We love living in California, especially in our little corner of the desert, but it does mean dealing with harsh and extreme weather, wildfires, earthquakes, predators, and more. We need to consider all potential emergencies so we can act quickly to keep our residents safe.
The recent fires in Los Angeles have reminded us of the importance of refreshing our emergency and evacuation plans for everyone so we are as prepared as possible. This includes:
- Airtags on clips to attach to halters and harnesses with identifying information in case the animals are turned loose.
- Large moving totes to load the tortoises into vehicles.
- Water and feed reserves.
- First aid kits well stocked and accessible.
- Crates for chickens.
- Ramps to load pigs into vehicles.
- Treats to lead and calm animals in high stress situations.
- Digital copies of all vet records in case of fire.
- Blankets and straw for bedding and warmth.
It may seem counter-intuitive that turning animals loose in an emergency is the best thing to do, but as we've seen, especially with wildfires, there often isn't time to load trailers, and if there was, the fear and stress response is too high. Animals, especially horses, will instinctively run from danger and eventually be caught. This is why having identification on animals is important in making sure you are reunited. Of course, the goal is to evacuate everyone well before it becomes a stressful and dire situation, but we are not always given the luxury of time and need to have contingency plans for all situations.
Yesterday, a property very close to ours caught fire and had the response from the fire department not been as swift as it was, the wind could have carried the fire over to us within minutes. Our quickest plan was to halter and label the horses and prepare to turn them loose, load the tortoises, chickens, snake and dogs into the car, and lead the goats and pigs away from the fire on foot. No element of this plan was ideal, but acting fast is sometimes the best you can do.
We have to think about these things on a bit of a larger scale, but it's important to think about these scenarios for housepets as well. Do you have a readily accessible crate for your pets? Do you have a first aid kit stocked? Who knows what else is coming for us in 2025, let's all be prepared!