My parents live in Northern California, in a small town that is basically surrounded on three sides by wildfires right now. Since the town is located on a ridge, there are limited options to escape if all roads are cut off by fire. At one point yesterday, a man came and pounded on their door, letting them know that they needed to "get out, and immediately". While packing up the car, my dad saw some search and rescue officials driving by in a truck, who told him that while they needed to be prepared, they didn't need to leave right away. Judging by the news reports today, it appears that the fire will be contained by Monday---unfortunately, approximately 65 homes have been burned, along with more than 20,000 acres.
I happened to see the news stories yesterday afternoon, and gave my parents a call, which is how I learned all of this. My mom was extremely calm, doubting that the fire would make it to the center of town, where they live (although they do live close to a canyon where the fire was raging below). I was curious to hear what my mom considered 'crucial' items to take with them in the event that they did need to evacuate.
She was incredibly blasé about the entire thing. She said they had packed up the computer, irreplaceable photos and documents, some clothing, and were prepared to get the dog and cat into their crates if need be. She said "really, those are the only things that have any importance. Everything else is just stuff".
Last night after I had talked with my parents, I looked around my own house, and thought about the things that really matter to me. Some photos, my passport and ID, my journals, my cats. That's about it. The rest, while comfortable and attractive, really is just stuff. I'll need to remember this as I struggle over the decision to move to a smaller (and cheaper) place (although, my little house is already less than 1000 square feet).
What would you take if you had to leave your home on short notice?
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Frugal emergency. . .
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
You always have to prepare even if you are not living in an area where wild fire is a common things. I often has to packed up 4 little bags with important things for myself, my husband, and 2 of my children just in case something unexpected happen. What you said is true, there are only a few important things, the rest of it is just stuff. I have known one person has died in a fire just because he went back up his room to get something. To me, your life is the most important thing, it's even more important than the things that you think are important. Once, you are no longer here, the Passport is useless.
Post a Comment