WILDFIRE: Ready to Leave Home in 10 Minutes?

Ten minutes sounds like plenty of time—until you imagine using those minutes to find medications, locate a pet carrier, call a family member, grab identification, find your keys, decide where to go, and figure out which road is still open.

That is the real purpose of this question. It is not about becoming anxious about wildfire. It is about making as many decisions as possible before an emergency makes those decisions harder.

Important: The “10 minutes” in this article is a preparedness exercise, not an official evacuation timeframe and not a suggestion that anyone should remain at home for ten additional minutes after authorities tell them to leave. Wildfire conditions and evacuation instructions can change quickly. If an evacuation order is issued, leave promptly and follow current directions from law enforcement, fire officials, and emergency-management authorities. Cal OES advises people who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets or livestock, to leave during an evacuation warning rather than wait for an evacuation order. (Cal OES — Evacuation Warnings vs. Evacuation Orders)

For wildfire preparedness, the goal is to reduce the number of decisions you may need to make under pressure: know how you will receive emergency information, know how you may leave, know where you may go, have essential items ready, and make sure everyone in your household—including pets—understands the plan. CAL FIRE recommends preparing a Wildfire Action Plan, an Emergency Supply Kit, and a Family Communication Plan well before a wildfire threatens your area. (CAL FIRE — Get Set)

Written by Tony Babarino, Irvine Real Estate Broker with REAL Broker, serving Irvine, Newport Beach, and surrounding Orange County communities. DRE#01717758.

For homeowners in Irvine and throughout Orange County, wildfire preparedness can matter even when fire is not at your front door. Wildfires can result in evacuation warnings, evacuation orders, changing road conditions, smoke, power interruptions, and emergency activity across a wider area. Local instructions can also change during an incident, which is why official emergency information should always take priority over a general checklist or article.

Key Takeaways

• The “10-minute” idea is a preparedness exercise, not a promise of how much evacuation time you will receive.
• Sign up for local emergency alerts before you need them and understand the difference between an evacuation warning and an evacuation order.
• Prepare possible evacuation routes, a family communication plan, a go-bag, a pet plan, and transportation before a wildfire threatens your area.
• Cal OES advises people who require additional evacuation time, and those with pets or livestock, to leave during an evacuation warning rather than wait for an evacuation order.
• During an emergency, directions from law enforcement, fire officials, and emergency-management agencies take priority over any general preparedness checklist.

7 Things to Have Ready Before a Wildfire Evacuation

Here are seven wildfire evacuation preparedness items to have ready before an emergency:

1. A reliable way to receive wildfire emergency alerts — Make sure you are registered for local emergency notifications and know where official information will come from.
2. At least two possible evacuation routes from your neighborhood — Know more than one route out of your neighborhood in case your usual road cannot be used, while recognizing that officials may direct traffic differently during an actual incident.
3. A family communication and meeting plan for evacuation — Decide whom everyone will contact and where you may meet if household members become separated.
4. A ready-to-grab wildfire go-bag — Organize medications, identification, charging equipment, water, basic supplies, and household-specific necessities in advance.
5. A pet evacuation plan — Know where carriers, leashes, medications, food, identification, and other pet necessities are kept.
6. A plan for household members who may need extra evacuation time or assistance — Children, older adults, people with mobility or medical needs, people who do not drive, and households with multiple or large animals may need additional preparation or earlier action.
7. A vehicle that is ready for evacuation — Think about fuel or charge level, basic maintenance, access to keys, and whether the vehicle can be used quickly if conditions change.

These seven items sound simple when nothing is happening. That is exactly the point.

The less you have to figure out during an emergency, the more attention you can give to following official instructions and getting household members out as promptly as conditions require.

The Best Use of Those 10 Minutes May Be Before the Fire Ever Starts

Here is the question I would ask:

How many things on your evacuation list could be handled today instead of during an emergency?

Your medications cannot all be permanently packed away. Your family obviously cannot sit in the car waiting for wildfire season.

But many other decisions can be made beforehand.

