BE PREPARED
Written by: Matt Bando
Written by: Matt Bando
Growing up in “The Great Outdoors” of Wisconsin and traveling the world on safari has given me a mindset to be prepared for anything that may change the course of day-to-day life as I know it. The most likely scenario would be a natural disaster. No matter where you live in this country, or the world, natural disasters can and most likely will affect your life at some point. Are you ready?
This past year Ventura county experienced the worst acreage fire in California history, The Thomas Fire, burning more than 273,000 acres. Although burning can be a great thing for the natural regrowth and development of the earth during its cycle, the amount of devastation this fire caused most definitely overshadowed that philosophy.
On the night of December 4th, my story began as the fire ignited near Thomas Aquinas College, an area I have frequently hiked and backpacked over the years. With the winds reaching over 50 miles per hour, the fire raged out of control and spread quickly towards downtown Ventura, where my dog, Oakley, and I reside.
As I fell slept that night, knowing the fire was burning across Santa Paula, my phone began to ring continuously. I woke up to answer it, and on the other end was the voice of my neighbor and best friend. He encouraged me to come outside as he was becoming nervous about the approaching fire. I went outside to witness the sky lit up over Ventura with the kind of blaze orange that makes your stomach sink and your chest tighten. Many people in the area began to evacuate at this point, and the streets were lined with fleeing vehicles.
Once the initial “shock and awe” wore off, I immediately went into survival mode. Thankfully I was prepared, storing gallons of water, ready-made meals, fire-starting tools, important documents, cash, and valuables in one general area where they could easily be accessed. My 4x4 Tacoma, with a camper shell and safari popup, was loaded in preparation to be gone for a long period of time within 20 minutes. The fire continued to rage over the hill and consume Grant Park so I began to prepare for evacuation.
At this point, the power was out and police were driving up and down my street demanding evacuation over their intercoms, stating they were unable to stop the fire and it had breached the hillside just a few blocks away. At this point, it became very real to me that this fire could destroy all of Ventura but I still wanted to wait until the last possible moment to flee. The fire was uncomfortably close now, only two blocks from my door. Finally, I drove away from my house wondering if it would be there when I returned.
I remember the view as I entered the freeway, it looked like armageddon, burning the entire hillside from Santa Paula to Ventura. While driving away from Ventura towards Oxnard, not really knowing where I was going, I realized I needed gas. The power was out everywhere and I wondered where to get gas and if the pumps would work. I ended up driving to Port Hueneme where the only gas station barely had power, the lights flickering on and off. When I went to start the pump, I realized it had to be manually turned on by the tenant. So I entered the gas station to see a line of people with looks of distress on their faces. I asked for $40 on pump two and the tenant responded “cash only, our card machine doesn’t work”. At this moment, I realized the people standing around didn’t have cash. I was relieved at this moment and extremely thankful to have been prepared. I filled up my truck and we continued on our way. Oakley and I moved on as if we were on another camping or backpacking adventure, but with much more stress and anxiety. We ended up at McGrath State for the remainder of the night, which by now was only a few hours before sunrise. Calls began to come in from family and friends as they were just waking up on the other side of the country, hearing the news that Ventura California was in serious danger. It was nice to hear from them and I’m sure they were relieved to know we made it out safely.
The Thomas fire took so much from so many people and there are thousands of people with similar stories as mine. Some don’t have such pleasant endings, as numerous people I know lost everything. I’m very fortunate nothing happened to myself, my dog, or my home. I wrote this article in the hopes it will reach someone who may not have been prepared but will now think twice about it.
Below is a list of items to consider having on the ready, in one general area, so you may grab them at a moment's notice. Almost all the items fit into a tote sized container:
1) Gallon of water per person, per day you expect to be gone.
2) Box or crate of dehydrated meals.
3) Jet boil or similar burner, the model with the attached boiling pot.
4) Small, manageable safe with important papers, cash, and valuables inside.
5) Any item which can’t be replaced easily.
6) A knife and or chopping tool (shovel, hatchet).
7) Firestarter.
8) Blankets and pillows.
9) Dog / cat / pet food, DO NOT leave your pets behind.
2) Box or crate of dehydrated meals.
3) Jet boil or similar burner, the model with the attached boiling pot.
4) Small, manageable safe with important papers, cash, and valuables inside.
5) Any item which can’t be replaced easily.
6) A knife and or chopping tool (shovel, hatchet).
7) Firestarter.
8) Blankets and pillows.
9) Dog / cat / pet food, DO NOT leave your pets behind.