View of the fire in North Scottsdale from our backyard Tuesday night.
We came back from our swim Tuesday afternoon and I smelled smoke. An hour later plumes of smoke were in the air. It looked too close for comfort. Called the Diamond Fire, I was getting notifications on my iphone of a fire that started at 5:15 p.m. and roughly 1,000 people had been evacuated.
From what I could tell it was 20 miles away from us. We weren’t in any danger but I decided to pack things in case we were told to evacuate.
What did I pack? Paperwork like the title to our house, some cash, cat food, cat carrier, my flute, music, underwear, socks, tennis shoes and a few shorts and t-shirts. My husband hosed down our pergola, which is the wooden structure in our back yard over the pool bar.
As we texted neighbors, we discovered we weren’t in any danger, but I realized I do need to organize a “Go Kit” in case of emergency.
I saw this on Twitter from the Scottsdale Fire Department. It’s a good reminder:
Today, I’m going to scan our important documents, so I’ll have them on my laptop — and I’m going to back them up. Then I’m going to put together a more organized Go Kit than the one I threw together last evening.
Living in So Cal for decades, I had an earthquake kit. Now I need a “Go Kit” in case of fire or floods.
What type of preparedness plans or kits do you have? What type of emergencies affect your area?
Sounds like a smart plan EA! I think everyone should have stuff ready to go just in case. There’s no way to predict what could happen anymore with the weather and natural disasters so a general go bag is pretty essential. I hope they’ve made progress on the fire near you- A few years back we had fire within 1 mile of our entire downtown area and you probably remember how small Sumner is 🙂
It is a good idea and reassuring to only think about grabbing phones and laptops – and the cat – in an emergency. One of my brother’s college friends grew up in Sumner. She’s our age and I can’t remember her maiden name, but her first name was Nancy. She’s very successful in finance.
It’s sort of odd/funny how Sumner has produced quite a few people who go on to be really successful. It’s such a small, quiet, unassuming place and not what I think of as turning out highly successful people 😉 I think that means I’m being judgy and need to reframe my thinking 🙂
Yes, I met her at the UW and had the same judgy thoughts. “You’re from where!” And since was from Snohomish 😁
Right now, we have poor air quality from the Canadian wildfires. We are not supposed to open our windows, try not to be outside for long, etc. Amazing when I was outside yesterday I could smell the smoke.
I didn’t know that was still going on! How awful.
“A pool bar” sounds nice. We are in a no flood zone but we have important paperwork together and plans to leave if Category 3 is called. So far, so good. Smoke must be scary. This is one thing we have not dealt with.
We’ve used the pool bar one time. But it looks cool! The previous owners put it in. I was worried about the fire because of our rainy, wet winter. There is so much growth throughout the desert that it’s an extreme fire hazard. I think hurricanes would be scary!
They have hurricane parties here but Louisiana, Alabama are magnets. Most have skirted our part of Florida.
You’re lucky!
Yes, my parents retired in Alabama on the Gulf Coast and often evacuated their little home next to the Gulf.
I’m glad they’re okay!
Both have passed away, but thank you. I appreciate it. They both passed away naturally, mostly in their mid 70s.
💕
Gosh! Glad to hear you’re not impacted this time but I love your preparedness. We should be better organized here. Thx for the gentle nudge. 😘
My problem in Palm Springs was I’d put together an earthquake kit with water food, clothing, etc. We were warned that the “big one” was 100 years late and the San Andreas Fault ran through our valley. But, then I’d forget about the earthquake kit for years! Things expire!
Great point! Get organized but do a little maintenance from time to time! 😉
Yes! Fortunately, we never needed to use it. That’s a good thing, because it was a mess when I’d finally get around to looking at it!
🥰🥰🥰
😊
Our last direct hit was in the 1920s and made landfill in Tarpon Springs. It was Category 3. Lots of close calls but we have been lucky! Counties hit around us, Manatee, Hernando, and areas (Fort Myers, Panhandle, etc.)
Hurricanes always make the news in advance with maps and the entire country following the progress. At least you are prepared and know what to do. One weekend we were driving up to Big Bear Lake, an hour and half from Palm Springs. We saw fire on the mountain ridges and decided to turn around and go home. There are literally a couple roads in or out of the mountain town. It could turn into a very dangerous situation.
Very true. Fires can be started many ways including by people.
