What to grab in a fire: have you ever though about it? Maybe it crossed your mind in the catastrophic 2020 New South Wales bushfires? If you’re like most people you answer will be something like this: family members, pets, phone, keys and wallet. I’ve been in a fire evacuation. The truth is, you have less time than you think. And grabbing those things, although critical, won’t be enough. Fires are scary and can be devastating. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little preparation you can escape, recover and rebuild better than most. In this post we’ll explore what people say about what they’d grab. And then we’ll look at what they should do instead.
Bushfire or house fire – are you prepared?
I was overseas in the US during Australia’s 2022 fire season from hell. The headlines were everywhere: “Australia burns”.
At any time of year, some part of our vast, brown continent is subject to fire risk.
October to March is our annual bushfire season in southern Australia. In the north, its during the dry season months of winter.
And if you think you’re out of bushfire danger in the city, think again. The Canberra bushfires, Perth Hills grass fires, Melbourne bushfires, and Sydney fires show us that anyone is at risk.
What’s more, bushfire conditions are likely to get worse according to the Climate Council. And they’re not the only ones that say so. The CSIRO also says that trends towards more catastrophic fire conditions are influenced by our changing climate.
Check out this map referenced in the 2021 royal commission into natural disasters, following the NSW bushfires. It shows a trend towards more ‘fire danger’ days per year in Australia, based on different climate models. It shows an increasing risk that Australians will be impacted by fires.
And it’s not just bushfires you need to be prepared for. According to this Macquarie University research, more Australians die from house fires than from all other natural disasters combined.
And while bushfires disproportionately impact rural communities, house fires are more common in urban areas.
So what is the upshot of all of this?
In Australia, we live with fire danger risks to life and property. The risks are increasing. Now more than ever, we need to be prepared.
Your first thought: get everyone out of here!
Reading through some online forums recently, I was struck by this question: “What would you grab in a fire?’
The answers were mostly unanimous. Until people got to number 3 on their list.
Answer 1 – family members.
Answer 2 – pets.
Then the answers diverged. Some respondents had high expectations of grabbing photos and laptops, their phone, their desktop, hard drive, and even a bunch of clothes – all before they escaped.
I speak from experience. If you find yourself in a fire, at home or anywhere, your first thought is about safety. For yourself and the people around you. Children will be any parent’s first priority. Just like on a plane, you need to save your own life to protect your kids.
If fire is spreading or smoke is filling the room, all of your efforts are focussed on getting out with your life.
If you do have minutes to spare, they will be few and far between. So what will you grab, that can help you face the future that is to come?
With the possibility of losing your property or valuable possessions, and of being homeless – at least short term – what are THE most important things to grab?
Let us get this list clear now. Because if the time comes and you’re trying to think of what to grab, your chances will already be diminished.
The hope – what people say they’d grab in a fire
As I delved deeper into the topic of fire preparedness, I read several blog articles about what to pack and take with you in a fire evacuation. The articles struck me by the unrealistic expectations they set. There were over 10 categories of items to grab on one fire evacuation list! Here are a few of the things included:
- sentimental items like your favourite photo albums
- hard drive
- clothes
- canned food and a can opener
- your pets favorite blanket
While we understand the sentiment, this is as far from reality as it gets.
If you’re faced with a fire, it is not a great tip to be running around gathering up random items that pop into your head. And its clearly a tip given by someone who’s never been in real life fire evacuation!
The reality – what I grabbed in a dormitory fire
I once had to evacuate a fire in a university dormitory in China. Here’s a real life example of how it went down.
No one had sounded the alarm that night. Luckily, I needed to leave my dorm room for some reason that I forget today.
I opened the door to the hallway and a great, thick blanket of black smoke slapped me in the face. The air was sucked out of my lungs in seconds. I was the first person to see the smoke.
What did I do?
Hit the deck. Crawled across the hall to my mate’s room and banged on that door like my life depended on it.
When my friends answered, we made an immediate b-line for the emergency exits. Banging on doors and yelling as we went. Crawling on our hands and knees, gagging on billowing smoke the whole way.
Once we hit safety on the other side, we sounded the alarm and ran for help.
What else did I grab as I left my dorm room? Nothing. Because I was too panicked. And I wasn’t prepared.
How long do you have to evacuate a fire?
This is where we start with a reality check. I
t takes only 30 seconds for a small flame to turn into a big fire. Flames spread rapidly.
A house burns in minutes. Fire department experts from New Zealand say you have around 3 minutes to escape a house fire before it becomes unsurvivable.
Fire marshals in the US advise that a fire can double in size every 30 seconds. That means it can burn everything in the same room in just 3 minutes.
If your house is on fire, you won’t have time to grab a long list of ‘absolute essentials’.
You’ll be confronted with smoke within minutes. Flames will start to suck up all of the air in the room.
You won’t have time to run from room to room collecting what you need. Chances are you will forget about grabbing photos, clothing, or important documents.
Once smoke fills the room it will be dark and you’ll be on the ground just trying to breathe.
You’ll be focussed on getting to the child you have down the hall. Your mind will then lurch to where your dog might be, and how to save it. And then…
… ‘get down low and go go go’ – right out the front door or a window! Getting out with your life is no joke.
