How to Build a Go-Bag for California Earthquakes and Wildfires - and What's Actually in One
What should be in an earthquake go-bag in California?
A California earthquake go-bag should include at least one gallon of water per person per day for 72 hours, non-perishable food, a flashlight, a battery-powered NOAA radio, a first-aid kit, a seven-day supply of prescription medications, copies of important documents in a waterproof pouch, cash in small bills, an N95 dust mask, and a phone charger with a backup battery pack.
How do I sign up for wildfire evacuation alerts in California?
Wildfire evacuation alerts in California are managed at the county level, so the signup process varies. Start at your county's Office of Emergency Services or sheriff's website, or visit alerts.ca.gov for a statewide directory. Most counties use systems like Nixle or Genasys. Wireless Emergency Alerts for the most severe orders reach cell phones automatically, but local warnings typically require a separate registration.
What is California's defensible space requirement for wildfires?
California law, administered by CalFire, generally requires homeowners in State Responsibility Areas and designated high-hazard zones to maintain 100 feet of defensible space around structures. Zone 1 covers the first 30 feet and requires removing dead vegetation and spacing plants. Zone 2, from 30 to 100 feet, requires reducing plant density and eliminating ladder fuels. Check your parcel's designation at readyforwildfire.org.
What does Drop, Cover, and Hold On mean during an earthquake?
Drop, Cover, and Hold On is the action recommended by the U.S. Geological Survey for the moment earthquake shaking begins. Drop to your hands and knees, take cover under a sturdy table or against an interior wall away from windows, and hold on until shaking stops. Running outside during active shaking increases the risk of injury from falling glass and structural debris.
What is California's ShakeAlert system and do I need to sign up?
ShakeAlert is a USGS earthquake early-warning system that detects shaking at its source and sends alerts before waves reach your location, providing seconds to tens of seconds of warning depending on your distance from the epicenter. In California, ShakeAlert alerts are delivered automatically through Wireless Emergency Alerts on most cell phones, so no separate signup is required, though the MyShake app from UC Berkeley provides supplemental alerts and information.
California's two most destructive hazards, earthquakes and wildfires, can both demand that you leave your home within minutes or survive in place without utilities for days. The specifics differ, but the core preparation is almost identical: a packed bag, ready to grab, before anything goes wrong.
Related: How to Build a California Earthquake Go-Bag: What Cal OES and USGS Actually Recommend · How to Build a California Go-Bag That Will Actually Get You Out the Door
Here's what Cal OES, CalFire, and the American Red Cross actually recommend - and how to put it together without overcomplicating it.
The Core Go-Bag: What Belongs in Every California Household
A go-bag is a pre-packed kit that covers roughly 72 hours, the window in which emergency services are most stretched and outside help is least available. California's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) uses that 72-hour frame as the baseline for household preparedness planning.
Water is the item most people underpack. The general guidance from Cal OES and the Red Cross is one gallon per person per day, so a household of four needs 12 gallons for three days. That's too heavy to carry in a single bag, so most emergency planners suggest keeping a portion in a portable container and a larger supply stored at home for shelter-in-place scenarios.
Food should be non-perishable and require no cooking or refrigeration: canned goods with pull-top lids, energy bars, dried fruit, peanut butter. Rotate it once a year so nothing expires. A manual can opener belongs here even if everything has a pull tab, because something always doesn't.
Beyond food and water, the standard checklist includes: a battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA weather radio; a flashlight with extra batteries; a first-aid kit; a seven-day supply of any prescription medications; copies of important documents (ID, insurance cards, prescriptions, a household contact list) in a waterproof bag or pouch; cash in small bills, since ATMs and card readers go down in disasters; a phone charger and a backup battery pack; sturdy closed-toe shoes stored near the bag; a change of clothes; and a dust mask rated N95 or better, which matters for both earthquake debris and wildfire smoke.
If you have children, add formula, diapers, and any comfort items. If you have pets, pack food, water, a leash, a carrier, and vaccination records. Many emergency shelters cannot accept animals, so knowing your county's pet-friendly shelter options before a disaster is worth a separate search through your county's Office of Emergency Services or animal services department.
Earthquake-Specific: What to Do During and After Shaking
The U.S. Geological Survey and Cal OES both recommend Drop, Cover, and Hold On for the moment shaking starts: get low, take cover under a sturdy table or against an interior wall away from windows, and stay there until the shaking stops. Standing in a doorframe is outdated guidance and not recommended by USGS. Running outside during active shaking puts you in range of falling glass and debris.
