Crisis-Ready Society
Scenarios / Natural disasters & extreme weather

Wildfires

Wildfires can spread fast, force sudden evacuations and fill the air with harmful smoke far from the flames. This page helps families plan escape routes, protect their lungs from smoke, and return home safely.

Depends on where you live

Before

  • Plan where you would go, how you would get there and where you would stay.[1]
  • Work out several escape routes, then drive and practise them with the household.[2]
  • Sign up for local emergency alerts and keep a way to charge your phone.[1]
  • Keep N95 respirators at home, sized to fit each adult and child aged two and over.[2]
  • Pick a room you can seal from outside air and set up a portable air cleaner there.[2]
  • Clear flammable material around your home to create a defensible space.[1]
  • Plan for pets, as some shelters do not accept animals.[3]

During

  • Follow fire and smoke updates and do exactly what local authorities say.[1]
  • Be ready to leave at short notice with your grab bag.[1]
  • Leave if told to, or if you feel unsafe, even without an official order.[1]
  • If smoky, stay inside with windows shut and set air conditioning to recirculate.[3]
  • Avoid burning anything indoors, including candles, incense and gas, and skip vacuuming.[3]
  • If you must go outside, wear a well-fitted N95 or P100 respirator.[3]
  • Watch people with asthma, heart disease, diabetes or pregnancy for new symptoms and get help early.[3]

After

  • Go back only when officials confirm it is safe.[1]
  • Watch for hot ash, smouldering debris and hidden hot spots in the ground.[1]
  • Mark ash pits and warn family and neighbours to keep away.[1]
  • Stay away from damaged or fallen power lines.[1]
  • Wear gloves, goggles, long sleeves, long trousers, closed shoes and an N95 mask for clean-up.[1]
  • Keep children, pregnant women and people with heart or lung problems away from ash dust.[1]
  • Throw away food exposed to heat, smoke or chemicals, and check water safety with health officials.[1]
  • Wash ash off skin, eyes and mouth as soon as you can.[1]

Watch: 60-second guides

Wildfire smoke: how to protect yourself

Videos need an internet connection. Some videos mention numbers for other countries: in the UAE call 999 police, 998 ambulance, 997 fire. More on our YouTube channel.

Official sources

  1. American Red Cross: Wildfire Safety
  2. CDC: Preparing for Wildfires
  3. CDC: Safety Guidelines: Wildfires and Wildfire Smoke

Steps are written in our own words from these pages. If advice from your local authority differs, follow your local authority.

Offline mode: showing saved pages