The news is saying the fire near us was started by humans. But I think it was sparks from construction. I need to read more and find out.
Glad things worked out and yes, it does sound like a Go Kit is needed. Let’s hope you never have to use it. As a classic Northeastern and pack rat, my Go Kit would include way too many nice to haves like wedding albums and worthless heirlooms and none of the must haves like bottled water, bathroom essentials, underwear. Yes, I need to work on my packing. Ha, ha.
When I was somewhat panicked the other evening, I was throwing all sorts of sentimental things in a large plastic storage bin! Maybe I should pack all that stuff in a bin, just in case! It was nice yesterday to take my time and pack the essentials calmly.
Yes, I bet it was a much more relaxing process.
Common sense took over!
Being in Hurricane country, we have a list of things to make sure we have on hand all the time. Difference is, we KNOW the Hurricane is coming 7-10 days out. Yeah, it may wobble, but the Hurricane trackers have been right enough times that we believe what they say. With fires, all it takes is a few dry days and some dumbass to flick his cigarette butt out the window. Poof. Goodbye neighborhood. No algorithm or radar can track stupidity on such a grand scale.
I agree, we also can’t predict which way the wind is flowing and how fast the fire will grow. With all our rain this past winter, the desert is filled with brush, plants, flowers, etc. Now that it’s over 100 degrees, it’s all fuel for fire. I’m hoping we’ll get monsoons soon.
You misspelled “Monsoon”. It is spelled “f-l-a-s-h-f-l-o-o-d” in your neck of the woods.
True!
I don’t think I’ve ever had an emergency kit.
It was comforting for me to put one together. I filled a duffle bag with everything we needs from changes of clothes, shorts, t-shirts, sweats, advil, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.
That is very understandable. I’ve never been in a situation where we needed one.
I didn’t think I needed one in Arizona, until I saw the smoke of the fire.
It must be a scary feeling. When ever there is a strong earthquake, ( there have been a few in last two decades) we just leave the house and stand in the open spaces outside. I remember there was a fire scare when we were in Seattle and we ( everyone) were standing in the street in our pjs. Some didn’t had their phones with them. No money , no passport ( these are important if you’re a visitor).
I had been through some big earthquakes but there was little damage where we were. When was the fire in Seattle?
In 2015 , it was some students who might have triggered the alarm.
I moved to California in the 1980s, so I missed all the news about that.
It wasn’t very big event. Just those living in that building were effected.
Have two of those bags (one for the peoples and one for the pets). The city has a wildfire alert system so they can stage the evacuations and minimize the traffic jam.
That’s good! We have a ton of freeways in them Phoenix area. I guess we head in the opposite direction of a fire!
We had one failly close last year. Some idiot buring brush when there were +60 mph substained winds and no rain for months.
Ugh! Do people think?
We have a small portable safe that is flood and fire proof. All the important documents are in there plus computer back ups. I have a hurricane box full of dried food, batteries, water and other essentials. I keep the water from past years in the garage in case we need to flush the toilet.
There has been a few hurricanes and a forest fire so I am prepared. I always have a few hundred dollars in cash, too.
That’s amazing. You are well prepared! Yes, I have a little cash too. If there’s a disaster, chances are the ATMs and debit and credit cards will be down. I’m thinking of buying an extra charger for our phones and putting it in my To Go duffle.
The weather is so unpredictable that is better to be safe than sorry. We had an unexpected storm last week that damaged many trees (and then landed on houses).
That’s scary too! We had a few wind storms like that in Palm Springs. Lots of damage due to trees on roofs.
Being prepared is a good idea. Too bad about that fire – there has already been so much destruction to the desert in that area. Fire is our biggest concern here, too. We’ve done a lot of tree thinning, but it’s an ever present danger.
With all the rain, I loved all the growth. But now we’re paying for it.
I am.ashamed to admit no go bag. I do have a binder with our important papers readily accessible and the pet carriers, but that’s it. Hurricane would be the most likely thing to evacuate us
I’m glad to say I have one ready to go now. Last week I didn’t!
What type of preparedness plans or kits do you have? Not much truth be told.
What type of emergencies affect your area? Tornadoes hit here and an occasional chemical spill, but not often for either.
Tornadoes sound scary. At least they don’t happen often! My friends near Santa Barbara have had fires within a quarter mile of their house a couple summers in a row. Then after fires there are floods.