Having to evacuate your home due to threat of wildfire is a scary prospect — especially if you've never had to do it before.
Fires can move erratically, says Cal Fire spokesperson Heather Williams, and they can move into communities that would never have suspected themselves to be under threat of wildfires or evacuation. That's why it's important to know about the best procedure for safely leaving your home, and to be prepared ahead of time for the worst — even if the possibility seems unlikely.
We know our audiences have questions about how evacuation works, from when you should leave to what you should bring. Here are the answers to some common questions about evacuations in a wildfire.
Skip to:
- How will I know if I have to evacuate?
- What do I bring with me?
- What should I wear?
- Where do I go once I've evacuated?
- How will evacuations centers work with COVID-19?
- What if this all happens at night?
- What if I or someone in my family has a medical or mobility issue?
- What if I don't have a car?
What's the difference between an evacuation warning and an evacuation order?
An evacuation warning comes before an evacuation order, and is a warning that you might need to evacuate soon. The evacuation order is mandatory, i.e. "go time."
If your home is under an evacuation warning, that's the time to make sure you and your family know your emergency plan, and to prepare your emergency bag. If you or anyone in your family has medical or mobility issues, consider evacuating when you get the warning, and not waiting until a possible evacuation order.
Evacuation warnings should always be taken seriously, says Heather Williams of Cal Fire — because a mandatory evacuation order could follow "at any minute."
How will I know? Will there be sirens?
Cal Fire says that a “Hi-Lo” siren will be used to alert residents if it is time to leave, in the event of an evacuation order. If the area is remote, fire engines may also be sent to alert residents physically.
Do not wait for someone to come to your door and order you to leave. The information on whether or not you have to evacuate your home will come from your county, and it's really important to proactively stay up-to-date on the latest alerts:
Solano County
Find updated evacuation information on the Solano County Sheriff's Twitter feed. See a map of evacuation orders here. For evacuation questions, call (707) 784-1634 or (707) 784-1635.
Napa County:
Evacuation orders in Napa County can be found on the county website here and via the county's Twitter feed. For the most up-to-date information, county officials recommend residents reach out to the Cal Fire public information line at (707) 967-4207.
Sonoma County:
See updated county evacuation information here and an evacuation map here.
Santa Clara County
Find the latest information on evacuations here, and an official map here. The county's hotline for residents under evacuation orders is (408) 808-7778.
Alameda County
Find the latest evacuation information on Cal Fire's incident site, at Alameda County's emergency site here and by signing up for Nixle alerts here.
Contra Costa County
Check the county's Community Warning System for new alerts, and sign up for Nixle alerts here.