Part 3: Have a plan · Chapter 13

Defending your home

If you're under a mandatory evacuation order, leave. Nothing else in this chapter applies to you.

This chapter covers what LA County Fire tells homeowners to do to the house when an evacuation is expected and there's time, before you go. Its steps aim to give your home the best chance of surviving a wildfire ¹. Chapter 7 covers the work you do months ahead.

Inside

• Shut all windows and doors ¹.
• Take down flammable window shades and lightweight curtains, and close metal shutters ¹.
• Move flammable furniture to the middle of the room, away from windows and doors ¹.
• Leave your lights on so firefighters can see the house in smoke ¹.
• Shut off the air conditioning ¹.

Outside

• Bring in anything that can burn from around the house, like patio furniture, toys and doormats, or put it in the pool ¹.
• Turn off propane tanks and move propane grills away from buildings ¹.
• Connect garden hoses to the outside spigots for firefighters to use ¹.
• Don't leave sprinklers or water running. It can drop the water pressure firefighters need ¹.
• Leave the outside lights on ¹.
• Put a ladder where firefighters can see it ¹.
• If there's time, seal attic and ground vents with a noncombustible material or commercial seals ¹.

Your car and your neighbors

Put your go-bag in the car, back the car into the driveway with the doors and windows closed, and keep the keys on you ¹. Check that your neighbors are getting ready to leave ¹. Locate your pets and keep them close; move large animals early ¹.

Then go

LA County Fire says leaving early gives your family the best chance of surviving a wildfire, and it keeps roads clear for firefighters ¹. Don't wait for an order if you feel threatened ¹². Any instruction from law enforcement, whether a warning, an order or shelter in place, should be followed right away ¹.

If you're trapped at home

Call 9-1-1 and give your location; help may be delayed ¹³. LA County Fire's steps: shut off the gas meter, fill sinks and tubs with water, keep doors and windows closed but unlocked, take down curtains, turn the inside and outside lights on, stay inside, and shelter away from outside walls ¹.

Coming back

Don't go home until officials say you can ¹³. When you do, watch for downed power lines, check propane tanks, regulators and lines before turning the gas back on, and check the house carefully for hidden embers and smoldering fires ¹. Chapter 15 covers what comes after.

Sources

1. County of Los Angeles Fire Department, "Ready! Set! Go! Wildfire Action Plan" (May 2026). https://fire.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Ready-Set-Go_5.20.26.pdf (read 2026-11-09)

2. County of Los Angeles Emergency Management, "Preparing for Wildfires." https://ready.lacounty.gov/fire (read 2026-11-09)

3. Ready.gov, "Wildfires." https://www.ready.gov/wildfires (read 2026-11-09)