Fire Officials Remind Palisades Residents: Ready, Set, Go!

The Sand fire in the Santa Clarita Mountains, which started as a half-acre blaze along the 14 Freeway at Sand Canyon, has burned more than 40,000 acres, destroyed at least 18 homes and resulted in one death. At least 10,000 homes had to be evacuated.

As fire officials worked towards containment, in almost every interview with the news media, at least one official reiterated that residents should be aware of, and follow, the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Ready, Set, Go program.

Many Palisades homeowners live close to the Santa Monica Mountains. Wildfires have raced through the hills north of the Village, and even destroyed the church building at St. Matthew’s (in 1978). It is not a question of if there will be a brush fire in our area, it is a question of when.

Palisadian Jim Kenney took this photograph at 4 p.m. on July 23 in the Palisades. “With smoke from the fire in Sand Canyon, the brilliant red of the sun only lasted about 20 minutes; when the wind shifted, it became much less dramatic,” Kenney told the Palisades News. Photo: Jim Kenney

READY. Residents should have a pre-packed bag that may include will/trust documents, power of attorney, insurance policies, recent tax return, copies of birth/ marriage certificates, social security cards, passports, list of prescriptions, emergency cash, safe-deposit keys, driver’s license, computer user names and passwords and checking and saving account numbers (and any other valuable documents that are not in your safe-deposit box).

In addition to important paperwork, your safe-deposit box should have inven- tory and photographs of valuable posses- sions for insurance purposes.

SET. Make sure each family member has a sleeping bag/blankets and a change of clothing. Put your pets in carriers to make sure they are not frightened and run away. Make sure your elderly neighbor has a way out.

GO. When asked to evacuate, do. Don’t put your life or that of firefighters in danger, by staying.