When Fire Devastates

Two nights ago a tragedy struck close to my home. Several buildings in the small town I live in caught on fire and burned beyond repair. It took 15 fire companies about 7-8 hours to extinguish the blaze. Thank God in Heaven that no one lost their life.

 It was a nightmarish scene as plumbs of black smoke billowed up into the evening sky chased by flames, at times, reaching 30 to 40 feet above the buildings, and the smell of burning tar from the roofs reaching for miles down wind. I thank the brave men and women of the fire departments that bravely fought the blaze. Who knows how much worse it could have been without their hard work.

As I write this I am reminded about a couple of posts I made in January and February about having some emergency supplies together in your home that could get you through if a disaster were to strike. They were written with the idea in mind that you never know when something is going to happen that could leave you fending for yourself until rescue crews can arrive to help, or utilities could be restored. This disaster was of another sort: What do you do when every thing you prepared is no longer there?

It’s difficult and unpleasant, to think that something like this could happen to you but it can, and it does, everyday. You owe it to yourself and your family to be ready when it does. The nice part about getting prepared is that it’s not as hard to do as you might think, and a little creative thinking and effort before hand can reduce the time and cost it would normally take to get ready.

To start, make a plan! A written plan that is discussed and practiced with your family, that teaches them what to do and where to go if a tragedy hits your home. Include escape routes for each area of your home, a “safe zone” at least 100 yards away from the home to meet at. This can be a tree, park bench, a mail box, anything that gets everyone back together out of harms way.

Put together a “grab and go” bag (also called a bug out bag) for each person. At a minimum it should contain a change of clothes (appropriate for the season), a jacket or sweater (even in the summer months), a first aid kit (with any medications you need), a flash light, pencil/pen and paper, rain poncho, 25-50 feet of utility or Para cord, a pair of gloves (work gloves or glove liners are fine), a knit hat or ball cap, and some basic hygiene supplies. The adults in the home should also have a copy of any important papers such as insurance papers, birth certificates, wills, or any other papers you may want or need, $20 to $50 to purchase a meal or other item, and a family Bible. Place them into a plastic zip lock bag to protect them and keep them together.

If you have kids in the home you may want to include some comfort items for them such as some type of snack food (trail mix, crackers, hard candies), a blanket, stuffed animal, or favorite toy. If you decide to go with a favorite toy, hit you local garage sales and flea markets to find a duplicate of a toy they are already playing with a lot. Something familiar helps them to deal with difficult situations.

You can hit the “back to school” sales at your local department stores, garage or estate sales, flea markets, or EBay to pick up a small day or school style backpack for each person to store their stuff in and a multi pack of LED flashlights are a great way to save money when supplying each person with a light (just remember to keep spare batteries with them). Most communities have a Red Cross chapter that will offer assistance to families but it may take a few hours to a few days for that assistance to arrive, having something already together gives you and your family something to fall back on until then.

Before You Go:

Are you planning any adventures to the backcountry this summer? If so, you may want to follow these simple guidelines to help make your trip more enjoyable and safer.

• Plan Ahead: Know where you are going, when you plan to leave, when you plan to be back, and write it down. Estimate how far you plan to travel in a day (know your limits), add a complete list of your gear and supplies, include it with your trip plan, then make a few copies to leave behind when you hit the trail.
• Leave Your Trip Plan: Choose 1 or 2 people to leave your trip plan with. This will allow them to contact the authorities if you do not return on time from your adventure. It also helps to leave a copy in your vehicle with any last minute changes that had to be made before starting out.
• Stick To Your Plan: Nature is unpredictable, and there will be times when you have to alter your plan after you start your trip, but try to stick as close to your plan as possible and return to your trip plan if you have to detour for some reason.
• Learn Some Basic Survival Skills: Take a basic First Aid class or a Wilderness First Aid class before you go and add it to some self reliance training in fire building, how to signal for help, and basic shelter building. You may never need it on the trail but it will fun to learn and builds your confidence about the outdoors.
• Test Your Gear: Know how to use your gear before you go, and get an idea of its limitations. Before any trip you should also inspect your gear to see if any piece needs to be repaired or replaced prior to leaving.
• Leave No Trace: Take a few minutes to read and learn the Leave No Trace backcountry guidelines. Your goal is to set out on an adventure to remember in the wild places around us, make sure they are there for future generations to use as well.

Most importantly HAVE FUN! That’s what it’s all about. Whether it’s a day hike at a local park, an overnight campout with your family, a weekend stay in a State campground, or a multi-day solo backpacking trip in a remote wilderness. Proper planning, combined with the right gear, and a sense of adventure and you’ll have memories to share for a lifetime.

*Clip art is from Yahoo Images.