You can already know:

• where the go-bags are;
• where pet carriers and leashes are;
• which medications need to come with you;
• where your important documents are stored;
• who is responsible for children or pets;
• where family members may meet if separated;
• whom everyone should contact;
• two or more possible ways out of the neighborhood; and
• where you may go if you need to leave the area.

That changes the situation from “What do we do?” to “We already discussed the plan. Let’s follow it.”

Preparation cannot control wildfire conditions or guarantee a particular outcome, but it may reduce the number of decisions a household has to make under pressure.

Step 1: Make Sure Wildfire Emergency Alerts Can Reach You

Emergency alerts are one of the most important ways residents can receive time-sensitive instructions about changing conditions, evacuation warnings, evacuation orders, and other protective actions.

Orange County uses AlertOC, a mass-notification system that can send time-sensitive emergency messages to registered phone numbers, text messages, and email accounts. (Orange County — Emergency / AlertOC)

For Irvine residents, ReadyOC also identifies the City of Irvine’s emergency radio station at AM 1640 as a source for local information involving evacuations, shelters, road closures, and emergency services during disasters. (ReadyOC — Public Alert Systems)

During an active incident, also pay attention to instructions from local law enforcement, fire agencies, and emergency-management officials. Conditions can change quickly, and a route that normally makes sense may not be the route authorities want people using during a particular emergency.

Do not assume that because you normally drive one way out of your neighborhood, that will automatically be the appropriate evacuation route.

Step 2: Know at Least Two Possible Evacuation Routes

Knowing more than one possible way out of your neighborhood can help you understand your surroundings before an emergency, but it does not replace route directions issued by authorities during an actual incident.

Cal OES’s July 2026 wildfire preparedness guidance recommends knowing at least two ways out of your neighborhood and practicing your evacuation plan before an emergency occurs. (Cal OES — Being Prepared for Wildfire Season)

This does not mean trying to outsmart emergency officials or choosing your own route when authorities have provided specific directions.

It means becoming familiar with your area before something happens.

Know the major streets. Know the alternate exits. Know generally where those roads lead. If officials establish a specific evacuation route during an emergency, follow their current instructions.

It is also useful to discuss in advance where your household may go.

Possible destinations may include the home of a friend or relative outside the affected area, an evacuation center or shelter announced by authorities, or another location that is outside the threatened area and appropriate for your household.

Do not assume a particular shelter will always be available. Shelter locations can depend on the specific emergency, so rely on current official information about which facilities are open.

Step 3: Create a Family Communication and Meeting Plan for Evacuation

A family communication plan can help reduce confusion if household members are in different places when an emergency begins.

One person may be at work.

Children may be at school.

Someone may be running errands.

A family member may not answer the phone immediately.

CAL FIRE recommends completing a family communication plan that includes important evacuation and contact information. (CAL FIRE — Get Set)

At minimum, your household may want to discuss:

Who is our main contact?
Choose someone everyone knows to contact if the household becomes separated.

Where might we meet?
Choose a location outside the threatened area rather than relying only on “we’ll meet at home.”

Who is responsible for whom?
Think about children, older family members, household members who may need assistance, pets, and anyone who may require additional evacuation time.

What if cellular service is disrupted or someone cannot be reached?
Discuss in advance what household members should do and which contact information should be available in another form.

Write important information down as well as storing it in your phones. A communication plan is more useful when more than one household member can access it.

Step 4: Prepare a Ready-to-Grab Wildfire Go-Bag

A portable evacuation bag is different from trying to pack everything your household might need for every possible disaster.

The purpose of a go-bag is to keep important evacuation essentials organized so you are not trying to assemble them from multiple rooms while conditions are changing.

ReadyOC recommends emergency supplies for home, work, and vehicles. Its basic kit recommendations include water, nonperishable food, a flashlight, first-aid supplies, phone chargers, and necessary prescription medications. (ReadyOC — Get a Kit)

For a wildfire evacuation go-bag, household needs may include items such as:

• identification and copies of important information;
• necessary medications and basic medical information;
• water;
• portable nonperishable food;
• phone charging cables and a portable battery;
• a flashlight and batteries;
• basic first-aid supplies;
• some cash;
• glasses or contact-lens supplies if needed;
• keys;
• basic clothing and personal-care necessities;
• pet supplies, when applicable; and
• emergency contact information.