ShakeAlert, the USGS early-warning system active across California, can deliver a few seconds to tens of seconds of warning before strong shaking arrives, depending on your distance from the epicenter. Those seconds are enough to get under a desk, pull over a car, or stop a surgical procedure, but not enough to evacuate a building. The alert reaches most Californians through Wireless Emergency Alerts on their phones, the same system used for Amber Alerts. No separate app is required, though the MyShake app from Berkeley Seismological Laboratory provides additional information and functions as a supplementary alert channel.
After shaking stops, check for gas leaks before turning on any light switch or striking a flame. If you smell gas, open windows, leave the building, and call your gas utility from outside. Expect aftershocks. Cal OES recommends texting rather than calling in the immediate aftermath to reduce network congestion, and using social media check-in features to let family know you're safe.
Wildfire-Specific: Evacuation Alerts and When to Go Early
California uses a three-tier evacuation system that local counties and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) coordinate: Evacuation Warning means be ready to leave, Evacuation Order means go now, and the rare All Clear means it's safe to return. Waiting for an Evacuation Order when a Warning is already in place has cost lives, particularly in fast-moving wind-driven fires. CalFire and Cal OES both recommend leaving at the Warning stage if you have mobility limitations, animals, or a longer drive out.
Signing up for your county's emergency alert system is the single most important thing a California resident can do before fire season. Most counties use systems like Nixle, AlertSense, or Genasys (formerly Zonehaven), but the signup page and the system name vary by county. Your county's Office of Emergency Services or sheriff's website is the right starting point. The state's general alert portal at alerts.ca.gov can also point you to the right county system. Wireless Emergency Alerts will reach your phone automatically for the most severe notices, but local advisory alerts for evacuations often require a separate signup.
When an evacuation order comes, CalFire's guidance is direct: take your go-bag, your medications, your pets, and leave. Don't stop to pack. Don't try to fight the fire. Close all windows and doors before leaving, which can slow fire spread into the structure, but don't lock them so that firefighters can enter if needed.
See also: California Earthquake Go-Bag Checklist: What Emergency Officials Actually Say to Pack · Your California Go-Bag Checklist: What Emergency Officials Actually Recommend You Pack
Defensible Space: The 100-Foot Rule
For homeowners in or near fire-hazard zones, California law requires what CalFire calls defensible space, meaning cleared vegetation around the structure that slows fire approach and gives firefighters room to work. The requirement under California law applies to structures in State Responsibility Areas and many high-hazard local zones.
The general breakdown, as CalFire describes it, is two zones. Zone 1 covers the 30 feet immediately surrounding a structure: remove dead plants, dry leaves, and debris; keep grass mowed short; trim tree branches that hang over the roof; and space plants so fire cannot easily travel between them. Zone 2 covers 30 to 100 feet out: reduce plant density, remove dead material, and create horizontal and vertical separation between plants and trees so fire moves more slowly and stays lower to the ground.
Some counties and the California Department of Insurance have tightened documentation requirements for homeowners seeking to maintain or obtain property coverage in fire-prone areas, and proof of maintained defensible space has become relevant to those conversations. CalFire inspectors can issue notices of violation for non-compliance, so it's worth checking your parcel's designation through CalFire's online fire hazard severity zone map at osfm.fire.ca.gov or by contacting your local CalFire unit directly.
Making the Kit Real: Practical Notes on Maintenance
A go-bag that hasn't been touched in three years is not a go-bag. Pick a recurring date, many people use the daylight saving time change in the fall or the first of the new year, to check expiration dates on food and medications, test flashlight batteries, and make sure the bag still reflects your household. A child who was in diapers when you first packed the kit might be in middle school now.
Keep a second, lighter version in your car. Earthquakes and wildfires don't wait for you to be at home, and having a basic kit in the trunk, water, a first-aid kit, a phone charger, and sturdy shoes, has real value if you're commuting when something happens.
Cal OES maintains a full preparedness resource hub at caloes.ca.gov. CalFire's defensible space guidance is at readyforwildfire.org. USGS ShakeAlert information is at usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/shakealert.
This is general information, not legal or safety-compliance advice. Preparedness requirements, defensible space laws, and evacuation alert systems can change, and local rules vary by county and fire-hazard designation. Verify current requirements with CalFire at readyforwildfire.org, Cal OES at caloes.ca.gov, and your county's Office of Emergency Services directly.