Photo by Ivan Shemereko on Unsplash
Being so far south, Mission Viejo feels safer from the wildfires that have become an annual issue in California. The dry heat of August in the American southwest turns our wild growth into fuel, ready to ignite. And it appears to be a problem that is growing for our state.
At the time of writing this, the Dixie Fire is still raging in the north. The fire that concerns Mission Viejo would be either the Antonio Fire south of Los Angeles or the one that hasn’t been named and won’t be named until someone is careless in an already bad situation.
When an emergency arises, as it did last year, you never know when you will have to pack up and evacuate. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s to be optimistic but prepared for the bad days. There’s a list of good things to cover in preparing for a possible evacuation emergency.
Your work should have a strategy in place for continuing work in the event of an evacuation. Pandemic proves we can get around any obstacles by facing the problem and creating new solutions together.
In your family, you should talk about what will happen if you evacuate with a calm, reassuring belief that things will be okay. Decide together when an approaching fire is too close for comfort, and make a list of things to do before you leave. Decide how much can come with you and what. Make care plans for pets and prepare an emergency travel kit for the car.
Of course, you’re going nowhere if your car isn’t running. So make sure you keep your tank 75% full day-to-day. Don’t hoard gas, even in suitable containers-- that’s how fires spread, and it’s practically guaranteeing your home will burn if the fires reach your street. Check your tires for the tread. Make sure no belt seams are showing. And most vitally, deal with any alerts on your dashboard. Your Check Engine light is there to keep you safe; don’t ignore it before a crisis. Be sure you have your fluids topped up, and your air filter changed (smoke from the fires makes air filters absolutely filthy).
If your car needs a tune-up, schedule an appointment with Larry’s Independent Service. You can click on this embedded link to schedule an appointment. Or feel free to call us at (949) 238-6633. We’re located at 25721 Taladro Circle Unit A, Mission Viejo, CA 92691, and we’re open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM.