Wildfire Evacuation Checklist: Be Ready Before You Need to Leave

Follow official instructions

This is a preparedness checklist, not firefighting advice. Do not attempt to defend a property against a wildfire and do not re-enter an evacuated area. Evacuation alerts, orders and routes come from your local emergency management authority, and their instructions override anything on this page.

Family evacuation planning

• Agree on two ways out of your neighbourhood, in case one is closed by fire or traffic
• Choose a meeting point nearby and a second one outside your community
• Name an out-of-area contact everyone checks in with — local lines are often congested
• Decide who collects the children, who collects the pets, and who loads the vehicle
• Register for your region's emergency alerts, and know how reception centres are announced
• Practise it once so it is not a first attempt under smoke and pressure

Build the whole plan step by step in the family emergency plan guide.

Emergency kits

One grab-and-go bag per person, kept where you can load it in a single trip. The full category list is in the 72-hour survival kit checklist; the household version is in the emergency kit checklist.

Important documents

• Identification for every household member
• Home, tenant and vehicle insurance policy details
• Property, mortgage or lease records
• Medical and prescription information
• Photos or video of your home's contents for insurance purposes

Keep secure digital copies as well as physical ones, and store them the way described in emergency contact and medical information.

Medications and essential needs

• All prescription medications, with a written list of names, dosages and prescribers
• Medical devices, chargers and spare batteries; a plan for anything refrigerated
• Glasses, hearing aids, mobility aids
• Supplies for anyone with dietary, sensory or assistance needs
• N95-style respirators if recommended for smoke by your health authority

Clothing

Long sleeves and long pants in natural fibres, sturdy closed footwear, gloves, a hat, and a change of clothes per person. Avoid synthetics that melt. Pack for several days away.

Water and food

• Bottled or stored water per person for the drive and the first day away
• Food that needs no cooking, plus anything specific to infants or dietary needs
• Extra water in the vehicle — smoke, heat and traffic delays all increase what you use

Planning quantities is covered in emergency water storage.

Pets

• Carrier or crate for each animal, leash and harness
• Food, water, bowls, medications, litter and waste bags
• Vaccination records and a current photo of you with the pet
• Know which reception centres or accommodations accept animals before you need one
• Bring pets indoors as soon as an alert is issued — they are hard to find in a hurry

Communication

• Phones, chargers, car charger and charged power banks
• A printed contact list, including the out-of-area contact
• Battery or hand-crank radio for updates when networks fail
• Tell your out-of-area contact when you leave and when you arrive

Vehicle readiness

• Keep the tank at least half full through wildfire season; fuel stations may be closed or without power
• Back into the driveway so you can leave immediately
• Keep a vehicle kit: water, food, first aid, flashlight, blanket, phone charger
• Keep keys in a known place and windows closed while driving through smoke
• If you have no vehicle, arrange a ride or transportation assistance in advance with your municipality

When an alert or order is issued

1. Confirm the instruction from the official source for your area.
2. Bring pets in and load the go bags, documents and medications.
3. Dress in long sleeves, long pants and closed footwear.
4. Take the route authorities specify; do not improvise around closures.
5. Check in with your out-of-area contact and register at the reception centre.
6. Do not return until officials say it is safe.

Keep your preparedness organized with PanPrep

Evacuation preparedness is really inventory and information: knowing what is in each bag, whether it has expired, and where the household's key details live. PanPrep tracks your supply inventory by kit and location, flags expiry dates on water, food, batteries and medications, holds household and medical information, and scores your readiness so you can fix gaps before fire season. See how PanPrep works or start with the supply inventory guide.

Official guidance

Evacuation preparedness recommendations above follow published guidance from the Government of Canada, provincial and territorial emergency management organizations and wildfire services, the Canadian Red Cross, FEMA and Ready.gov. Always follow the instructions issued by your local authority.