Cottonwood Fire - Day 2

I'll be blogging about the "personal" side of the Cottonwood Fire and how it is affecting local residents and businesses. First, I am listing Mountain Disaster Preparedness' twelve things to have ready to grab when you're ordered to evacuate:

1. A minimum of one week supply of any medications you need to stay alive;

2. Extra glasses or contacts if needed to see, read, or drive safely;

3. At least one large bottle of drinking water and a couple energy bars per person;

4. Copies of your property and auto insurance policies and the phone number for their claims offices;

5. Photos of the inside and outside of your home and garage, and any outbuildings, as well as any vehicles that will be left behind during an evacuation. Take the photos now, get them developed right away, and keep them updated as your buildings, vehicles, and contents can change;

6. Current medical records and copies of your health insurance card(s);

7. Passport and or driver's license or other photo ID (Note: if your ID address is NOT the same as the home you'll be returning to following evacuation - for example, your P.O. Box - also keep a copy of a recent utility bill in your name that shows that service address or you may not be allowed through the check point(s);

8. Birth certificate(s) - especially your children's (if your home is burned, you may have to enroll them in a new school);

9. Military records, if needed for VA or DOD reporting or claims;

10. Copies of any important papers or documents (mortgage, credit cards, recent bank statements, investment accounts, Social Security documents - whatefer you'll need to continue your life away from your home for several days or weeks);

11. Irreplaceable personal papers and family photos. Only you know what these are;

12. Your computer backup on an external hard-drive or flash-drive.