What to grab in a fire: 5 things in under 3 minutes
With all of that said, it’s time to get serious and roll out our list. Here’s what we think is a realistic list of 5 items that you may have time to grab in a fire, if you are lucky. We’ve even put them in order of importance.
Remember! Save lives first!
Always make a judgement call on what is possible based on the situation in front of you.
If you can grab anything, here is what to focus on:
- Family members
- Pets
- Wallet
- Emergency Go Bag.
- Mobile phone.
Family members and pets are the two front runners – unanimous in online forums.
Your wallet has your bank cards, ID, money, and health care cards in it. All will be very useful in the aftermath of a fire emergency.
We also have mobile phone at number 5 because it has all of our personal contacts. Also because apps run our lives these days. With your phone, you can stay connected and online. A handy resource with all of the forms and phone calls that await.
But what about number 4 – the grab and go bag? Not even mentioned among forum enthusiasts.
Let us explain what a grab and go bag is, and why it’s number 4 on our ‘Top 5’ list.
What is a Grab and Go Bag?
Grab and Go bags, also known as ‘Fire Emergency Go Bags‘, ‘Go to Bags‘, or just ‘Go Bags‘, are an emergency kit that contains the supplies you need to evacuate in a natural disaster or other emergent situation. They are called grab and go bags or ‘go to bags’, because they are designed for an immediate evacuation – when you need to leave your home and travel to safety at very short notice.
They’re built for exactly the kind of scenario we’re talking about.
It’s common to have one go bag per person in your household. But you can also get go bags that cater for 2 people in the one bag, as well as family go bags.
Where to store you Grab and Go Bag
Most folks will store this kind of emergency kit in a cupboard at the front door. In a fire, you can pull the bag out of the closet and escape out the door or through the nearest window if you have to.
But what if the fire is at the front door? Well, you will be bang out of luck.
If you are worried about this then other options are to store the bag in your car, or in a shed or garage next to your home. Only do the latter if you will have unimpeded access in an emergency event.
What is the purpose of a Grab Bag?
The purpose of a go bag is to help you evacuate and take refuge in a safe place, like a family or friends house. If you have to leave your house in a hurry, have your grab and go bag packed and ready.
Your go bag is typically packed with 24 hours to 3 days worth of provisions, depending on your situation. This is enough to get you through whatever emergency you’re facing, and the its immediate aftermath.
What do you put in a Grab and Go Bag?
It’s important that you only pack a small bag full of the specific items you’ll need to get you out of danger and help you recover from the emergency or disaster.
So how do you know what these items are?
Because it’s situation depended, every grab and go bag contains some different items. For example, if you live in a bushfire prone area, your go bag include a bushfire safety kit.
But there are some essential items that every emergency go bag should have. These are the things we need for basic human survival, and to recover to normality. Here is a starter list of what to pack:
- Bottled water – 3 litres per person per day is recommended.
- Important documents that you have in hard copy, like birth certificates, marriage certificates – these prove identity and relationship status to authorities and insurers.
- First aid kit and prescriptions or prescription medication – enough to tide you over temporarily
- Lighting, like a torch or head lamp – can come in hand for evacuations at night.
- Cash and spare keys – did you notice keys are not on our list of 5 items above? That’s because you will have a spare set in your go bag!
- Food – depending on your situation, your go bag may or may not contain food. Focus on high protein, non perishable foods like protein bars, trail mix and jerky. You may not need it in this example, but your go bag should be packed for any emergency, not just fire.
- A usb stick with electronic documents and back ups of important devices /drives (laptop, ipad, phone, etc)
- Clothing and protective gear like gloves and boots.
Fire evacuation Go Bag list
This list above is just a start.
Check out our essentials go bag checklist, which will guide you through all of the items you should pack for basic human survival.
It’s smart to have a go bag and to customize your bag to your personal circumstances. Why?
Because YOUR bag will be based on YOUR escape plan or emergency plan. How will you evacuate a fire? What escape route will you take? Where will you stay? Who will you need to contact?
If you need help with customising your go bag, use our free, downloadable Ultimate Go bag Checklist pdf. It’s a comprehensive list full of helpful items you may not have thought about but may need in your personal grab and go bag.
5 reasons a Grab and Go Bag makes our list
Here’s why a go bag makes it on our list of top 5 things to grab in a fire:
- It’s built for very circumstances that are likely to arise in a fire. It can help you to evacuate immediately, before a fire becomes unsurvivable.
- It has everything you need to soften the blow of devastation that a fire can cause. You will be more self reliant and armed with what you need to recover quicker.
- It takes the worry out. You don’t need to think right when your brain has jumped straight to survival mode. You just grab your bag and go.
- It’s flexible. You can prepare for a fire but use those same items for any emergency.
- It’s completely custom. With our list, you can pick and chose what you include.
Conclusion
The trends for bushfires in Australia are increasing and with it are the risks of being affected. It’s important to be prepared. That means having a grab and go bag packed with the essentials you’ll need to evacuate safely without putting your life at risk. We hope our essentials go bag checklist helps you start that preparation today. Remember, safety should always be your top priority in a fire emergency. Have you packed your grab and go bag yet?
