Wildfire preparedness
May 5, 2020 12:18 PM Subscribe
I live in a downtown urban centre in a small city surrounded by a forests susceptible to fire. This will be my first full fire season in this area. I live in a condo downtown, so it's relatively unlikely that I would need to evacuate, but as we know, anything can happen. What should I get now so that I am prepared for this year and not battling everybody else in stores/online in an already stressed world?
I read this thread that recommended the Coway AP-1512HH Mighty (via Wirecutter) air purifier. I will order it online for my one bedroom apartment, which has two of these AC units (with electric heat) that vent outside. I don't have pets and I don't drive. I am familiar with the emergency planning resources available through the Red Cross and my local government. Hoping MeFites in fire-prone areas have some hot tips!
I read this thread that recommended the Coway AP-1512HH Mighty (via Wirecutter) air purifier. I will order it online for my one bedroom apartment, which has two of these AC units (with electric heat) that vent outside. I don't have pets and I don't drive. I am familiar with the emergency planning resources available through the Red Cross and my local government. Hoping MeFites in fire-prone areas have some hot tips!
Hey! Congrats on prepping so early, very smart of you.
The number one thing that I've found useful living in a wildfire zone is, unfortunately, N95 masks. When it is once again possible to obtain these, I'd get a stock, or a reusable kind (it's not clear if Vogmask e.g. successfully filters wildfire smoke but it's cheaper than ordering a case every year). Second was an air purifier which you've already got (I've got a fan and HEPA filters, lol). Download an AQI app or have a website you check so you know if you need to switch the cloth mask or surgical mask for the real shit when you go outside.
There are lots of resources out there on how to make an emergency backpack especially linked in the thread above. Wildfire evacuations may be very quick and in the middle of the night; my uncle went to sleep fine and woke up with his house on fire. So you want to be ready-ready once fire season rolls around. I think it's between fire seasons everywhere in the world so now is the perfect time to pack! I like the ready.gov checklist.
Where I live I am less likely to need to evacuate and more likely to experience a power outage or water cutoff. So shelf stable food and water are the two big things we re-up for our home kit each year. Plus flashlights. A big ol' rechargable battery that you can plug your computers, etc, into is maybe a good idea, as well as the little purse ones for your phone if you do evacuate and need to charge on the go.
posted by peppercorn at 1:02 PM on May 5, 2020 [5 favorites]
The number one thing that I've found useful living in a wildfire zone is, unfortunately, N95 masks. When it is once again possible to obtain these, I'd get a stock, or a reusable kind (it's not clear if Vogmask e.g. successfully filters wildfire smoke but it's cheaper than ordering a case every year). Second was an air purifier which you've already got (I've got a fan and HEPA filters, lol). Download an AQI app or have a website you check so you know if you need to switch the cloth mask or surgical mask for the real shit when you go outside.
There are lots of resources out there on how to make an emergency backpack especially linked in the thread above. Wildfire evacuations may be very quick and in the middle of the night; my uncle went to sleep fine and woke up with his house on fire. So you want to be ready-ready once fire season rolls around. I think it's between fire seasons everywhere in the world so now is the perfect time to pack! I like the ready.gov checklist.
Where I live I am less likely to need to evacuate and more likely to experience a power outage or water cutoff. So shelf stable food and water are the two big things we re-up for our home kit each year. Plus flashlights. A big ol' rechargable battery that you can plug your computers, etc, into is maybe a good idea, as well as the little purse ones for your phone if you do evacuate and need to charge on the go.
posted by peppercorn at 1:02 PM on May 5, 2020 [5 favorites]
I thought my windows and doors were well sealed until the last fire season. I ended up using painters tape to seal off some gaps, so you may want to grab a roll or two to have around.
