires can spread miles in minutes, cut off roads, and create heavy smoke long before flames reach your neighborhood. A solid plan - how you’ll evacuate, what you’ll take, where you’ll go, and how you’ll stay connected - removes panic from the equation. It helps you act quickly, protect your home where possible, and get your family and pets to safety.
Have a Plan in Place
Living in a fire-prone area, you should always be ready to evacuate quickly. An evacuation plan is a well-thought-out list of things to get you out the door with the things you need and to do it quickly. If you put time into this important safety step, it will do the thinking for you when you need it most. Your pets should also have their own pet evacuation plan.
Your plan will help you remember to take a grab & go bag for each family member and pet, and a grab & go binder which helps keep your important documents with you.
Finding a Nearby Shelter
Your grab & go binder is a great place to store your evacuation plan which includes places that you and your pets can go, some places together, and others not. If you don’t have a place to go, you can do the following:
- Find Open Shelters by texting SHELTER and your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA). Store this number in your phone.
- Find Emergency Shelters on the FEMA app. You can download the free app from your smartphone’s app store.
- Search Online for shelters and disaster recovery centers.
- Contact Local Social Services - In most parts of the U.S., you can dial 211 to connect with local social services and referrals for emergency housing.
- Check the American Red Cross Website - They provide a map of open shelters.
- Visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC). - To find a center near you, use the DRC Locator or text DRC and your ZIP code to 43362.
#4 Shelter-in-Place Planning
Identify a Shelter-in-place Location
Identify a location in your home that you can use to hunker down. Instead of using a hallway, can you identify a room in your home that can mostly be closed off from outside air and away from an outside wall? The latter may be hard to accomplish, just select the best location possible.
Gather and store the following items in your shelter for each family member. Note that some of these items may be redundant to items in your grab & go bags. Adjust as necessary but make sure you have the following items.
Make a Shelter-in-Place Fire Kit
- Pants and long-sleeved shirts
- Cotton or wool gloves
- N95 respirator*
- Sealant**
- Flashlight & batteries
- Battery-powered radio
- NOAA Radio
- Fire extinguisher
- Fire tools
- Bottled water
*Be properly trained in the safe use of masks.
**Including expanding foam, fire-rated caulking, or old rags.
#5 Livestock Planning
Livestock cannot be moved quickly or safely without preparation. Wildfires can advance faster than trailers can be loaded, roads can close with little warning, and smoke can stress or disorient animals. A clear plan - knowing who will help, where they’ll be taken, and what to do if evacuation isn’t possible - turns a chaotic, high risk scramble into an organized, life saving process. Because protecting livestock in a wildfire involves both evacuation and shelter in place strategies, families must be ready for either situation.
Follow Safety Procedures
- Just as you do for your own home, clear debris, and any combustible material away from living areas such as barns and other structures used by your livestock.
- Keep this clearing as far away as possible in case you must leave without your livestock.
- Do not leave without evacuating your livestock unless absolutely necessary. They depend on you.
Create an Evacuation Kit
- Include items such as food and water for three days, wire cutters, knives, shovels, water buckets, flashlights, hoof picks, leg wraps, first aid items, and any other items you think your livestock will need away from home.
- Keep copies of your animals’ vital records along with copies of your own records. Include registration papers, vaccination and medical records, photographs of the animals, and your proof of ownership.
Create an Evacuation Plan
Have several evacuation options for your animals. Before a fire starts, contact the owners of potential shelter locations (such as fairgrounds, equestrian centers, stockyards, or friends’ properties) to confirm if their grounds can be used as a safe haven for your livestock during an evacuation. Options include:
- Fairgrounds
- Equestrian centers
- Stockyards
- Friend’s property
Have a Shelter‑in‑Place Plan Ready to Go
If you must evacuate without your livestock, give your animals the best possible chance of survival:
- Prepare Identification for Every Animal: Have halter tags, livestock markers, microchip records, photos, and ownership documents stored in your Go Bag.
- Leave Gates and Access Points Unlocked for Responders: Decide ahead of time which gates to leave open and which to secure so animals can move to safer areas.
