Wildfires are common in California. The rising temperatures, paired with California’s droughts, create the perfect conditions for a fire to start. While most wildfires start in forest areas, they can quickly spread to inhabited areas due to the wind and dry kindling in the immediate area.
This can spiral into total devastation, as seen in the Palisades and Eaton fires this past year. Events like this can also happen in California on a smaller scale. When this happens, it’s a good idea to be prepared and have a California wildfire lawyer in your contacts.
What to Have Ready Before a Wildfire
Planning ahead of a wildfire is the best way to prevent panic and the loss of important documents in your household. Even if you neverhave to evacuate due to a fire, the following tips can also come in handy if you need to evacuate your home at a moment’s notice due to an emergency.
Secure Important Information
Important documents such as Social Security cards, passports, green cards, visas, insurance paperwork, medical records, photo albums, and any other items of sentimental value should be stored in a secure container or in an easily accessible area where someone can grab the items and go.
For example, storing all of your important government-issued documents in a backpack, box, or safe can be a good idea as you can pick up the item and know that everything is in there. Having these documents can also help a Los Angeles wildfire lawyer investigate your insurance plan and start calculating your losses.
Build an Emergency Supplies Kit
It’s recommended that every household keep a three-day supply of non-perishable foods and gallons of water tucked away in case of an emergency. Common examples of non-perishable foods include:
- Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables
- Protein or fruit bars
- Dry cereal
- Peanut butter
- Dried fruit
- Nuts
- Crackers
- Canned juices
- Non-perishable pasteurized milk
- Baby food
Build a First-Aid Kit
In addition to food and water, a first-aid kit is also essential. These can be bought at the store or made. Common items needed in a first-aid kit include Band-Aids, medicine, disinfectants, eye wash, bandages, and ointment.
Items for Infants, Elders, and People with Disabilities
If you have infants, include formula, diapers, bottles, towelettes, and diaper rash ointment in your emergency kits as well. For elders or people with disabilities, it’s necessary to have their required medications, a list of said medications, and their medical equipment such as wheelchairs, oxygen, and a record detailing the make and model of any medical devices like a pacemaker.
Additional Items
The following items are additional items to consider adding to an emergency kit:
- portable chargers
- batteries
- scissors
- battery-powered radio
- flashlight
- extra batteries
- respirators
- cash
- feminine supplies and other personal hygiene products.
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Create Evacuation Plans
Before a fire breaks out, it’s best to plan who will do what and where you will meet. For example, if a fire breaks out, one person can be responsible for getting the important documents, another person can get the pets, while someone else loads the emergency kits.
If you have heavier items like a desktop computer tower, game systems, medical equipment, or any other heavy items that are important, it’s best to load those items into a car before leaving.
If you have multiple vehicles, plan to meet up at a locale. It can be at a hotel, a park, or at a shelter the community has in place, if possible. For example, during the Palisades fires, the Pasadena Convention Center served as a shelter for evacuees.
Pet Plans
Depending on how many and what kind of pets you have, evacuation can be easy or difficult. Keep in mind that most public shelters do not allow pets for health and safety reasons, so make a note in advance of any pet shelters in your area.
Livestock Plans
Preparing livestock takes a lot of time. However, it’s worth it in the end. Build an evacuation kit for each animal by identifying your livestock with ear tags, tattoos, or microchips. Have a list of each animal along with photos, any paperwork related to the animal, and a list of their favorite hiding spots.
Learn about areas where you can take your animals for shelter and train them to evacuate the premises. In the case where you must leave your animals behind, open the gates, cut the fences, and move your livestock to an area with a lower risk. Make sure they have food and water available for 3 days and alert neighbors and authorities to be on the lookout for your animals.
How to Stay Updated on Events
In the case of a wildfire, there are multiple communication channels people can check or listen to for information.
- The news. The local news stations on television or radio will usually give updates to fires and notify the public of evacuations. If you’re driving, change the channel to a local station that is actively reporting on the fire.
- CAL FIRE. If you have internet access, checking the CAL FIRE website is a way to quickly check for updates to evacuation orders and the state of ongoing fires in California.
- WatchDuty. On your phone, you can also access the WatchDuty app or via an internet browser to get real-time updates to fires in your area along with evacuation orders and maps.
- Battery-powered radio. If you don’t have access to the internet or a car radio, a battery-powered radio can also be used to get updates about the wildfire and changes in its status.
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FAQ
Why Do I Need a Wildfire Attorney?
It’s highly recommended to seek out a wildfire attorney to help with recovery efforts. Investigations are often done after the fire to determine the cause of the event, and an attorney can use this information to help you file a claim against the responsible party.
What Damages Can I Recover?
You can recover compensation for lost wages, medical visits, lost property, and other financially calculable costs. You can also recover compensation for the psychological damage the fire has caused in your life. Common examples of these damages include the development of PTSD, anxiety, and any other forms of pain and suffering.
Do You Help Negotiate with Home Insurance?
Yes. We negotiate with your insurer to help you get the compensation you deserve. While insurance companies have a history of canceling policies in areas where wildfires are common, California’s new laws prevent this, so it makes it easier for us to help you get the compensation you deserve.
What About Renter’s Insurance?
If you’re renting a property and have renter’s insurance, we can also help you file a claim.
What Usually Starts Fires?
People. Most fires are caused by human negligence. Throwing a burning cigarette onto the grass, using fireworks, or leaving a fire unattended are some of the most common ways wildfires have started.
How Do I Prevent a Wildfire?
Prevent a wildfire by ensuring that all flammable items are put away when you have no need for them. Make sure any ongoing fires are monitored at all times. Have a fire extinguisher, fire blanket, water, dirt, or sand ready if you’re in a forest or campsite in case a fire starts to get out of control.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim?
That depends on the claim you’d like to file. After a wildfire, you can file two types of claims: a civil claim or a fire insurance claim. You can file a civil claim within 2 years after injury, like any other personal injury case. You can file a fire insurance claim within a year after the fire, but if the fire ocurred during a State of Emergency, you have up to 2 years to file a claim.
What if I Lost My Pet in a Fire?
If you lost your pet in a fire, they would qualify as property damage. While the losing a pet brings immeasurable pain, California law states that compensation for pets is not the same as compensation for a person.
What Should I Do If I Don’t Need to Evacuate?
If you don’t need to evacuate, it’s a good idea to make essentials accessible to take at a moment’s notice. If you’re near an active evacuation area, preemptively start loading your car in case you need to leave suddenly.
When Do Wildfire Claims Turn into Class Action Cases?
Wildfire claims can turn into class actions when there are enough people are affected. There isn’t a set number of people required, but there must be a sizable amount of people affected by the same event.
Contact a California Wildfire Lawyer Today
If you lost your home because of a wildfire, our team at Vaziri Law, LLP can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Our team of experienced wildfire lawyers can help you file your claim at no cost. Contact us today for a free consultation or follow us on social media to learn more about your rights!