The exact bag will be different for every household.

Someone with young children may need diapers, formula, or comfort items. Someone with a medical condition may have very different priorities. A pet owner may need food, medication, carriers, or veterinary information.

The point is not to create the world’s most complete backpack.

The point is to have important items organized in advance so you are not building an emergency bag while conditions are worsening or authorities are directing residents to leave.

Step 5: Have a Pet Evacuation Plan

Pets should be included in the household evacuation plan before an emergency begins.

CAL FIRE recommends including pets in a household Wildfire Action Plan and, when immediate evacuation becomes necessary, locating pets and taking them with you. (CAL FIRE — Get Set)

Think ahead about:

• carriers;
• leashes and harnesses;
• food and water;
• medications;
• vaccination and veterinary information;
• identification tags;
• waste supplies; and
• where your pet may be able to stay if your normal destination does not allow animals.

This is particularly important for households with multiple animals or large animals because evacuation may require more time and planning.

Because animals can add time and logistics to an evacuation, having carriers, leashes, food, medications, and transportation plans ready beforehand matters. Cal OES includes people with pets or livestock among those who should leave during an evacuation warning rather than wait for an evacuation order. (Cal OES — Evacuation Warnings vs. Evacuation Orders)

Step 6: Plan for Household Members Who May Need Extra Evacuation Time or Assistance

A household evacuation plan should account for the person—or animal—who may need the most time, transportation, assistance, or preparation.

That may include:

• an older adult;
• someone using mobility equipment;
• someone who depends on medical equipment;
• a young child;
• a person who needs help understanding or responding to emergency instructions;
• someone who does not drive;
• multiple pets; or
• large animals.

An evacuation warning can be especially important for households that need additional time.

Cal OES describes an evacuation warning as a potential threat to life or property and advises people who require additional evacuation time, and those with pets or livestock, to leave during the warning stage. (Cal OES — Evacuation Warnings vs. Evacuation Orders)

For household-specific medical, mobility, accessibility, transportation, or animal-evacuation needs, consider planning in advance with the appropriate qualified professional, caregiver, service provider, or local emergency resource.

Step 7: Keep Your Vehicle Ready for Evacuation

A household evacuation plan may be harder to carry out if the vehicle is low on fuel or charge, has a maintenance problem, is blocked in, or the keys are difficult to find.

Current Cal OES wildfire guidance recommends keeping a vehicle fueled and adequately maintained during wildfire season so it can be used quickly if conditions change or an evacuation is ordered. (Cal OES — Being Prepared for Wildfire Season)

This does not require preparing a personal vehicle like an emergency-response vehicle.

It simply means thinking about ordinary transportation problems before they become evacuation problems.

ReadyOC also recommends keeping emergency supplies in vehicles because a disaster may occur while you are away from home. (ReadyOC — Get a Kit)

Know the Difference: Evacuation Warning, Evacuation Order, and Shelter in Place

California uses standardized evacuation terminology, and the distinction matters because each term calls for a different response.

TermWhat It Generally Means in CaliforniaWhat to Do
Evacuation Warning	There is a potential threat to life or property.	Prepare to leave and closely follow official information. People who need additional time, including those with pets or large animals, should leave during the warning stage.
Evacuation Order	There is an immediate threat to life. It is a lawful direction to leave the affected area.	Leave promptly and follow directions from law enforcement and emergency personnel.
Shelter in Place	Authorities are directing people to remain indoors rather than evacuate.	Follow the specific shelter-in-place instructions being issued for that incident. Do not independently choose shelter-in-place as a substitute for an evacuation order.

For current California evacuation terminology and instructions, see Cal OES — Be Prepared: Sign Up for Emergency Alerts.

Emergency instructions should always take priority over a general checklist, article, or preplanned routine.

