Prepare for wildfires by taking these simple steps:
1. Have your phone charged and turned on — the sheriff sends emergency alerts to phones in evacuation areas
2. Install the Watch Duty app on your phone to get current info about evacuations and fire spread. The Genasys app is integrated with Watch Duty, but the Genasys app may also be useful — it provides info about evac zones.
3. Install the Twitter app on your phone and FOLLOW @NorthCountyFire, @MCIWPendletonCA, @CALFIRESANDIEGO
4. Don’t let your vehicle’s gas tank get below 1/3 full — in the event of a fire, there may be no gas stations open
5. Have a Go Bag(s) by the door
Here are some detailed official suggestions for packing your go bag: https://www.readysandiego.org/content/oesready/en-us/BuildaKit.html.
Include paper copies of the evacuation route (link) or download to your phone. In the event of a fire, the cell towers may be down and your cell phone may not be able to access anything online.
Your go bag(s) should be close to the door so that you can load it/them into the car in just a few minutes. I also have a (paper!) list of the daily-use things that I don’t have duplicates of — eyeglasses, medicine, tablet, vital paperwork — stuff that I’ll have to quickly gather in the panic of a fast evacuation. Click here for additional tips.
5. Know what to do if you have to evacuate
If you have to evacuate, leave your gates open — this allows emergency people to access your property. However your windows and doors should be closed and locked to prevent blowing sparks or embers getting in to your house.
DO NOT leave sprinklers on! Firefighting crews need water at the fire hydrants. Also if you evacuate for days, you will have a HUGE water bill and you may have water damage to your house and yard that will not be covered by insurance.
6. Know the evacuation routes – Link to evac routes map — PRINT and put with your go bag (or download)
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We have these evacuation routes:
– east (East Mission or Reche to I-15),
– south (South Mission or Olive Hill to 76)
– west (Ammunition to Camp Pendleton)
The route you take will depend on where the fire is, so you can’t plan your route in advance.
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When you get an evacuation order, GO!
Minutes matter! Let unimportant stuff go and focus on what matters. Turn off the stove. Grab your people, grab your go stuff, get in the car and head for the evacuation route.
If you have animals, some notes on caring for them in an evacuation.
Find shelter away from the Fire Zone
Don’t try to figure out your destination before leaving your house — get away from the fire first!
Link for map of San Diego Emergency Shelters (or maybe this link — confusing!). County shelters won’t be set up until there’s an actual fire, so there’s no way to know the locations in advance.
The Fallbrook evacuation map also shows evacuation points. Depending on where the fire is, you may want to start with a Fallbrook location and from there get more information about safe evacuation locations.
Stay Safe and Good Luck!
Other useful links
– CalFire State Fire Map – https://fire.ca.gov/incidents
– UC Early Notification State Fire Map – https://ucanr.edu/sites/fire/Safety/Current/
– North County Fire Department info and social media links – https://www.ncfire.org/emergency-information
– Locations of local fire stations: https://www.ncfire.org/fire-stations
– San Diego Emergency – map of current evacuation areas – https://www.sdcountyemergency.com/content/oesemergency/en-us/maps.html
– Your favorite weather app or website shows Red Flag warnings – areas where fire danger is particularly high
– Scanner Radio app allows you to listen to official radio scanner — useful when a fire is in progress
– SDG&E wildfire outage information – https://www.sdge.com/wildfire-safety/public-safety-power-shutoffs
– SDG&E map showing power outages due to fires – https://www.sdge.com/residential/customer-service/outage-center/outage-map
– SDG&E power outage notifications signup page – https://www.sdge.com/notifications
– Tips from cell phone networks: https://cawirelessemergencyprep.com/
– Chamber of Commerce Fire Preparation and Evacuation page
– CalFire Wildfire Preparation website
Fallbrook Substation for County Sheriff — 388 E. Alvarado, Fallbrook, CA 92028 — 911 — OR (760) 451-3100 — Dispatch (760) 728-1113
North County Fire Station — 315 East Ivy Street, Fallbrook, CA — 911
This website was updated in November 2024. Use at your own risk and make your own decisions about fire safety and evacuating. Report errors or suggestions to: admin@fallbrookcommunity.org.
Website brought to you by Fallbrook Community Foundation, committed to free local information in Fallbrook, CA. The information on this page was compiled from a variety of local sources, both online sources (listed above) and from interviews with local fire authorities. Special thanks to the Fallbrook Fire Safe Council who created the evacuation map and who has worked tirelessly for two decades to keep Fallbrook safe.
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