The recent wildfires in California forced thousands of families from their homes with little to no warning. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation where you need to evacuate your home with only a moment’s notice, having an escape plan mapped out ahead of time could potentially save your life, as well as some of your belongings.

Learn from the experts

• American Red Cross - Learn how your family can prevent home fires and escape from a home fire in 2 minutes
• American Red Cross - Learn how to keep your family and home safe during a wildfire
• National Fire Prevention Association

Install and maintain equipment

This includes smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and proper fire extinguishers all in the proper places and all in working order. Remember to test them according to the recommendations by the manufacturer and fire prevention experts. This may be monthly or even weekly. Take special note as to the date of installation, as older detectors are preset by the manufacturer to expire. When this happens you will hear an annoying beep. Your only recourse it to change out the expired equipment.

Be prepared with fire knowledge

• Know how to handle different types of cooking fires both inside and outside.
• Know where shut off valves are for gas.
• Unplug when not using electrical devices.
• Never smoke inside.
• Only buy candles enclosed in glass.

Have an escape plan and practice it!

When a fire from within your house occurs, you have two minutes to get out. Create a plan, provide two methods of escape, and practice the plan every six months. Know where you are going to meet so everyone is accounted for after you exit. This is especially important for kids as they may need to escape without your help. Also think about overnight guests and grandkids at sleepovers. This is where reviewing plans from experts can help.

Get out. Stay out. Call for help.

Make this your mantra when in the midst of a fire emergency.

Review this I wish list.

Hindsight is 20/20, especially when it comes to fires. Here are some tips from those who have gone through it. I wish...

• I had a go bag.This is a small bag of essentials stored in your bedroom to grab if you need to leave in a hurry. It contains a change of clothes, coats, or other emergency items for the kids.
• I had a good inventory. After the fire, you are going to spend a significant amount of time with insurance adjusters. Periodically review your policy and develop an inventory of your household items. Take videos, document models and ages of major appliances, autos, other equipment, and valuables.
• I had a 'where to go' plan. If you cannot return to your home, where will you stay? How will you pay for it? Figure this out ahead of time.
• I had a remote backup of my computer and phone. Remote backups can be invaluable in getting you back up and running.
• I had an emergency fund. It will take a while to get your life back in order. What if you need to take time off from work? Having 6 months of emergency funds can make all the difference as you recover from a fire.

The purpose of this artice is not to act as an expert in fire safety, but rather to help generate awareness in this often overlooked subject. If, however, you need expert advice with your financial and tax affairs as you navigate this or other disasters, please call for help.