A few months ago we discussed building a Family Emergency Binder and a Family Emergency Plan. Then, a few weeks ago, I wrote a post about what to do in case of power outages. Those posts discuss about how to protect your family from disasters and how to rebuild your life after an emergency. But now that we’re in midsummer, it’s wildfires season.
Every summer, wildfire season becomes more dangerous and unpredictable. Whether you live in a high-risk area or you’re just traveling through, wildfires can start and spread quickly—sometimes without warning. This post isn’t meant to be an expert-level survival manual, but a curated collection of trusted resources from government agencies and wildfire professionals. It’s designed for anyone, regardless of experience, who wants to take real, practical steps to protect their home, family, and community from wildfire risk.
🔗 Trusted Resources to Help You Prevent & Deal with the Threat of Wildfires:
🏡 Home & Property Protection
- Ready.gov Wildfires
- This government website offers simple checklists for before, during, and after a wildfire. There are also resources for evacuation planning and tips for reducing home ignition risks.
- Firewise USA (National Fire Protection Association)
- This is a nationwide program with guidelines for creating defensible space and community-level fire mitigation plans.
- Wildfire Risk to Communities
- USDA Forest Service’s website is a “free, easy-to-use website with interactive maps, charts, and resources to help communities understand, explore, and reduce wildfire risk.”
- This website includes interactive maps, risk assessments, and community-specific strategies based on U.S. Forest Service data.
🧭 Evacuation Planning
- Ready, Set, Go! Program (International Association of Fire Chiefs)
- This website offers evacuation checklists, family communication plans, and key “go-bag” essentials tailored for wildfire evacuations.
- USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities Evacuation Readiness
- This section of the website has all the information you need to learn about how to prepare your home in case you have to evacuate.
- Cal Fire – Prepare for Wildfire App & Resources
- Although this website is for California residents, it has some excellent resources on how to build emergency kits and how to prep vehicles for evacuation. It’s information that everyone can use. I especially love their directions on how to build a “Go Bag”.
🌿 Prevention & Reporting
- Smokey Bear – Wildfire Prevention
- I’m sure some of you are old enough to remember the public service commercials featuring Smokey the Bear. Well, some things haven’t changed and this friendly, educational website is stuffed with free resources about how to prevent wildfires while camping, cooking outdoors, or burning yard debris. Highly, highly recommend reading all the pages on this site–there is so much to learn about this important topic.
- National Interagency Fire Center
- This site provides current wildfire updates, fire potential outlooks, and nationwide wildfire activity maps.
- AirNow.gov – Smoke and Air Quality Alerts
- This site offers real-time smoke tracking and air quality alerts—critical during wildfire season even for those far from the flames. I’m always shocked when I smell smoke and discover it’s coming from Canada or the western states.