If You Are Told to Leave, Your Priorities Change

Once an evacuation order is issued, the priority is no longer completing a household checklist or finishing last-minute property tasks.

The priority is leaving promptly and following current directions from emergency officials.

Cal OES advises residents under an evacuation order to leave, follow directions from emergency personnel, use designated routes, watch for hazards, and not return for forgotten belongings until officials provide an all-clear. (Cal OES — Being Prepared for Wildfire Season)

CAL FIRE similarly emphasizes having an evacuation bag ready beforehand and taking pets with you when immediate evacuation becomes necessary. CAL FIRE describes pre-evacuation property-preparation steps as actions to complete only if time allows. (CAL FIRE — Get Ready to Go)

Do not delay an evacuation to prepare the house, protect property, retrieve belongings, take photographs, or complete a checklist.

If there is time before immediate evacuation is necessary and current official instructions allow it, some pre-evacuation preparation may be appropriate. But those activities should never take priority over a direction to leave.

That is why preparation is most useful when it happens on an ordinary day—not when smoke is already visible from the neighborhood.

What About Important Papers, Insurance Information, and Your Belongings?

Important documents and insurance information are worth organizing before an emergency because retrieving or documenting them should never delay an evacuation.

The California Department of Insurance recommends keeping insurance information accessible and, if time allows, locating policy documents and storing them electronically. It also recommends creating a photo or video home inventory before a loss occurs. (California Department of Insurance — Evacuation Checklist)

Insurance coverage, deductibles, exclusions, limits, claim requirements, and additional-living-expense provisions can vary by policy and circumstances. Homeowners should review their actual policy and discuss property-specific coverage questions with a licensed insurance professional.

For a broader homeowner explanation of the difference between a home warranty and homeowners insurance, see Home Warranty vs. Home Insurance for Irvine and Newport Beach Homeowners.

This subject deserves more attention than a few paragraphs here.

In the next article in this wildfire series, I plan to cover:

What Should You Photograph Before a Wildfire?

That article can walk through a practical home-inventory process using a smartphone, what homeowners may want to document, and ways to store that information so it is not kept only inside the house.

The important point for this article is simple:

Do the documentation before the emergency. Do not delay an urgent evacuation to document your belongings.

What This Means If You Are Thinking About Selling

Wildfire preparedness is primarily about protecting people—not selling real estate.

Fire-related questions can also arise during a home sale, including questions about wildfire exposure, insurance availability, hazard information, disclosures, defensible-space requirements, or other property-specific concerns.

Those subjects should be handled carefully. Avoid broad statements such as “this home is safe from wildfire,” “this property is code compliant,” or promises about what an insurance company will cover.

Fire conditions, hazard designations, insurance policies, disclosure obligations, local requirements, and property circumstances can vary. When those issues matter in a transaction, sellers and buyers should rely on current official information, the actual property disclosures and reports, and the appropriate licensed or qualified professionals.

Later in this series, I plan to cover wildfire considerations specifically for buyers and sellers.

For now, the homeowner takeaway is more personal:

Before worrying about how a future buyer may view wildfire risk, make sure your own household has discussed what it would do today.

Helpful Resources

CAL FIRE — Get Set: Wildfire Preparedness
Wildfire Action Plans, emergency supply kits, pets, and family communication planning.
CAL FIRE Get Set

CAL FIRE — Get Ready to Go
Evacuation preparation and actions to take when immediate evacuation becomes necessary.
CAL FIRE Get Ready to Go

California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services — Being Prepared for Wildfire Season
Current California guidance on emergency alerts, evacuation routes, warnings and orders, go-bags, pets, and vehicle readiness.
Cal OES Wildfire Preparedness

Orange County / ReadyOC — Emergency Alerts and Preparedness
Local Orange County emergency alert and preparedness information.
Orange County Emergency Information
ReadyOC Public Alert Systems

California Department of Insurance — Evacuation Checklist
Consumer information about insurance documents, home inventories, evacuation, and policy-related considerations.
California Department of Insurance Evacuation Checklist

Final Thoughts

You may never have exactly ten minutes.

