Evacuation: Lessons Learned

       Now that the threat from the Teare Creek Fire is over, as is our evacuation, it is time to remember some things I learned from the ordeal.  Luckily, when we first saw the plumes of smoke coming over the slope before receiving the evacuation order, we immediately anticipated what might happen and we started gathering our valued possessions together, so when the RCMP came to our door to tell us we had to evacuate, all we had to do was just load those important things up and leave.

    I had quickly drawn up a list of what should go with us and we took all of those things, but I need to make a more extensive list for next time.  My wife had wisely gathered everything Kona and Lucifer would need, and I was happy that she thought ahead about those things.  

    Of course anytime you are rushed in a situation like the fire, there are things that you forget to pack.

For me, one of those things was a tooth brush, but luckily my wife had an extra.  Another thing I totally forgot was cash.  I had some money in my wallet, but there was some more cash in the house, that I forgot about and had the house burned down, it would have been lost.

    Another problem with my evacuation concerned where I put things.  As you can see in the photo, I stacked my paintings  in the back of the truck.  Unfortunately, in doing that, some of the important things we quickly needed were trapped because I had put them in front of all those paintings.   Once we got away and I needed to re-charge my phone, I couldn’t get to the phone charger, because I couldn’t get to it because they were blocked by all of the paintings.

    Another thing I did wrong in my rush to get things together was this:  I would come upon something that we should take, and I just quickly stuffed it in one of the containers we were taking.  Unfortunately, once we were settled at our friend’s house, I couldn’t remember in which container, I had put them.

    So I did learn some lessons from the experience and hopefully, if there is a next time, I will remember these things and be a bit more organized.

View my paintings:  davidmarchant2.ca