Wildfire Safety Tips for Renters

Think about what you will do if you need to leave immediately or if you have some time to prepare for an evacuation.  Know where all the exit doors and stairs are on your floor.  Learn your building evacuation plan if you have one.  Create and practice an escape plan from your apartment.  Where will you go and how will you get there?  What will you take with you?   Prepare a Go Kit and wear protective clothing. Have a plan and supplies for your pet. Create a family communication plan that designates an out-of-area friend or relative as a point of contact to act as a single source of communication among family members in case of separation.

The best choice is to stay with family or friends.   If that is not an option, consider a hotel.    If you can’t make other arrangements, details of evacuation centers will be provided by the County through Alert Marin, Nixle, social media and news agencies.   Under extreme conditions,  open locations free of unburned vegetation may be safe places to wait while a fire passes. If your evacuation route is blocked or impassable, a wide parking lot, ball field, or even a house or commercial building may provide temporary shelter. Parking your car, with windows up, in a location far from vegetation or structures, and waiting for the fire to pass, is often a safe option for sheltering in place. Authorities may choose to evacuate the temporary refuge areas en-masse when it’s safe to do so.

If staying with a friend or in a hotel isn’t an option, you can go to an evacuation center. It’s wise to research which center you’d be going to ahead of time — because you don’t want to be researching your destination as you scramble to evacuate. Emergency managers will attempt to provide information on safe evacuation centers if time allows. Plan to drive towards the highway 101 corridor. The Marin Civic Center Fairgrounds is a pre-designated evacuation facility and a safe location for evacuees. For small-scale local evacuations or disaster recovery and sheltering, local schools, community centers, or large parking lots may be used.  Details of nearby evacuation centers will be provided by your county, so find your nearest evacuation center. The American Red Cross also provides evacuation shelters across California. Check to see whether there’s a Red Cross evacuation shelter near you.   Marin shelters provide aid to all those in need, regardless of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or citizenship status. You will not be required to show any kind of identification to enter a Red Cross shelter, just their name and where you were living before the disaster.

Mobility Issues: If due to age or disability you are slow moving, how will you get yourself and your essential belongings to your mode of transportation in a timely manner? Pre-planned support from caregivers, neighbors and family members who live close by is important to ensure your safety. Make sure you have a Go Kit ready which includes medicines and other essential health items.

Owner responsibility: California rental property owners are obliged by law to maintain a rental unit that has adequate and reasonable living conditions for human beings and is built up to code.  If a tenant has to temporarily relocate for required maintenance and repairs, a tenant is not required to pay rent to his landlord during the time he is not able to live at the property he rents.  However, if a property has suffered a total loss, the rental lease will be terminated and the landlord is not required to provide temporary housing, and the tenant can stop paying rent.

Report Hazards: If you believe that the property where you live is not being safely maintained, immediately report the problem to the property owner or manager.  Start a written record of what you reported and the response you receive.  If you believe that the hazard is severe or if you do not receive a timely response to your concern, report the hazard to your local fire department.