If you had to evacuate, what would you take?

Linda

Linda

Senior Member
Location
Central California foothills
It's possible we will have to evacuate due to the Rough wildfire. We came home last night from LA to prepare. My brother was going to move our dog and cats and grab the important papers box but now I need to think about what will fit in the back of our pick up if we have to leave. What would you take?

Besides pets, photos and important papers box, I have decided not to unpack our suitcases, that'll help a lot. My husband is taking guns because they don't take up much room but are valuable. A tent and camping equipment since a campground in the valley said they'll let people displaced from the fire stay there free. Even though I am a slob my closet is color coded so I'll take out all my green cloths and then a few other favorites, and a couple pair of shoes. I can take one box of family mementos. I've been keeping a journal since 1980 so those will go too. Of course, my laptop computers. Hopefully a box of paints and paint brushes. Oddly enough I don't think I'd take more than 3 or 4 of my beloved books. I have hundreds of them and always thought they were my favorite possessions but I see that they are not. There are more books out there in the world waiting for me.

I'd like to know what others on this forum would want to have with them if you had to leave your home. First of all, I am grateful I have the TIME to think about it as many people have just had to run for their lives and take nothing.
 

I would pretty much take similar stuff to you, ...definitely my lappy...and my External Hard-drive which has every photograph I'd ever want on it. If I had time I'd grab the baby box from the attic with my daughters childhood momento's in it. Again clothing like you, and certainly my Camera..and my iphone.. All my diaries because I've kept diaries and journals all my life, ..my books I could replace so I wouldn't be too concerned about leaving them behind. Basically as much as I could get in the car would go.. If I thought my house was going to be destroyed and I wouldn't be able to return I'd try and take a few of my precious knick knacks and paintings as well .. oh, and my most very expensive bed linen!!


However...if I had only minutes to get out...then I would grab my meds..my reading specs.. my external hard drive and iphone and run for the hills ...let's hope that will never happen!!
 
A dog under each arm and in the suitcase...wow, that is a hard question. Being practical maybe three changes of clothes. A few books that belonged to my Mum, some small silly curios from my desk, maybe the three most expensive perfumes in the drawer, my favorite pieces of jewelry, our family documents. Then that would be it, I'd have to help everybody else pack.
 

Depends on how long I had and how long it was likely to last.

I would grab the deed to my house and a few other items to survive.

But first and foremost, make sure my doggie was in my arms.
 
I'd leave via my daughter's side of the house to make sure that they are out, and I'd have my kitty, my dumbphone and my laptop. The rest is just stuff.
 
Linda said:
It's possible we will have to evacuate due to the Rough wildfire.
Click to expand...

Gosh, almighty! Do you have adequate vehicular capacity? Rent a truck? None available, maybe. Worried about looters? Classifying by value, I cannot even imagine. My possessions are all important. Guns are definitely valuable, and are the first items to be stolen.

Wish I knew how to help. Please keep us aware. Best be with you! imp
 
If I had to grab and run, it would be important documents, purse/wallet, meds, some clothes, extra shoes, a few photographs, maybe detachable mini-mac hard drive.
It might be a good idea to have an emergency getaway bag packed and ready.
 
We have fires in Aus ,which can ,and do get out of control and have taken many lives in South Aust and other states over the years .We had very severe fires in the Adelaide hills areas last year. This winter SA has had quite a bit of rain therefore there will be allot of undergrowth which fire spreads through rapidly if a fire starts .

Sadly many fires are started deliberately with no concern for humans , animals or wild life

There Is a system in place now where residents in the fire zone are kept up to date via their mobile phones regarding evacuation many choose to go without waiting for the call to evacuate... Many pack in advance of the possibility of having to flee.

We know a family who refused to leave their home last year, they choose to stay and protect their home and property and the man suffered severe burns as a result.
 
imp said:
Gosh, almighty! Do you have adequate vehicular capacity? Rent a truck? None available, maybe. Worried about looters? Classifying by value, I cannot even imagine. My possessions are all important. Guns are definitely valuable, and are the first items to be stolen.

Wish I knew how to help. Please keep us aware. Best be with you! imp[/QUOTtE]
Imp, I think if we have to leave due to fire there won't be any looters. I know the people who have already left haven't been allowed to go back once they are gone. Now with this rain I feel very hopeful. There are 2 travel trailers here so I imagine my husband and brother would put stuff in those if they had time. My nephew who lives down in the "flat lands" , as I like to call it, said he could get a group of guys and come up and drive all the vehicles down to his house. I thought that was sweet of him. I refuse to drive on the windy narrow roads with cliffs up here and between the 2 guys they have 5 vehicles so they'd need some help. If fire were to wipe out our neighborhood I think I'd feel too sad about that to worry much about all the odds and ends that might get destroyed on our property.
Click to expand...
 
It's not like I'd be ignoring the cats. It's just our boy cats are indoor/outdoor cats. They're smart and would help the girls, providing comfort and daily fresh bird. It's just if we had to evacuate with two big dogs and six cats, no shelter would even imagine offering help.
 
When I was 15(1967) we fled the wildfire that destroyed our home and most of the neighborhood, in Chatsworth, Calif. We didn't have time to grab much, we got our animals, I grabbed my 9th grade class photo, my mom grabbed the bust of Beethoven from her(doomed) baby grand piano...that was all we got.
 
tnthomas said:
When I was 15(1967) we fled the wildfire that destroyed our home and most of the neighborhood, in Chatsworth, Calif. We didn't have time to grab much, we got our animals, I grabbed my 9th grade class photo, my mom grabbed the bust of Beethoven from her(doomed) baby grand piano...that was all we got.
Click to expand...
Wow, tnthomas, I bet that was a horrible time. Did you get to go back to the same area or did you have to move away and start over somewhere else?


 
When I lived in Turkey during the Cold War, we were always on alert for evacuation. At the "new wives orientation" held every month, we were told that there was to be a suitcase packed and sitting by the front door at all times. In it, we were to have our husband's entrenching tool, a waterproof ground sheet, and a certain amount of bottled water for each person. Anything else that fit in, we could take, but only one suitcase per family. Then, they told us (off the record) that if, indeed, there was to be an evacuation, we would be the last evacuated - after essential personnel, equipment, documents, etc. We weren't essential enough. There would always be some wives who would go back home after that little piece of info. I kept that suitcase packed for 2 1/2 years. The entrenching tool and ground tarp did come in handy during the earthquake when we lived out in a field for three nights and had to make our own latrine arrangements.
 
Kadee46 said:
We have fires in Aus ,which can ,and do get out of control and have taken many lives in South Aust and other states over the years .We had very severe fires in the Adelaide hills areas last year. This winter SA has had quite a bit of rain therefore there will be allot of undergrowth which fire spreads through rapidly if a fire starts .

Sadly many fires are started deliberately with no concern for humans , animals or wild life

There Is a system in place now where residents in the fire zone are kept up to date via their mobile phones regarding evacuation many choose to go without waiting for the call to evacuate... Many pack in advance of the possibility of having to flee.

We know a family who refused to leave their home last year, they choose to stay and protect their home and property and the man suffered severe burns as a result.
Click to expand...

I remember hearing about those fires in Australia last year, they were really bad. The most I've seen of Australia is the movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert, which we've seen several times. Have you seen it?
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top