Lessons from the Los Angeles fires for our emergency preparations

 

I'm sure there will be many longer-term lessons coming out of the Los Angeles fires;  the importance of locating oneself as far from predictable hazards as possible, fireproofing one's home, and so on.  However, some lessons jump right out at us, and confirm a great deal of what we've discussed in these pages.  Others shed new light on some issues that we may not have considered.

First, getting away from the danger.  Countless reports from Los Angeles speak of gridlock on the roads.  One woman said it took her two hours to travel two city blocks!  Others speak of abandoned cars, blocking roads so completely that they had to be moved by bulldozer (with inevitable damage to the vehicles concerned).  If we live in an area where such gridlock is likely (including most modern cities, sad to say), we need to take that into account.  Will we be able to "get out of Dodge" if we need to?  If not, we need to place greater emphasis on staying in place, and making our homes more secure against likely hazards.

Second, consider whether our local and regional governments are worthy of trust.  Those in Los Angeles appear to be anything but!  Their handling of this emergency has been nothing short of catastrophic.  In part, I accept that the sheer scale of the disaster is partly responsible for that;  but the lack of leadership, poor implementation of basic emergency measures such as adequate reserves of water for firefighting, emphasis on political correctness rather than practical training in the Fire Department, and other factors are equally to blame.  Can we trust our lives to our local authorities?  If not, what are we going to do about it?  If we can't change the situation, shouldn't we be considering a move to a safer area, where we are more likely to be able to make it on our own or with the help of neighbors?

(Speaking of help from neighbors, it's worth looking at video of the areas that have burned, taken before the fires started.  In a semi-desert environment, where fires are a known hazard and occur routinely, it astonishes me how many homes had trees and other vegetation right up against their walls.  They effectively made themselves into firetraps.  If everyone in the area had planned their gardens defensively, agreeing (or being coerced through regulations) to minimize flammable vegetation and implement basic anti-fire methods of construction and decoration, how many more houses would have survived?  I'm willing to bet that at the very least, the fires would have spread more slowly, allowing firefighters more time and space to contain them, and possibly making evacuation easier as well.)

A really big problem has just been laid bare for all to see.  If we've laid in emergency supplies, are they protected against this sort of disaster?  If we have them in our homes, along with everything else we hold dear, they're anything but protected.  They'll burn along with our houses.  If we have some at home, and others stored nearby (e.g. at a friend's house, or in a storage unit at a local facility, a few blocks or miles away), will the latter be secure?  In a fire as widespread as those in Los Angeles, that location may burn too.  Furthermore, what about getting there?  If the roads are gridlocked, choked with abandoned vehicles, there may be no way for us to get to our remotely stored supplies with a vehicle big enough to carry some or all of them to where they're needed.  Another thing:  we may be able to get there only on foot or by bicycle, thanks to blocked roads.  How many supplies can we carry on our backs or bikes, and for how far?  Are they packaged in small enough containers, by both weight and volume, to make that feasible?  Do we have backpacks, wheeled folding carts, etc. available at our storage location to make moving them easier?  Who's going to protect them from looters while we're taking some to another location?

I know two people who are pretty well prepared for such emergencies, as far as their respective budgets allow.  One is fairly well off.  He's bought a two-ton cargo trailer that he can hitch behind his family's primary vehicle (a big SUV).  It's parked behind his house, and kept in good condition.  In it he keeps, permanently stored, 30 days' food for his family and pets, and five or six days' water.  There's a suitcase of clothing per person, seasonally adjusted for cold or hot weather.  There are also camping supplies (tent, sleeping-bags, pads, camp cooking gear, etc.) and a few containers of propane, gasoline, etc., so that they can get a safe distance away from danger and stay mobile.  The remaining space in the trailer is left open for whatever they need on departure, including pet travel cages, etc.  They'll grab essential documents, money, etc. on their way out of the door, if necessary.

The other family I know isn't nearly so well off, and can't afford that level of preparation, but they've done what they can.  They bought a fold-up trailer from Harbor Freight, which can nominally carry up to 1,720 pounds weight (although they figure a practical load will be about half that in a cheap Chinesium product).  They've built a removable wood framework around it to secure boxes and totes, and added a spare wheel. It's normally stored folded and upright in their garage.  In time of need, they'll take it out and assemble it, then add a series of plastic weatherproof totes containing a week or two's food and water, short-term clothing needs, and other emergency supplies.  A couple of the totes are kept ready packed;  others are on standby, empty, to be filled when needed.  A tarpaulin or two are ready to cover the load, giving at least some protection against wind, weather and prying eyes and fingers.  They reckon they can be ready to go in twenty to thirty minutes after receiving the evacuation warning.

Both those families are probably as well prepared as they can be for an emergency like the Los Angeles fires.  They may (probably will) lose everything in their homes, if worse comes to worst:  but they're ready to take enough with them to ensure they'll survive, and have a foundation on which to build as they recover.  My wife and I aren't in either of their leagues right now, largely due to financial issues:  but believe me, after Los Angeles, I'm looking very hard at buying a small folding trailer to store in our garage for emergency use, and thinking about what to pack on it.  That suddenly seems like a very useful idea indeed!  I'll start putting money aside towards that need.

Finally, consider communications.  Cellphones are all very well, provided that there are cellphone towers available and unburned!  Small, low-cost FRS or GMRS radios can be bought at many camping stores and supermarkets, and offer another useful option.  CB radios are a little more powerful, and after the decline of the CB "craze" some years ago, aren't as heavily used as some other channels.  I think every member of your family (except perhaps small children) would benefit from having their own communications device, along with clearly understood instructions on when and where and how to use it.  If you're dependent on the availability of the Internet for business purposes, consider Starlink's Roam option, which uses a small portable satellite dish that fits into a backpack.  There are many other options available - although in a big fire situation like Los Angeles, I suggest avoiding smoke signals!

Anyway, those are just some thoughts that have come to mind over the past few days.  Do you have any others to contribute?  If so, please let us know in Comments.

Peter