With wildfire season in full force in Southern California, and with the Santa Ana winds picking up and a warming and drying pattern expected for the month of October, the
American Red Cross L.A. is offering some safety tips in the event that a wildfire threatens your home.
- Listen to local radio and television stations for updated emergency information.
- Check emergency kit and replenish any items missing or in short supply. Keep it nearby. Add masks, hand sanitizer and gloves to your kit as well to protect you from COVID-19.
- If you have time, take photos and videos of the inside and outside of your home.
- Be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice. You don’t have to wait for an official evacuation order. If you feel threatened, be sure that you leave with time to spare.
- Confine all pets to one room so you can quickly and easily take them and go if you need to evacuate. Keep pets on leashes or in carriers, as they can scare easily and run away during disasters like this one.
- Back your car into the driveway for a safer and more efficient way out. Park in an open space facing the direction of escape. Make sure you have at least a half a tank of gas.
- Keep indoor air clean by closing windows and doors to prevent outside smoke from getting in.
- Download the free Red Cross Emergency App for more preparedness tips and safety checklists, localizable alerts, shelter locator and more.
Meanwhile, the Red Cross is in need of volunteers to help shelter reception, registration, meal distribution, sleeping arrangement, information collection, etc. You can get more info on volunteer opportunities with the Red Cross here.