- Make Feed and Water are Accessible: Large troughs, automatic waterers, or multiple water sources that won’t melt or tip in heat.
- Remove Halters, Ropes, or Gear that Could Snag: Animals left behind should be free of anything that could catch on fencing or debris.
During a Wildfire
A wildfire can create confusion and pressure, but having clear steps to follow makes the situation more manageable. From the first signs of danger through official alerts and evacuation orders, the following actions help you protect your family, home, and livestock, and stay coordinated with your community and first responders.
#1 Evacuating Early
Leaving early is one of the most effective ways to stay safe during a wildfire. Early action reduces stress, avoids traffic congestion, and keeps you ahead of shifting smoke and wind conditions. You don’t need to wait for a warning to be issued to leave early.
Why Wait to Leave?
If you own livestock, are in doubt, or feel unsafe, evacuating as early as possible is always your best bet for staying safe when wildfires rage anywhere near your home. Put your evacuation plan into action and get out.
You may find that it is easier to move about with fewer people on the roads and you can only benefit from the extra time this will give you, especially if you have big animals to transport. Delaying your departure may significantly complicate evacuation efforts.
#2 when a watch or warning is issued
Watches and warnings are early signals that conditions are changing. Use your time wisely and don’t wait for an order to get things in motion. While keeping an eye on alerts and notifications, start moving through your evacuation plan and home fire safety steps.
Exterior Fire Safety Steps
- Shut off the house’s propane or natural gas from its source.
- Connect water hoses and keep them connected.
- Hose down your yard and roof.
- Either bring outdoor furniture, doormats, and potted plants inside (using wooden basins if available) or move them as far away from your house as possible.
- Fill garbage cans, tubs, pools, and large containers with water as this will help firefighters if they end up on your property.
Interior Fire Safety Steps
- Move inside furniture to the center of rooms.
- If possible, take down drapes and curtains.
- Close all vents, windows, garage doors, and pet doors.
- Turn on all lights on your property as this helps firefighters more easily see it through smoke.
- Fill sinks and bathtubs with cold water.
Gather Your Supplies
Have the following belongings packed and on standby so you can get out the door faster if an order is issued:
Includes food, water, extra clothing, hygiene, sanitation, etc. Learn more about creating a grab & go bag for each family member and pet.
Contains documents and other important information - great for easy access when you're away from home. Learn more about creating an emergency binder.
Family kits allow you to take more supplies and comforts with you on the road - if there's room. Learn more about creating family kits.
#3 When an order is issued
While some fires allow advanced notice and time to get your home in good order, some fires move too fast for watches or warnings to be issued. Other times, an order will follow a warning. Regardless, an evacuation order means it’s time to leave immediately. Roads may become hazardous or crowded, and delays can increase risk.
Leave Immediately
- Do Not Wait: When you receive an evacuation order, remain calm and leave immediately. Delaying even a few minutes can reduce your route options.
- Grab Your Go Bags and Essential Items: Take only what you’ve already prepared. Do not gather additional belongings - time is now the critical factor.
- Make Your Own Determination: You don't have to get a warning to leave. If you see a fire coming your way, get out. But do so only if you are reasonably sure you can evacuate safely. Otherwise, shelter-in-place (see below).
#4 Evacuating by Car
Most people will evacuate by car, but wildfire conditions can make driving challenging. In fact, many fire fatalities occur when people are attempting to flee in their cars. Reasons for this include waiting too long to evacuate, thinking their car can outrun the fire, debris on the road, poor visibility, and high evacuee traffic. Safe evacuation requires choosing safe routes, maintaining focus, and good common sense when navigating changing conditions.
Safety Measures
- Use One Vehicle if Possible: Fewer vehicles reduce congestion.
- Follow Official Instructions: Stay tuned to emergency updates as you travel using local radio, NOAA weather radio, official emergency apps, and text alerts. Authorities may direct you toward specific roads, shelters, or safe zones based on fire behavior and traffic conditions.
- Go the Other Direction: Drive away fromt the fire and the direction it's moving.
