Wildfires are unpredictable natural disasters that strike without notice and spread quickly. Our hearts go out to the people of Australia who have been displaced by relentless wildfires recently. No matter where you are located, a survival kit is essential. While your kit will be tailored to the specific needs of your family and where you live, there are staples that should always be included in every kit. These essential items include 72-hours worth of food and water, medical supplies, and so on. You can read up on how to build a home survival kit for your family here.

Staying Put During a Wildfire

As previously mentioned, there are items that are crucial to add to your survival kit if you are staying in your home. These essential items, of course, include enough food to last at least 3 days, medical supplies, flashlights, fire extinguishers, hand-crank radios, and dining supplies like silverware and can openers, and so on. It’s also a good idea to keep a cooler with some ice on hand in case you lose electricity. Speaking of which, activities that don’t require power like board games are also a great addition to your kit. One of the most important things to prepare before a natural disaster strikes is to know how to evacuate, what to do to, and when to do it. Be sure to map out as many alternative routes to travel, be prepared to do so on foot if necessary, and have a plan in place as to what to do with pets if you can’t bring them along. If you can bring pets, be sure to bring food and water, leashes, and so on. Communicate your evacuation plan to everyone in your household. An evacuation plan is crucial in any disaster scenario and is something that many people fail to prepare properly.

Don’t Hesitate, Evacuate

If you are unsure about whether to evacuate, it’s almost always better to be safe than sorry. Listening to your local radio stations for disaster and evacuation information is critical as well. Losing property to wildfires is tragic, but homes and possessions can be replaced - human lives cannot. When in doubt, don’t wait it out!

Your Wildfire Preparedness Kits Post-Evacuation

There are some items that you will want to include in your wildfire preparedness kit. Be sure to keep this kit in a bag or something that’s easy to grab in a pinch, and keep it located in a hand place. Some important items to add to your wildfire survival kit are:

• Keep important documents in a safe, waterproof container. These documents include medical records, insurance paperwork, birth certificates, marriage and business licenses, will and estate documents, and social security cards.
• Extra clothing and blankets. Be sure to keep extra socks and pack yourself some weather-appropriate clothing. Include some blankets as well. Even if it is warm during the day, extra blankets can come in handy during a disaster scenario.
• Facemasks are also essential. Breathing in wildfire smoke can be deadly, especially for small children - so be sure to bring enough facemasks.

Done-For-You Wildfire Preparedness Kits

It is essential to have emergency kits on hand for any disaster scenario, but not everyone has the time to build them. More Prepared offers a wide variety of affordable survival kits. We are happy to customize your kit for specific wildfire emergencies as well.