For many of us with family or friends in the Los Angeles area, it’s a scary time right now.
The major wildfires devastating L.A. County communities have already claimed at least two lives, destroyed more than a thousand homes and buildings and forced at least 70,000 people to evacuate. As the largest fires — the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst — continue to grow, fanned by strong Santa Ana winds, a fourth fire began on Wednesday morning, and Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency.
It’s easy to feel helpless when disaster hits the people you care about — especially if you’re far away. But if you’ve got loved ones in the L.A. area who have already been impacted by these fires or who you’re worried could be affected soon, we’ve collected these guides below to coping in a wildfire situation that you can send your family and friends in Southern California. You can also use these guides to familiarize yourself with what happens during an active wildfire situation so you can advise your loved ones if they’re in a tough spot right now.
Another thing you can do: Make sure your loved ones are signed up for their county’s emergency alerts right now. Our friends at LAist have a comprehensive list of emergency alert sign-up links in their guide to the wildfires raging in Los Angeles County right now. They can also download the free Watch Duty app to monitor where fires are burning near them.
Jump straight to:
- What to pack in an emergency bag
- How to protect yourself from toxic wildfire smoke
- Why our phones can stop working during wildfires
GUIDE: How does fire evacuation work — and how can you plan for it?
Having to evacuate your home due to the threat of wildfire is a scary prospect — especially if you’ve never had to do it before. Tens of thousands have already evacuated their homes in L.A. County, but fire can travel in highly unpredictable ways, affecting communities that would never have suspected themselves to be under threat of wildfires or evacuation.
Even if your loved ones in L.A. haven’t yet had to evacuate or think they’re too far away to be affected, it’s really important that they still know the best procedures for safely leaving their home and to be prepared ahead of time to actually do it. According to L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone, there have already been “a high number of significant injuries to residents who did not evacuate.”
Some of the takeaways:
- An evacuation warning comes before an evacuation order and is a warning that you might need to evacuate soon — that’s the time to prep your emergency bags. The evacuation order is mandatory, i.e., “go time.”
- Cal Fire recommends that you dress to cover your skin to protect against heat and flying embers while evacuation and says 100% cotton is preferable: long pants, a long sleeve shirt, heavy shoes/boots, a cap, a dry bandana for a face cover and goggles or glasses.
- If you’re anticipating evacuation, put your emergency bag and supplies in your car, if you have one, then back your car into your driveway with all doors and windows closed — and then carry your car keys with you at all times.
Read the full guide to how to evacuate from a wildfire.
A map of wildfires currently burning in the Los Angeles area
GUIDE: What to pack in your emergency bag to prepare for a wildfire
A crucial part of being ready to evacuate is having a “go bag” ready. Experts advise keeping such a bag by the front door — or inside a car — so a person can easily grab it and go. If your L.A.-based loved ones do wind up evacuating, they may have to walk to safety and should so choose a bag that’s durable and easy to carry, such as a backpack or duffle bag. For heavier items, such as food and water, using a tub or chest on wheels may make it easier to transport — but they should make sure it’s still light enough to lift.
We have comprehensive checklists for an emergency bag — including medications, food and items for pets — in this story, but the personal safety essential items include:
- An extra set of keys to the home
- Eyeglasses or contact lenses
- Flashlight
- A copy of ID and other important documents (birth certificates, passports, etc.)
- A change of clothes
- Cash, ideally in small bills
- A map marked with at least two evacuation routes from your home
Read the full guide to preparing an emergency evacuation bag.

GUIDE: Why protecting yourself from toxic wildfire smoke is so important — and how to do it
Even brief exposure to wildfire smoke can cause potentially serious health problems for everyone. What we call “wildfire smoke” is actually an ever-changing mix of particles and gasses and many of these compounds are toxic. But the most dangerous thing for your health in wildfire smoke is the fine particulate matter: that is, the tiny pieces of soot and ash that are invisible to the naked eye. These particles — also known as PM 2.5 — are so small and light that they can travel huge distances from a raging wildfire and then cause damage to your body just by entering it, setting off inflammatory reactions that can make breathing difficult.
In serious cases, these reactions can even trigger a heart attack or stroke in people already at risk of those events. The particles can travel deep into your lungs, and within a few days, the damage they cause can result in bronchitis or pneumonia. So it’s crucial for your loved ones in L.A. to protect themselves against smoke right now, even if they’re not super close to the fire areas.
Some of the takeaways:
- N95 or KN95 masks — the kind you may have stocked up on due to COVID-19 — are still the best option for protecting you against smoke
- The least effective options are cloth masks and one‐strap paper dust masks or surgical masks that hook around your ears — they don’t protect against inhaling fine particles
- When it’s smoky from fires, run a portable air purifier indoors if you have one, ideally in a “clean air room” you create. The link to a guide to making your own DIY air purifier is below.
Read the full guide to protecting yourself against wildfire smoke.