- Drive with Caution and Stay Alert: If visibility is poor, turn headlights and hazard lights on and drive slowly but steadily.
- Close Vents: Keep bad air from entering your car by closing air vents, rolling up the windows, and using recirculated air from the air conditioner.
If the Fire Overtakes Your Vehicle
- Park in an area with the least vegetation or flammable material - bare dirt, a wide shoulder, a turnout, or a cleared area. Avoid trees, brush, fences, and vehicles.
- Position the car facing the oncoming fire if possible. This reduces the surface area exposed to radiant heat.
- Keep your seatbelt on and stay inside the vehicle. Getting out is almost always more dangerous than staying in the car.
- Turn on headlights and hazard lights.
- Close all windows and vents; set the AC to “recirculate.”
- Turn the engine off.
- Get as low as possible below the windows to reduce radiant heat exposure.
- Cover yourself with a wool blanket, jacket, or heavy clothing to protect yourself from radiant heat and glass breakage.
- Stay inside until the main fire front passes. This usually lasts only 1–3 minutes but will be extremely loud, hot, and frightening.
- Once the fire front has passed, exit only if the vehicle is burning or conditions inside become unsafe. Move to a burned over area with no remaining fuel.
#5 Evacuating by Foot
Evacuating on foot is a high risk option and should only be used when you cannot leave by vehicle. Wildfire conditions can change rapidly, and smoke, heat, and visibility can make travel by foot dangerous. Here are some important tips to help you move as safely as possible and know what to do if you find yourself in the path of the fire.
Safety Tips
- Take Only What You Can Carry: This includes a go-bag with essentials needed and a pet carrier if applicable. Small children will need assistance. Try not to attempt more than this - your priority is speed and mobility.
- Cover Your Skin and Protect Your Breathing: Wear long sleeves, long pants, and sturdy shoes. Avoid synthetic fabrics that melt under heat. Use a damp cloth or mask to reduce smoke inhalation. Keep your head covered if possible.
- Move Away From the Fire: Do not travel parallel to the fire. Travel downwind to upwind if possible, avoiding canyons, saddles, and uphill routes as fire moves faster uphill. Stay on roads, sidewalks, or cleared paths.
- Stay Aware of Your Surroundings: Watch for falling embers, shifting winds, downed power lines, traffic and emergency vehicles, and animals fleeing the area.
- Follow Official Directions: If responders are present, follow their instructions on safe routes and destinations. They may redirect you based on fire behavior. Watch for alerts on your mobile phone.
If You are Overtaken by Fire
If you cannot outrun the fire and the front is about to reach your location, your goal is to reduce radiant heat exposure and protect your airway. These steps are based on CAL FIRE, USFA, and wildfire entrapment research.
- Find the Safest Available Location: Best options include: a wide cleared area with no vegetation, a dirt road, gravel turnout, or already burned ground, or a ditch or depression (lower is safer). Stay away from trees, brush, fences, vehicles, and structures.
- Get Low and Protect Your Body: Lie face down with your feet toward the fire; cover yourself with dirt, mud, or a non-flammable fabric (wool is best - avoid synthetic blankets or clothing that can melt); and keep as much skin covered as possible.
- Protect Your Airway from Smoke Inhalation: Use a cloth, shirt, or bandana as a filter; keep your face close to the ground where the air is cooler and cleaner; and breathe slowly to stay calm and conserve oxygen.
- Stay Put While the Fire Front Passes: The fire front is extremely intense but usually short - often 1 to 3 minutes. Expect loud roaring, extreme heat, blowing embers, and darkness or orange glow. Do not run - movement increases exposure to radiant heat and smoke.
- Move Only After the Front Has Passed: Once the main front is gone, embers may still be present, but radiant heat drops quickly; move to a burned over area with no remaining fuel; check yourself and others for burns or breathing difficulty; and seek medical help as soon as possible.
#6 Sheltering-in-Place
When evacuation isn’t safe or possible, a shelter‑in‑place plan becomes your safest option. It helps you quickly secure your space, limit exposure to outside hazards, and stay protected until conditions improve or officials say it’s safe to move again.
