Get your 'go bag' ready in case wildfires force you to flee, say officials

CBC

2 days ago

As wildfires continue to burn across Newfoundland and Labrador, officials are urging people to be prepared to evacuate, just in case.
The town of Victoria, N.L. has been on an evacuation alert for several days due to the Kingston wildfire. On Monday, the out-of-control Paddy's Pond wildfire grew to 200 hectares in a few hours, prompting the province to put portions of Paradise and Conception Bay South on an evacuation alert.
Between 13,000 and 15,000 people remained on an evacuation alert Tuesday morning.
During a media availability on Monday evening, Premier John Hogan urged people to be ready to leave their homes, even if they are not in a region that's on alert.
"I think it's probably safe practice to make sure that everybody is ready for any emergency situation," he told reporters.
David Day, the manager of emergency preparedness with the City of St. John's, advised people to pack an emergency "go bag," which should include items such as medications, snacks, water, clothing, and important documents. Day says people should include insurance and mortgage documents, passports, drivers' licenses and birth certificates.
"Anything that you need to sort of identify yourself and validate you as an individual. After that, it's really what you feel you can take in your vehicle and on your person," Day told CBC's St. John's Morning Show.
He said people should also fill up their vehicles' gas tanks.
An emergency bag could also include family photos or anything with sentimental value, but Day said people should avoid getting "bogged down" when an evacuation order is issued, and they need to leave quickly.
At Paddy's Pond in minutes, 'we still couldn't get ahead of it.' St. John's Fire Chief urges people to plan ahead
1 hour ago
The fire at Paddy's Pond that started Monday, Aug. 11 spread quickly, leaving firefighters without a chance to get it under control. St. John's fire Chief Sherry Colford and St. John's emergency preparedness manager David Day talks to the CBC's Darrell Roberts about being prepared, because people don't know how long they could have to leave their homes.
Day said people can also remove combustible items from their yards in advance, such as bringing patio furniture indoors.
He also stressed people need to be looking for accurate sources of information during an emergency.
"The really important thing that I want to talk about is getting information from credible sources. So, the Town of Paradise, the Town of C.B.S., the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and of course our media outlets," he said.
He also asked people to stay away from the areas where wildfires are burning.
"If you don't live in Paradise, C.B.S. or Conception Bay North, do not travel there. There's already congestion. People up that way are preparing to get themselves ready to evacuate, and the last thing we need is congestion due to sightseers."
Fire Chief Sherry Colford said it's important to keep the roads clear during this period.
"Just asking people to stay away from these areas so that it gives us room to get our crews in and out," she said.