posted by sacrifix at 1:45 PM on May 5, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by sacrifix at 1:45 PM on May 5, 2020 [3 favorites]
I happen to have an air quality sensor, which I find useful to have (the government site here is slow to update and the sensors are in different neighborhoods, so it's not fully accurate). It's helpful to have a good supply of food on hand so you don't necessarily have to go out that often- do you think you'll be working from home? Personally, I find masks really difficult to wear when they're correctly sealed, and I found it a little scary to try to go out even with an N95 on when the AQI here was in the "very unhealthy" range and smelled sickeningly of heavy smoke. I could smell the smoke even with the mask on.
posted by pinochiette at 2:16 PM on May 5, 2020
posted by pinochiette at 2:16 PM on May 5, 2020
You mention that you don't drive. It may be a good idea to make friends with someone(s) in your building who do drive, and might have room for you in their vehicle if an evacuation was necessary. It's not guarantee of a ride, but it's a whole lot easier to ask in a non-emergency context than in a panic.
Beyond that, the usual emergency supplies are helpful; stash a case or two of bottled water under your bed or back of a closet (if you lose power, you may lose water), a powerful flashlight in case you have to go down dark staircases, and a 48hr backpack.
posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy at 2:59 PM on May 5, 2020 [2 favorites]
Beyond that, the usual emergency supplies are helpful; stash a case or two of bottled water under your bed or back of a closet (if you lose power, you may lose water), a powerful flashlight in case you have to go down dark staircases, and a 48hr backpack.
posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy at 2:59 PM on May 5, 2020 [2 favorites]
During times when high winds were predicted to happen in the middle of the fire season, the power company turned off electric power to large areas, some quite distant from the actual threat, to prevent downed wires causing new fires. So definitely be prepared for power outages.
posted by metahawk at 3:04 PM on May 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by metahawk at 3:04 PM on May 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'm in Maine and we have power outages, occasionally a couple days. Power outage prep - turn the fridge and freezer to colder settings; this may buy you a day. Keep the fridge and freezer full; I wash water and juice bottles, fill with water and use them as needed to keep the fridge and freezer optimized. I keep a stash of water and shelf-stable food, led lighting, candles, a solar/crank/battery radio that has a flashlight and USB port for charging, a backup power for the phone, and a go bag with useful stuff. Keep track of/ make a list of important papers and anything you'd want to grab if you had to evacuate. There are plenty of sites with disaster-prep info. This is a smart move.
posted by theora55 at 4:36 PM on May 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 4:36 PM on May 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Do you have local alerts set up? IDK how your city does them, but around here there's usually multiple channels to communicate about emergencies. I bookmarked them on my phone and set up the automatic emergency messages. Some places also have apps.
For the emergency bag, get a good hiking backpack, properly sized for your torso, with an internal frame and hip belt. Makes a world of difference in how much and how long stuff can be carried. After packing it, do a couple test runs to see if it's too heavy or packed awkwardly. Lightweight hiker sites have good tips on how to pack effectively.
Since you don't drive, your evacuation routes may be more complicated and take more planning. Does the local emergency department have a plan for non-drivers?
Pack something for periods of boredom so you don't have to use your phone's charge up. Eink ereaders last for weeks on a single charge and hold thousands of books. Nintendo handheld consoles prior to the Switch have great battery life too.
Check the bag every month to make sure the electronics and power packs are charged up, update the documents, that kind of thing.
posted by Ahniya at 4:08 PM on May 6, 2020
For the emergency bag, get a good hiking backpack, properly sized for your torso, with an internal frame and hip belt. Makes a world of difference in how much and how long stuff can be carried. After packing it, do a couple test runs to see if it's too heavy or packed awkwardly. Lightweight hiker sites have good tips on how to pack effectively.
Since you don't drive, your evacuation routes may be more complicated and take more planning. Does the local emergency department have a plan for non-drivers?
Pack something for periods of boredom so you don't have to use your phone's charge up. Eink ereaders last for weeks on a single charge and hold thousands of books. Nintendo handheld consoles prior to the Switch have great battery life too.
Check the bag every month to make sure the electronics and power packs are charged up, update the documents, that kind of thing.
posted by Ahniya at 4:08 PM on May 6, 2020
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posted by katra at 12:39 PM on May 5, 2020 [1 favorite]