Steps to Take
- Seek Shelter: Move your family and pets to the pre selected shelter area inside your home; take your cell phone, go bags, pet supplies, and emergency binder; store your fire kit in this location so it's there when you need it.
- Seal the Space: Close all interior doors; seal windows, doors, and vents with pre-cut sealant or tape to reduce smoke infiltration; keep water, towels, and masks or cloths available to protect breathing.
- Stay Inside: It may become extremely hot, but conditions outside are far more dangerous; stay low to the ground where the air is cooler and cleaner; keep calm and focus on breathing slowly.
- Monitor Conditions: Use your cell phone, NOAA radio, or emergency apps to track fire movement; stay sheltered until the fire front has passed and smoke levels begin to lift; do not leave your shelter area until officials say it is safe or conditions inside become untenable.
After - What to Do Inside
- Listen: Monitor your radio or phone and follow instructions from fire officials before moving around or exiting the home.
- Check: Look at each room carefully, starting with the door. Do not open any door that feels hot, smells strongly of smoke, or has visible smoke seeping around the edges.
- Look: Be observant of interior embers or spot fires, especially near windows, vents, and attics.
- If You are Trapped: Call 911 if you feel you are trapped and give your exact location. Understand that responders may be delayed due to blocked roads, active fires, or hazardous conditions.
After - What to Do Outside
- Going Outside: Only go outside when the fire front has fully passed, the smoke has lifted enough to see clearly, and you feel it is safe to exit.
- Check Around Your Home: Check the exterior of your home for embers or small fires especially the roof and gutters, under decks and stairs, around fences, sheds, wood piles, vents, eaves, and the attic openings.
- Extinguish: If you notice any spot fires or smoldering areas, extinguish them immediately.
- Stay Away: If you see damaged or unstable trees or downed power lines – assume they are live and deadly and stay away.
- Check for Hotspots: Search around your perimeter for areas that can re-ignite. Especially mulch, leaf piles, and anything that can smolder for hours.
When Not to Shelter-in-Place
Sheltering in place is only viable in homes that have been hardened against wildfire and are located in areas with enough defensible space to reduce radiant heat and direct flame contact. Some homes simply cannot provide that level of protection. They include:
- Structures with combustible siding or roofing (wood shingles, untreated wood, vinyl siding)
- Homes with little or no defensible space, especially those surrounded by brush, trees, or flammable fencing.
- Properties located on steep slopes, narrow canyons, or areas where fire behavior intensifies
- Homes where the resident cannot make meaningful fire hardening improvements (common for renters or short-term residents).
- Any home where windows, vents, or doors cannot be sealed quickly and effectively
If you live in a home that cannot be hardened or lacks defensible space, plan well in advance to evacuate early. Identify a friend, neighbor, or family member whose home is safer; a predetermined place you can go at the first sign of wildfire activity; and multiple routes to reach that location.
#7 Livestock Assessment
When wildfire conditions shift, decisions about livestock must be made quickly and with a clear plan. The steps below outline what to do when evacuation is possible and what to do when shelter‑in‑place becomes the only safe option. These guidelines help you act early, protect your animals, and stay aligned with how fast-moving wildfires actually behave.
Evacuation
- Warning Given: Once a warning is issued, begin your evacuation plan immediately. Complete every step except physically loading the animals, unless you have the time and conditions are safe.
- Evacuation Order Given: Once an evacuation order is issued begin removing animals without delay.
- No Need to Wait: You do not need to wait for an official order to evacuate livestock. If you see smoke, embers, shifting winds, or fire behavior that suggests danger is approaching, start moving animals early. Waiting for officials to sound the alarm may leave you without enough time to load trailers or navigate congested roads.
- Emergency Binder: Take identification records and ownership documents with you when you leave.
- Return Home: Return as soon as authorities allow re‑entry and check the animals’ condition, water supply, and any injuries or stress responses.
Shelter-in-Place
- Last Resort: Use this only when evacuation is unsafe or impossible. It is a last‑resort strategy based on real‑time conditions.
- Provide Food and Water: Provide at least three days of feed and water. Remember that power outages can disable automatic waterers, so rely on gravity‑fed or manually filled sources.
