In this Saturday, July 27, 2019 photo, provided by the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Milepost 97 fire burns west of Interstate 5 south near Canyonville, Ore. AP

First responders train hard to prepare for wildfires and other disasters. Residents need to do the same, according to the Klamath County Fire Agencies that compiled the online Oregon’s Ready Set Go guide to reduce the risk of a fire harming people and property.

People who have been evacuated know there is no extra time to figure out what to take. And those in a rush may forget a vital item or bring too much.

There is always the possibility that you may have to leave your car, so pack just what you need to keep your emergency “go bag” as light as possible in case you have to carry it on foot or use public transportation.

Unlike an earthquake, in which systems like water, electricity and cellphone towers may be compromised for days or longer, a wildfire go bag should have what you need to reach safety.

Shelters most likely have food, water, first-aid supplies and toilet paper, but not your lifesaving medicines, driver license or some other form of identification, and spare keys to your house and car.

The online resource Rx Open provides information on the operating status of healthcare facilities in areas impacted by a disaster.

“Knowing when to leave, what to take, where to go and how to get there will help keep you and your family from being caught in smoke, fire or road congestion while evacuating during a wildfire,” according to Oregon’s Ready Set Go.

You can monitor fires burning in Oregon with this wildfire tracker.

Don’t stop to assemble a bag if your neighborhood or house is on fire, or you’ve been told to evacuate. An area can quickly be consumed by fire. Heat, smoke and ash make it difficult to breathe, and blinding smoke makes day look like night.

Every thing is replaceable, say disaster experts, except people.

Emergency preparedness experts suggest, at minimum, three actions you need to take now to improve your family’s safety during and after a disaster:

This checklist helps you know what to pack. Firefighters encourage everyone to take personal responsibility and learn what you can do today to prevent and prepare for wildfire.

It’s hard to think clearly when you’re told to evacuate. This makes it critical to put together a compact, waterproof, durable go bag filled with hard-to-replace essentials like medicines and spare glasses that you can grab as you race out the door.

Consider the color of your portable disaster kit. Some people choose red so it’s easy to spot stored in the garage or closet, while others buy an ordinary-looking backpack, duffel or rolling cargo bag that won’t draw attention to the valuables inside. Some people remove patches identifying the bag as a disaster or first-aid kit.

Assemble essentials in one place. Many of the must-have supplies may already be in your home, like hygiene items, but you’ll need duplicates and smaller sizes so you can access them fast in an emergency.

Set a pair of hard-sole shoes or leather boots near the go bag to put on before leaving. A pair of long pants, long-sleeve shirt or jacket and socks in a low-flammable natural fabric like cotton or wool are best to wear, but don’t delay to find items in an emergency situation.

Print out a list of phone numbers of physicians, family and friends.

Also pack a lightweight travel bag for your pet and identify a place to stay that will accept animals. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) app should list open shelters during an active disaster in your area.

In advance of any disaster, uploading important documents to a digital folder skips the need to pack paper copies of documents that can be misplaced.

Scan personal photos and store them on a CD or cloud server. A photo inventory of your home taken now can save you hundreds of painful hours trying to pull together information for an insurance claim after a disaster.

A lightweight, sturdy “go bag” is not like the emergency supplies you maintain at your home in case you have to shelter in place for days.

A “go bag” has the essentials you’ll need — medicines to a portable phone charger — to instantly flee.

Keep bags as light as possible by including only essentials:

The remains of houses along the Little North Santiam River near Lyons, OR, on Wed., Sept. 30, 2020. The houses were burned in the Beachie Creek wildfire. Dave Killen/StaffThe Oregonian

Portland Fire & Rescue has a safety checklist that includes making sure electrical and heating equipment are in good working condition and not overheating.

Here’s what you should do to make sure your family and your home are prepared for fires:

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· 5 steps you can take right now to be ready for Oregon wildfire season

· What you need to know about home inventory and insurance after a fire or other disaster

· Wildfire risk when buying an Oregon home: How to evaluate fire safety, or prepare your current property

· Fire-resistant siding, windows, more house materials become popular as Northwest home builders adapt to persistent wildfires

· Fire prevention starts in the yard: ‘I don’t know which precaution will save my house so I do as much as I can’

· Fire experts prefer these high-moisture plants

· Prepare your yard for wildfire season by creating a low-flammable landscaping plan, finding fire-resistant plants with new database

More information on fire prevention can be found at the Oregon Department of Forestry YouTube channel and website:

· Your Home Can Survive a Wildfire

· How to Make Your Home and Property Fire Safe

· Oregon Wildfire Risk Explorer digital library

· How to Become a Fire-wise Community

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