In fire season, experts want you to be prepared to evacuate in an emergency.
If this week has proved anything, with grass fires across the Rogue Valley, it’s that you never know when disaster might strike.
That’s why making sure you’re prepared for a worst-case scenario is vital.
The Rogue Valley knows all too well how fast moving and unpredictable fires can be, with many still shaken by the deadly 2020 Almeda fire.
The Red Cross of the Cascade Region’s Rebecca Marshall said, “wildfires move very fast and I will also say, you don’t always get the one, two, threes. Sometimes something just erupts and you have level three going out right away.”
That’s why Marshall said emergency kits need to be ready now.
They don’t have to be anything fancy she said, but they should be thorough.
Items like enough non-perishable food and water to last several days, a first aid kit, prescription medicines and flashlights are all great things to keep in an emergency kit.
“Everyday we get up,there are certain things that we need,” Marshall said. “There are certain needs that we have or things that we want accessible to us, and those are things you should definitely start with and from there you can decide what really applies to you and your family; what do you really need?”
Many items in your home can be replaced but certain things like family heirlooms or personal documents that you may need most cannot.
Marshall said “I like to think that you get to evacuate your home and you get to go back to your home, but we know that that’s not always the case. Sometimes, there’s nothing to go back to, so if you want to add to your kit, you can add photo albums, you can add birth certificates, insurance documents…”
The Red Cross says planning a little now isn’t paranoid but necessary this fire season.
For more information on how to sign up for emergency alerts and how to put together an emergency kit, go to redcross.org.
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