← Back to blog

Key takeaways

• When a wildfire approaches you may have minutes, not hours — decide what to grab before you smell smoke.
• Prep now: keep a pre-packed go-bag by the door, map two escape routes, keep your gas tank at least half full, and sign up for county alerts.
• Remember the 6 P's: People and pets, Papers, Prescriptions, Pictures, Personal computer, and Plastic/cash (CAL FIRE).
• Know the Ready, Set, Go! levels — never wait for "Go" to start packing (CAL FIRE).
• You don't need an official order to leave. Leaving an hour early is free; leaving an hour late can be deadly.

When a wildfire is moving toward your neighborhood, you may have only minutes to leave, not hours. The families who get out safely are almost always the ones who decided what to grab before they smelled smoke. This wildfire evacuation checklist is built to run in about 15 minutes, so that when an order comes, you move instead of freeze.

How do you prepare for a wildfire evacuation before fire season?

The whole point of a fast evacuation is the slow preparation behind it. Do these once, before there's any fire:

• Pack a go-bag and keep it somewhere you can grab in seconds, near the door.
• Back up critical documents: digital copies on your phone or cloud, plus physical copies in a waterproof bag.
• Map two ways out of your neighborhood, in case one road is blocked or in flames.
• Keep your gas tank at least half full and park facing out during fire season.
• Sign up for your county's emergency alert system.
• Agree on a family meeting point and an out-of-area contact everyone can text.

What should you grab in a 15-minute wildfire evacuation?

Minutes 0–5: people, pets, and medication

• Account for everyone in the household.
• Get pets into carriers now — they hide when stressed, and that's what costs people their margin.
• Grab medications, glasses, your phone, and a charger.
• Put on sturdy shoes and long cotton clothing (synthetics melt).

Minutes 5–10: documents and the go-bag

Grab your pre-packed bag and the irreplaceables. CAL FIRE's Ready, Set, Go! program teaches the 6 P's of what to take:

• People and pets
• Papers, phone numbers, and important documents
• Prescriptions, vitamins, and eyeglasses
• Pictures and irreplaceable memorabilia
• Personal computer hard drive and disks
• Plastic (credit and ATM cards) and cash

Minutes 10–15: harden the house on your way out

If, and only if, you have time and it's safe:

• Close all windows and doors, but leave them unlocked and open your gates so firefighters can get in.
• Move flammable furniture to the center of rooms; take down flammable drapes.
• Leave a light on in each room so the house is visible through smoke.
• Connect garden hoses to outside taps for firefighter use.
• Shut off gas at the meter only if officials instruct you to.

What do Ready, Set, and Go mean in a wildfire?

CAL FIRE's Ready, Set, Go! system uses three levels. Ready means be prepared and aware. Set means pack and be ready to leave at a moment's notice. Go means leave immediately. Never wait for "Go" to start packing, and if you ever feel unsafe, leave early. You do not need an official order to evacuate — leaving an hour early is free; leaving an hour late can be deadly.

Which cities face the highest wildfire risk?

If you live in a high-risk fire region, evacuation readiness isn't optional, it's seasonal. Cities like Los Angeles and Sacramento face serious wildfire threats every year. In places like Southern California, that fire risk often overlaps with seismic risk, so it's worth pairing this with our Complete Earthquake Preparedness Checklist.

The fastest way to know exactly what your household should pre-pack? Take the free 2-minute ReadyAF risk assessment. It factors in your location's wildfire risk and builds a go-bag list tailored to you, so your 15 minutes are spent grabbing, not guessing.