Dry weather, unseasonable temperatures, and unfortunate human error can all sometimes contribute to massive wildfires that can threaten homes, businesses, and the lives of humans and animals. A forest fire has the ability to spread as fast as 15-20km/hr, which can feel like seconds if your home happens to be in its path of destruction, which is why forest fire communications are essential.
Sadly, there is not much you can do if your house is in immediate danger of being engulfed by a wildfire, except get yourself and loved ones to safety, however, there are things you and your family are able to do to ensure that you are as safe and as prepared as you can be if such a situation were to occur.
Determine possible escape routes
Forest fires are unpredictable, so there is no way of knowing exactly from which direction they may come. This is why is it essential to plan multiple escape routes in case you are given an evacuation order. Make sure that every member of your family is aware of each of these routes to be sure they are able to escape as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
Pick a safe meeting place
In the same vein as determining evacuation routes, it is also important to pick a safe location where your family and loved ones can meet in case of separation or in case some members may not be home at the time of evacuation. Depending on the radius of the evacuation zone, you may want to choose a couple of locations to ensure that no matter how widespread the fire, you have a safe place to meet.
Pack an emergency kit
When the order for an evacuation comes, there is no time to lose. You must leave your home as soon as physically possible, which means that you may not have time to pack everything you need. This is why an emergency kit is a good thing to have on hand and stored in a convenient spot such as the front closet. This kit should ideally include enough water for each of your family members to last for up to 72 hours, non-perishable food, a flashlight, extra batteries, and even a first aid kit. Copies of medical prescription information and other personal documentation, like passports and birth certificates, are also a good idea to include in your emergency kits.
Prepare your property
You may not be able to prevent a fire from reaching your property and your home, but you are able to do your part to try and minimize the damage that may occur. Indoors, move any flammable furniture and draperies away from the doors and windows into the center of the room. Leave your lights on when you evacuate to help firefighters see your house in case of smoky conditions. Outside, make sure to take any flammable lawn furniture, toys, decorations, etc. inside. Turn off any propane tanks and move barbecues away from your home. Keep your pets close and make preparations to take them with you when you get told to evacuate. Read about more things you can do to prepare your home for evacuation.
Sign up for forest fire communications
Knowledge is power. The earlier you know about a pending evacuation notice, the sooner you and your family can begin to prepare. This is why subscribing to an emergency notification system for forrest fire communications is a good idea, so you can receive alerts as soon as a fire is discovered and remain up to date about its spreading progress. Whether it be email, SMS messages, or phone calls, you are able to receive these emergency alerts via the communication channel that you prefer.
While you may feel helpless during a forest fire and not know exactly how things may turn out, it helps to know that you have done everything possible in preparation, keeping your family and loved ones safe in the process. Learn more about some tools SimplyCast has developed to help with forest fire communications during emergency events.
