If and when the flames come, your life may well depend on making correct decisions, most of them related to when and how to evacuate.  Your first warning of a fire may come from a phone call from a neighbor or when you hear sirens.  However you learn of the danger, stay calm and don't panic.  Fires spread rapidly (nearly 800 homes burned in the first hour of the Oakland Hills fire of 1991) so take action quickly and calmly.

• Tune your radio to local media such as KCBS 740 AM, KGO 810 AM or local emergency radio system (1600 AM in some areas).
• If ordered to evacuate, do so at once.  Any delay can risk your life.
• Alert neighbors to the danger, especially if they are seniors, disabled, or children who may be home alone.
• Do not call 911 after the fire Department has been alerted initially unless you have a life-threatening emergency, or have specific information that is critical to responders.  911 call centers may be overwhelmed, preventing dispatchers form sending firefighting resources quickly.  
• Move your car off the street so that you don't block emergency vehicles. Park in your driveway with the front of the car facing the street.
• Get dressed in cotton or wool long pants, long sleeved shirt, gloves, and sturdy shoes.  A cotton bandana around the mouth and nose, and eye protection are important too.
• Begin assembling your irreplaceable possessions for evacuation (photo albums, original art, address books, stocks, bonds, vital medications, etc).  Remember, insurance policies, fire safes and protecting valuables should be prepared long before a fire starts.  Don't risk your life or the lives of firefighters for your possessions.
• A swimming pool may be a safe place for valuables (dishes, silver, etc.), wrapped in weighted plastic bags.
• Confine your pets, and be prepared to move them.

Want to learn more?  Take a free GET READY class from your local fire department or online today!