Pack your Go Bag before fire season starts. You may need a Go Bag per person, or a Go Bag for the family, depending upon family size and if you plan to pre-evacuate before fire states, or once a fire is in progress. With pre-evacuation there is time to load the car with computers and sentimental items. With fire imminent, one must take a go-bag and be prepared to leave on foot. While it is always worthwhile to be thorough, consider that you may need to carry it, sometimes in difficult and smoky situations where you may need your hands. There is value to a light and compact Go Bag.
Many sites recommend leaving your Go Bag in your car. In Berkeley, however, where car break-ins are frequent, leaving it at home might be best. Some experts recommend keeping your Go Bag by the main door.
Now for a possible list of items—
What you should be wearing
- absolutely no synthetics (they will melt with heat)—only use wool or cotton
- sturdy leather shoes and (if possible) wool socks
- thick, tightly woven shirt
- denim jeans
- leather gloves
- wide brimmed hat (to step embers from landing on you)
- or, second best, cotton bandanna around your head
- goggles or safety glasses (if possible surround)
- cotton mask on top of N95 (to protect N95 from embers)
- leather jacket if available
critical evacuation gear
- flashlight/ headlamp—essential, in case of night evacuation
- whistle
- local map with walking paths (check the Berkeley Path Wanderers’ map)
- or, even better, their map bandanna
- evacuation route map with at least 2 routes (you create it, way before fire season)
- multi-tool with cutting blade
- water and snacks
- ID, credit cards, cash
- wallet & cellphone → add at last minute
More emergency gear
- hand-cranked emergency radio
- batteries and battery pack
- emergency blanket
- extra car keys
- duct tape
- rope
- plastic sheeting (to sit on in the days after evacuation)
- can opener
- a few big trash bags for ponchos
Medicine
- first aid kit and sanitation supplies, including crazy skin glue
- sanitizer and N95s
- necessary prescriptions/ medication/medical supplies for 1-2 weeks
- extra eyeglasses/ contact lenses
- toiletries
- maxi-pads/ double use as bandages
General gear
- light laptop
- chargers and cables
- kids’ toys
Documents
- “Important documents” copies or a thumb drive (birth certificates, insurance, etc.)
- passport
- photos of immediate family (if separated)
Clothing
- one change of clothing
- 2 pairs of socks & underwear
Food and water per CalFire
- 3 gallons of water per person
- 3-day supply of non-perishable food
- pet food & water
Resources for further research
Many excellent resources propose list of supplies for Wildfire Go Bags:
- The City of Berkeley has a one-page wildfire evacuation checklist [PDF] that includes a simple list of Go Bag contents. It also provides a much longer list of emergency supplies for a general purpose [Disaster Supply Kit](Build a Disaster Supply Kit | City of Berkeley).
- CalFire’s list, on readyforwildfire.org, is short and sweet: Wildfire ‘Go Bag’ Checklist: Your Emergency Supply Kit | CAL FIRE
- KQED has a solid list of emergency supplies for a wildfire go bag that is has revisited several times in the past few years
- SF Fire department has a long and detailed go bag supplies list [PDF]
- The University of Nevada, Reno maintains a wildfire site with solid information. Their emergency supply list, particularly suited to Nevada, is well thought out but requires a large bag.
- The Rotary Wildfire Ready site provides a simple but good graphical documentWildfire Home Protection: Emergency "Go Bag" | Rotary Wildfire Ready - Rotary Wildfire Ready