You may have much more time.

You may have much less.

That uncertainty is exactly why the best time to figure out what you would do is when nothing is happening.

Sign up for alerts. Talk with your household. Know more than one possible way out. Prepare the bag. Plan for the pets. Think about the person who may need the most help or time. Decide where you may go.

You do not need to live in fear of wildfire to prepare thoughtfully for it.

The goal is simply to make some of tomorrow’s emergency decisions easier by making them today—while still recognizing that current instructions from emergency officials always come first.

If you are thinking about selling a home in Irvine or Orange County, I would be happy to help you look at your home through a buyer’s eyes and talk through what may be worth addressing before you go on the market.

Tony Babarino
Irvine Real Estate Broker with REAL Broker
Serving Irvine, Newport Beach, and surrounding Orange County communities
California DRE#01717758
TonyBabarino.com
Call/Text: (949) 633-6741

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Disclaimer: This article is for general educational and preparedness information only and is not a substitute for current emergency instructions or for fire-safety, legal, insurance, medical, engineering, construction, code, accessibility, animal-evacuation, or other professional advice. Tony Babarino is providing general homeowner and real-estate educational information and is not acting as a fire-safety professional, contractor, engineer, insurance professional, code official, medical professional, or other technical specialist. Wildfire conditions, evacuation zones, routes, warnings, orders, shelter instructions, laws, insurance coverage, and government guidance can change and may vary by location, property, and incident. Always follow current directions from law enforcement, fire officials, emergency-management agencies, and other authorized public-safety officials. The “10-minute” scenario used in this article is a preparedness exercise, not an official evacuation timeframe or a representation that an evacuation can be completed safely within ten minutes. Do not delay an evacuation to complete a checklist, prepare the house, protect property, retrieve belongings, or take photographs. Insurance coverage depends on the specific policy, exclusions, deductibles, limits, conditions, claim requirements, and individual circumstances. For property-specific fire-safety, home-hardening, construction, code, accessibility, medical, animal-evacuation, or insurance questions, consult the appropriate qualified professional or government agency. If your property is currently listed or you are already represented by another real estate broker, this is not intended as a solicitation.

FAQs About Wildfire Evacuation Preparedness

What is the difference between an evacuation warning and an evacuation order in California?

An evacuation warning means there is a potential threat to life or property and residents should prepare to leave. An evacuation order means there is an immediate threat to life and is a lawful direction to leave the affected area. Always follow current instructions from local authorities. (Cal OES — Evacuation Warnings vs. Evacuation Orders)

Should I wait for an evacuation order before leaving?

No. Cal OES advises people who require additional evacuation time, and those with pets or livestock, to leave during an evacuation warning rather than wait for an evacuation order. Follow the current instructions being issued for your location and incident. (Cal OES — Evacuation Warnings vs. Evacuation Orders)

How many evacuation routes should my family know?

Current Cal OES wildfire guidance recommends knowing at least two ways out of your neighborhood. During an actual incident, however, follow any specific routes or directions provided by emergency officials. (Cal OES — Being Prepared for Wildfire Season)

What should I put in a wildfire go-bag?

A practical go-bag may include water, portable food, necessary medications, identification and important information, phone charging equipment, a flashlight, basic first-aid supplies, personal necessities, and pet supplies when applicable. The contents should be adjusted for the needs of the household. (Cal OES — Being Prepared for Wildfire Season)

Where can Irvine and Orange County residents sign up for emergency alerts?

Orange County uses AlertOC, a mass-notification system that can send time-sensitive emergency information to registered phone numbers, text messages, and email accounts. Irvine residents can also use the City of Irvine’s AM 1640 emergency radio for local disaster information. (Orange County — Emergency / AlertOC) (ReadyOC — Public Alert Systems)

Should I return home if I forgot something during an evacuation?

No. Cal OES advises evacuees not to return for forgotten items and to wait until officials provide an all-clear before returning to an evacuated area. (Cal OES — Being Prepared for Wildfire Season)