PASADENA, Calif. — Survivors of the deadly Los Angeles wildfires are urging others, especially older adults and people with disabilities, to have an emergency plan in place.
Dana Carney remembers racing through burning streets in Altadena to find her friend Michael Brown during the recent Eaton Fire that ultimately claimed 17 lives.
“All you hear is popping," Carney said in a moment captured on cellphone video. Brown was sheltering in his home, knowing that opening the door could be deadly. “If you open the door to the house to look out, you're letting 100 mile an hour wind in with oxygen,” he said.
With embers igniting nearby, Brown made a split-second decision to flee. Carney spotted him just in time. “He got in and we just had to get out of there. It was the scariest thing ever,” she recalled from the Pasadena Senior Center.
Brown packed his essential documents before leaving: his phone, tablet, bank checks, credit cards, social security card and birth certificate.
Fellow evacuee Sarah Sneider showed off her go-bag filled with everyday essentials: “My purse has my phone, credit cards, my license, very important things... charger, hand sanitizer, toothbrush, toothpaste, mask, comb, and a list to make sure I have everything.”
Emergency officials emphasize the importance of being ready to evacuate—or shelter in place—at a moment’s notice.
“Have your most essential documents and your medications with you, or alternatively if you're asked to stay put and shelter in place, have a stay kit with you,” said Susan DeMarois, director of the California Department of Aging. “That means perishable items, water, and things you might need for 24 or 48 hours.”
The department’s emergency preparedness guide, available at aging.ca.gov, is tailored for older adults, people with disabilities, and family caregivers. It includes checklists and tips on how to prepare for wildfires, earthquakes, and other disasters. The guide is offered in seven languages.
Patricia Roach of Pasadena learned she needed to rethink her own plan when she realized her supplies were stored behind an electric garage door—one she might not be able to access if the power went out. “I don’t even know where the key is. So I would have to call a company,” she admitted.
Officials recommend signing up for emergency alerts at CalAlerts.org, preparing a go-bag, and talking with friends and family about evacuation plans now—before disaster strikes.
‘We Just Had to Get Out’: LA Wildfire Survivors Stress Emergency Planning News Channel 3-12.
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