A firefighter directs water on a grass fire on an acreage behind a residential property in Kamloops, B.C., Monday, June 5, 2023. No structures were damaged but firefighters had to deal with extremely windy conditions while putting out the blaze. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
There’s a difference between an Evacuation Order and an Evacuation Alert, the agency says — an evacuation order means you need to leave the area immediately, following routes specified by officials, while an evacuation alert means you should be ready to leave if officials decide to elevate the situation to an evacuation order.
Along with an emergency plan for your family, it helps to have a neighbourhood safety plan as well, so that you can co-ordinate with your neighbours to take care of one another, such as trading numbers and assigning “block buddies” who will be able to inform authorities of your home’s location if you are in trouble.added that if you have security devices such as cameras, you should ensure they have fresh batteries.
Before leaving your home, you should turn off your air conditioning, turn off your electricity and gas and close all doors, garage doors and windows,The RCMP advises that you leave some outdoor lights on to ensure your home is visible.