Among the most dangerous and terrifying natural catastrophes, wildfire smoke is one. The uncontrolled fires in forests, lands, and brushes due to discarded cigarettes, vehicles crashes, and other accidents are known as wildfire smokes.
Wildfires usually occur due to people’s carelessness and inhuman activities. The wildfire smokes are generally the mixture of harmful gases produced from the incineration of vegetation, woods, and other materials.
You may take lightly about the wildfire smoke, but it is a matter of concern. Wildfire smokes are dangerous and can affect your health in many ways.
Even if you are healthy, the wildfire smoke won’t let you down to give breathless air and make you sick. The smoke causes coughing, scratchy throat, stinging eyes, headaches, dizziness, chest pain, fast heartbeats, and many more.
Recently, you can hear much news regarding forest fires and the destruction where many people lost their families and livelihood.
The fires in the United States in the year 2020 destroyed more than 10.1 million acres of land, causing intolerable loss. Wildfire smoke is unpredictable; you won’t know when such a disaster occurs in your circumstances.
So, it would be commendable if you stayed prepared to keep yourself safe during those hard times as you know that prevention is better than cure. Thus below are some of the kits you must need during the wildfire smoke.
Table of Contents
1. First Aid kit
When dealing with wildfire smoke, you must ensure plenty of first aid boxes. This box includes bandages, burn relief spray, ointment, painkillers, dressing pads, cleaning swabs, and many more.
The first aid kit will help you panic less if you are caught by fire or get any burns and injuries, as the kit contains additional supplies that will help you overcome the situation.
The kit is small enough and portable. You can carry it wherever you go and help yourself during the situation. You can also get all the supplies in the pack of General Medi First Aid kit, which is well organized to carry during wildfires.
Sometimes you may face emergency conditions, so it would be better to ensure that you pack all the essential things in the first aid box. Thus, a first aid kit is the most crucial element to prevent the situation from getting worse.
2. Water
Water is considered a supreme element for any calamities. Being hydrated is one of the most crucial things during the wildfire. The wildfire smoke is very harmful, and you may feel exhausted and thirsty.
If you are in a group dealing with wildfires, you must carry 3 gallons of water for each member during that period. The containers taken to fill water must be small and easy enough as you have to travel through long-distance sometimes.
Sometimes, a wildfire may occur near your residential areas. In that case, you must walk a lot to reach your destination to make yourself safe.
You can also carry enough water bottles for each group member during that situation. The water bottles are not as heavy as the water container.
But you must make sure the bottles would be enough for your journey. Carrying water during the wildfire when the temperature is high and the air is dry would be a boon for all.
3. Food
While dealing with the wildfire smoke, you should pack foods that won’t get damaged for a certain period. Without food, people can’t survive in disasters.
Working in a wildfire is not an easy task; you must obtain enough energy to give your best to control uncontrollable fires. For that purpose, food helps you get power, boost your energy, and make you active to do the task.
If you are with your team members facing the wildfire smoke, make sure you pack dietary supplements. The supplements must be adequately packed.
You should carry the food for at least three days for each person. Food is everything that will make you alive on this earth. Empty stomachs can’t deal with disasters.
4. Face Mask
During the wildfire smoke, the air around the surrounding has heavily deteriorated. You must make sure to prepare yourself to stay healthy.
Some people may be allergic to those smells, due to which they can also lose their life. Wearing a face mask will help you prevent unhealthy air, which will degrade your health.
No one can predict when a wildfire occurs and when it will stop. Till that time, your safety and health are the important things among all.
The smoke of fire is dangerous. One can’t breathe because of such a smell. The face mask for each person can help to minimize the risk.
You can get a face mask quickly at the market. The size of the Mask differs from person to person, and you should buy according to your children and other members of families.
5. Mobile phone and charger
The wildfire smoke can spread anywhere at any time. If you are escaping through it, you must get an update about the disaster you face.
You won’t have any idea how long you have to reach. So you must ensure that you carry a cell phone in your pocket. The cell phone helps you contact the people who can assist you in dealing with that situation.
You must be careful not to entertain yourself by playing games on your mobile phone. Playing mobile games will let the battery down.
Thus, it would help if you also carried a charger for your phone. The charger can help you to revive your cell phone. You can also take a power bank with you to charge your phone.
6. Torch lights and batteries
Every person must have at least one flashlight with them. You will not have any idea when the wildfire will take place. The calamities may occur during the day or even at night time.
So, the torchlight will help you to lead in the darkness. You would get away to escape because of the torch lights, flashlights, and headlamps as well.
If the torchlight is not fully charged, it may die halfway. So, you should be prepared before encountering any kinds of hurdles. You can purchase one HERE.
Hence it would help if you carried charged batteries at least as much as possible. Further, the torchlight you accept must be reliable.
7. Important Documents
It would be best to keep the documents like citizenship, license, and other essential papers. It would be better you made maximum photocopies of those documents.
Not only that, but one can also use alternatives like fireproof documents secure. You can also store your valuable documents on your computers and laptop for backup.
You must be ready by keeping your records in the emergency bag. Sometimes, taking pictures of your insurance papers and other certificates will also be considered. So don’t forget to prepare backups.
8. Cash and credit cards
You may wonder if it would be safe or not to carry cash and credit cards during the wildfire. It would be most helpful not to worry about it because money is the essential element that every human needs.
Sometimes you may not know when the fire will stop, and it may take time. During that period, you and your family should reside in a hotel that would cost some.
In that situation, if you have brought your credit cards, then you can comfortably stay as much as you can.
Carrying cash will help you to prevent panic attacks because while running away from home, you may face many obstacles where you have to suffer a lot.
If your mobile phone gets damaged on the way, you are compelled to buy a new one to contact people with helping hands. So, cash and credit cards will be a straightforward procedure.
9. Prescribed Medicines
Some people may take medications daily because of their health conditions. Though you have a first aid kit for your safety, your regular medication is your priority. So, please don’t forget to take the medicines with you whatever the situation is.
Medicines are the substances that help you to survive, so do not forget to carry them because you can’t buy those prescribed medicines wherever you want. It would be beneficial if you took care of your body at first while escaping from the natural calamities.
10. Extra clothes and sanitation items
Same clothes for several days won’t work out. Keeping extra clothes in your bag pack would be a great idea. While escaping from the fire, your clothes might be caught by fire or damaged.
You can handle such a situation if you carry additional belongings like clothes. One can change the clothes anytime when they have enough extra clothing.
Similarly, staying hygienic is a vital aspect. If you do not care about your sanitation during the fire, you will get caught by many diseases.
So, proper sanitation must be required. The sanitation items include toothbrushes, hand sanitizers, soaps, towels, and many more.
Conclusion
Wildfire smoke is a natural calamity. Natural calamities like wildfire smoke occur due to our carelessness.
As mentioned above, people should not panic during this situation but rather stay prepared with all their kits. It will be an outstanding effort to prevent such disasters and stay safe and healthy.
(Last Updated on December 6, 2021 by Sadrish Dabadi)
