are you near a fire?
navigate a Fire Emergency
Prepare for potential fire & smoke
Monitor Red Flags & Fire Weather Watches. During fire season, CalFire Fire Watch shows a map of local Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches.
Monitor air quality. Once fire season becomes active, start monitoring the air quality forecast with IQAir’s Map.
Turn on emergency notifications and alerts. Turn on emergency notifications and alerts for Nixel, SoCo Alerts, Watchduty, PulsePoint, and PG&E’s PSPS events. Consider adding your immediate neighbors as favorites in your phone to bypass the Do Not Disturb setting at night.
PREPARE FOR POTENTIAL Evacuation
If you’re aware of a fire within 30 miles, start monitoring it. Fires can move very quickly and require sharp situational awareness until the fire has been safely contained. If you live in a close community, consider working in “night watch” shifts to keep monitor fast moving fires after dark.
Monitor nearby fires using interactive dashboards.
Sonoma County
SoCo Emergency Maps is an interactive map including evacuation zones, satellite-fed heat maps, road closures, and live webcams. SF Chronicle Fire Map gives a broad overview of each of the fires including containment and acres burned.
Oregon
RAPTOR Public Maps is an interactive map to assist in planning that includes evacuation zones. ARCGIS is a dashboard of Oregon fires that includes containment and acres burned.
Monitor local briefings. Most counties release daily summaries and morning updates that will help you understand how the fire conditions have changed and are expected to behave.
sonoma county
Cal Fire releases briefings on their Twitter account for fires throughout California. Supervisor Lynda Hopkins releases Russian River community briefings on her Facebook page at 8:30AM and 5:30pm. KSRO provides the most accurate local information via emergency updates on the top of the hour throughout the day.
oregon
Oregon County Resources releases daily updates and includes emergency alerts by county.
Monitor live streams. Alert Wildfire shows webcams pointed at active fires to give you a live visual throughout the west coast. PulsePoint is a mobile app can immediately inform you of live fire emergencies reported via 9-1-1. Scanner Radio (mobile app) and Broadcastify (web) both stream radio transmissions from fire agencies using local emergency dispatch streams.
SONOMA COUNTY
Watch Duty is a new fire tracking mobile app for Sonoma, Napa, and Lake Counties that provide details on live fire emergencies. Hear realtime fire dispatch updates on Scanner Radio App (mobile) or Broadcastify (web) by adding Sonoma County and CAL FIRE Dispatch .
Monitor air quality. IQAir provides current air quality information and safety procedures.
Place water out for evacuating wildlife. Humans aren’t the only ones fleeing fire – displaced wildlife may also be affected. Leave shallow buckets filled with clean water along wildlife corridors.
during an Evacuation warning
If you feel unsafe, do not wait for an evacuation order, leave immediately.
If you have been given an evacuation warning, be prepared to leave. Warnings may come in the form of a text, phone call, or push notification.
Alert your neighbors. Make sure they’re aware of the update, as mobile alerts, cell and Wi-Fi service sometimes fail during emergencies.
Pack your car. Gather everything you’d need to leave at a moment’s notice, if needed.
Monitor road closures and fire breaks. Adjust your evacuation route if needed.
Sonoma County
Use Sonoma County Road Closures to check road conditions and closures throughout Sonoma County,
Oregon
Use Tripcheck to check road conditions and closures throughout Oregon.
Alert your emergency contacts. Share your evacuation plan with a 2-3 point people and ask them to relay information for you.
Find a safe shelter. If need a place to stay, look for nearby Evacuation Centers or check the AirBnB Open Homes program for free emergency housing. Dogs and cats may be sheltered at Wag Hotels, who are offering free boarding and food. Large animals and livestock may be evacuated to County Fairgrounds.
during an evacuation order
If you have been ordered to evacuate, leave as quickly and calmly as possible. Warnings may come in the form of a text, phone call, or push notification. When there isn’t time to send an alert, emergency responders will play a hi/lo siren and notify residents by going door-to-door.
If you have an emergency call 9-1-1. For evacuation assistance call 2-1-1.
Alert your neighbors to make sure they’re aware of the update
Turn off your gas or propane tanks
Place your evacuation tags on your door and windows
Leave. Give fire fighters room to do their job and avoid creating a rescue situation.
after evacuating
Use the Red Cross registry to list yourself safe. To check the status of loved ones, search the registry.
Set up an email autoresponder. Setting up an autoresponder does two things – 1) it immediately lets concerned loved ones know you are safe and 2) reduces the pressure to respond until you’re ready.
Take really, really good care of yourself. It’s OK to not be OK – you may be experiencing acute trauma of the current situation, complex trauma from repeat experiences, or compound trauma from different ongoing traumas. Remember even if you are out of physical harm, you may still be feeling emotional and mental effects. If you need someone to talk with, the kind folks at Sonoma County have set up a warm line for mental and emotional support. Call (707)565-2652 any day of the week from 10AM to 7PM to speak to a trained professional.
Wait to return home until your evacuation order has been downgraded or lifted.
preparing to return home
Decide if it’s safe for you to return home. Even if your evacuation order has been downgraded, use situation awareness to assess whether you will be safe returning home.
Plan on multiple routes home on paper. Assess road closures and fire breaks, then plan your routes on paper as you may not be able to access digital navigation on the road. Do not count on Google Maps to safely route you home, as they may not take road closures or fire areas into account. When in doubt, take major highways and follow signs.
Sonoma County
Use Sonoma County Road Closures to check road conditions and closures throughout Sonoma County. Santa Rosa residents can use the city’s travel route planner.
Oregon
Use Tripcheck to check road conditions and closures throughout Oregon.
Bring groceries and supplies with you. Prepare to stay home for at least 24 hours to keep the roads clear for first emergency responders and other evacuees returning home.
Tune in local radio while you drive. In Sonoma County, KSRO at 103.5 FM, 94.5 Fm, and 1350 am provides ongoing information on road conditions and detours.
Prepare for longer travel time than usual. Make sure you’re prepared to be in your car for several hours longer than you might normally expect. You may hit evacuation traffic, unexpected detours, or new hazards that weren’t present before you started driving.
Drive very, very carefully. Drive only during broad daylight, as conditions are much more difficult to manage after dark. Smoke and street light outages may make it more difficult to see clearly. Debris in the road, disoriented wildlife, and other drivers in a heightened state of stress may all present extra hazards.
After returning home
Check to make sure it’s safe to enter. Check for smoke, fallen debris, and hazardous damage that may make it unsafe. If it is not safe, do not enter.
Continue monitoring nearby fires. Be prepared to leave immediately if conditions worsen and it becomes unsafe.
Continue monitoring air quality. AirNow provides current air quality and safety procedures.
Join clean-up efforts. Use extra caution if structures have been burned, as smoke may contain toxic chemicals like asbestos. Learn about protecting yourself from asbestos in a natural disaster.
Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance. If a Federal Emergency has been declared and your home was affected, apply for Disaster Assistance or by calling 1-800-621-3362.