- Allow Access: Open pre‑selected gates and safe access points so animals can move away from heat and responders can reach them.
- Remove Impediments: Remove anything like halters, ropes, or gear that could snag on fencing or debris or otherwise cause hindrance.
After a Wildfire
Returning home after a wildfire can be overwhelming. Even when the flames are gone, serious hazards may remain - from hidden embers and hotspots to unstable structures and poor air quality. As you begin assessing your home and property, it’s important to move slowly, protect yourself from post‑fire dangers, and know what to look for. The steps that follow will help you avoid injury, prevent new fires from starting, and begin the recovery process with confidence.
#1 Return Home
People that have been evacuated want to go home immediately but often this clearance takes time to ensure the safety of all concerned. Once issued and residents return, it’s important to know what to expect, the first points of interest, and how to stay safe.
Key Points
- Wait for Permission: Do not return until authorities give the all clear.
- Expect Hazards: Smoldering ash, hot spots, unstable trees, and damaged utilities may all be present.
- Wear Protective Gear: This includes long sleeves, pants, sturdy shoes, gloves, goggles, and an N95 respirator.
- Be Emotionally Prepared: The scene you arrive at may be distressing to you and your family.
Immediate Safety Checks
- Inside: Check doors for heat before opening; look for interior embers near windows, vents, and attics; if trapped, call 911 and give your exact location.
- Outside: Check the roof, gutters, under decks, fences, and vents for embers; extinguish small spot fires if safe; stay away from downed power lines and unstable trees; watch for ash pits and mark them.
- Watch for Ash, Debris, and Heat Pockets: Wet down ash and debris to reduce airborne particles; avoid direct contact with ash, charred materials, and smoldering debris; wash ash off skin immediately; keep children, pregnant, and sick people away from the ash, especially those with heart/lung conditions; watch for ash pits - they can stay hot for days and cause severe burns.
#2 Look for Hazards
Even after the fire has passed and you’ve returned home, the environment around you can remain unstable. Many families don’t anticipate hidden dangers or the serious risks that come with them but the period that follows is often when new problems emerge. Knowing what to watch for, how to protect your household and pets, and what steps to take to stay safe can help you and your family begin to recover.
Air Quality for Humans
Your town’s air quality may be affected for some time. There are things you can do to minimize its effect.
- Contol Inflow: Keep windows and doors closed until air quality improves.
- Use Portable Air Cleaners if available.
- Restrict Living Space: Spend most of your time, when possible, in the cleanest room of the house.
- Care for Needy Family Members: Medically vulnerable family members such as the elderly, pregnant, or sick, may need more care and caution.
Air Quality for Pets
Bad air quality affects animals just as much as it does people, even more so in some instances.
- Keep Pets Indoors: Pets should stay inside as much as possible until air quality improves.
- Bathroom Walks: Your dog will need to go outside but keep this limited to bathroom breaks only.
- Provide Fresh Water: Your pet should always have fresh water - be sure to refill the dish when it gets low.
- Keep Birds Inside: Birds are extremely sensitive to smoke and need to be kept inside.
Food, Water, and Medication Safety
Contamination is common and often overlooked. Sometimes it's very apparent, other times it goes unseen.
- Check with local health officials before drinking tap water - be prepared for a boil order.
- Throw out any food exposed to heat, smoke, or chemicals.
- When in doubt, throw it out.
- Ask your doctor about refrigerated medications that may have been compromised.
Flooding and Mudflow Risks
After a wildfire, one of the most overlooked dangers is the heightened risk of flooding and mudflows. Burned soil becomes water repellent, and without vegetation that would otherwise absorb rainfall, even a brief storm can trigger fast moving debris flows.
These events can occur with little warning and may continue to threaten an area for months or even years - sometimes up to five years - after the fire. It’s essential to stay alert to weather changes, sign up for local notifications, and treat every rain event as a potential threat.
Having a simple flood plan in place makes it easier to leave quickly if needed and ensures you have the supplies you’ll want with you should a post fire flood or mudflow warning be issued.