How to Prepare for Fire Season, Naturally

Oh, July, how I love/hate you. On the one hand, you bring the sun! On the other hand, you bring high heat, which, combined with 4th of July illegal fireworks, brings fires. You would think that we would regulate the use of fireworks, given the traumatic outcome of their misuse; however, somehow, they are still not regulated, and the fires blaze on. Last year, we were evacuated for a fire, and sure enough, many more have again erupted overnight after fireworks, so to help those of you who may be in the same boat, I wanted to share how we prepared for the 2023 Fire Season, naturally, of course! Take this seriously too, as you truly never know when your time will come. Be ready!

Cleaning Products-

Last year, we ended up in an Airbnb, and thank goodness we had packed our travel cleaning products which included a non-toxic concentrate that can be used for laundry, skin, and cleaning. It was perfect, not only for the rental house but also for our RV. If you go to the Branch Basic’s website and click SHOP, then TRAVEL, you will see the Travel Kit we use and love! I do not think my ORGANICBUNNY code works on the travel items, but it should work on the larger bundles!

Air Filters-

You probably know, by now, that I am a huge fan of our AirDoctor air filters. They work amazingly, they are super easy to maintain, and they tackle wildfire smoke well. But, recently, we had Test My Home out to the house, and they told us about an even better air filter that, when tested, performed the best out of all air filters, and that is a brand called Jaspr. Jaspr is much more expensive than AirDoctor, but it circulates more air, is made of metal and not plastic, and it comes with a lifetime warranty. I love both, so pick which works best for your budget and get as many as possible. There is truly nothing more suffocating than to be stuck inside with toxic indoor air. Having air filters can be the biggest blessing if you find yourself in this situation, and let me tell you, you just might, without thinking it could happen to you. Regardless of wildfires, you will never catch me without air filters in my home ever again. Another hot tip is to get the smallest AirDoctor and pack it with you when you evacuate!

Jasper Air Filters– Code ORGANICBUNNY takes $100 OFF.

AirDoctor- My affiliate link takes up to $280 OFF.

Dog Food-

For us, one of our greatest concerns is making sure our dogs have food ready to go. We home-cook their food, but last year, when evacuated, we had to leave quickly and did not have time to organize all of their supplies. Thankfully, I had already stocked the RV with their Honest Kitchen backup food, which was a huge blessing. We were able to feed the boys a kibble-free, healthy meal with little effort. Simply add water, and you’re done. We got the Dehydrated Beef Recipe and were able to feed the dogs easily for a few days. Code WELCOME15 will save you site-wide off of the Honest Kitchen food, so stock up!

I recently found another dog food brand that is actually cleaner as they do not use any seed oils or synthetic vitamins so this year, I will be stocking up on that. You will want to make sure you have at least 1-2 weeks of food ready for your animals! The new brand is called Yumwoof and code ORGANICBUNNY will save you from them also!

For dogs/cats/pets, you also want to remember any medication, important supplements, a water bowl, a travel water bowl, healthy treats in case you need them to focus quickly, poop bags, and of course, their harness and leash!

Another good idea is to have a lick mat or puzzle for them for days the air is super bad outside. A few years ago, one fire got so close, the air was a full haze. It was not safe to be outside and things like lick mats were a great way to still mentally stimulate the dogs since we were not letting them outside longer than to potty and head right back in!

Organic Protein Powder-

Because you just don’t know when your next meal will come during an emergency, I strongly suggest having some clean, Organic protein powder on deck. Last year, we had the Truvani single protein packs and were able to just quickly add it to water for a meal to hold us over while trying to get to our destination. I cannot tell you how key these items come in when you need them most. Grab a big bag for the family or the single packs for you and your partner.

Organic Bedding-

Of course, in a true emergency, you may not be able to grab your bedding, but for me, I always try to remember to because there is nothing worse than a bad night’s sleep after a stressful or hectic evacuation. We use and love the Simply Organic Bamboo sheets. Even if you do not plan for an evacuation, you need them lol. They are SO SOFT; the best part of the day is slipping into these for another great night’s rest. Trust me on these, they are some of the best sheets you will ever own. Code ORGANICBUNNY saves you at checkout.

Non-Toxic Toiletries-

Whether you are traveling for leisure or an evacuation, you will want to have some non-toxic travel items ready to go. To give you an idea of what I would bring, here is my list of must-pack items below. I carry all of these items in my online shop, and if you get your order in now, we ship everything SAME DAY so you can be sure you have your items in time for your next trip.

• Body Wash- I love the Aleavia brand because you can use it head to toe, yes, even as a shampoo, and the entire family can use it, which means you will not want to leave home without this. I carry travel sizes, but if you have a large family, you should grab the big guy!
• Shampoo & Conditioner- I carry so many adorable travel-sized hair care options. Grab anything by Rahua or Under Luna and you will be spoiled silly on your next trip.
• Skin Care- Nothing is worse than being out of your cozy bubble and without your skincare items, am I right? Well, of course, there are worse things than a dry face, but for me, I gotta pack my travel skincare items, alwaysss. One of my favorite kits to suggest for on-the-go care is the Sahara Rose kit because it contains a little bit of everything you need. Cleanser, toner, serum, lotion + oil. If you want a kit with a bit more product, I also love the Annmarie Travel Kits!
• Toothpaste- Just when I think there is nothing worse than something, I then think about something worse, like… being without my toothpaste. Again, in a true emergency, I get it; use what you can, but if you can plan ahead and make a cute little emergency bag, make sure to pop in a non-toxic toothpaste!
• Travel HOCl– I never leave home without Hypochlorous Acid. It is healing, soothing and can be used for so many skin issues like cuts, scrapes, burns, and more. A MUST-have item for any emergency go bag.
• Organic Bunny Get the Basics Bag- Now that I think about it, my Get the Basics Bag has almost everything I mentioned above! Body wash, shampoo, toothpaste, hand cream, deodorant, body oil, skincare + more!
• Cleansing Wipes- Because who knows when you will see a shower next, be sure to pack some non-toxic wipes for your face and body. I am super picky with which wipes I will use and carry in the store, so you can rest assured that these are the best I have found.
• Detox Charcoal- Activated Charcoal helps cleanse environmental toxins from your body. This detox supplement is perfect for taking while traveling or when inhaling toxic wildfire smoke. These are SO handy as they are in ready-to-go packs for easy access and consumption, plus they are super tasty!

Amazon Emergency Items-

Because there are so many random emergency items to remember, I created an Amazon shop of some items we always have ready. Insulated sleeping bags, glass water jugs, battery-operated radios, lights, + more!

I think those are the bulk of the items we are prepping for now; as I continue to think of other items, I will update this list. Have any I forgot? Be sure to leave me a comment so we can continue to add to this list together! Stay safe out there!

Things To Ask Yourself?

• If roads close, how will you get out?
• How long will you wait to evacuate?
• If you are snowed in, will you have enough food, water, toiletries, pet food etc?
• If you lose power, can you continue living?
• If you lose power, how will you stay warm?
• If you lose power, how will your house function?
• What if you lose wifi? Cell service?
• What if a tree falls into your home? Do you have a chainsaw to remove it?
• If roads are icy, how will you get out? Do you have a 4×4 vehicle? Chains?
• Do you have a go bag ready of clothing and supplies?
• If you lose water, how will you stay hydrated?
• Do you know how to get to a freeway without navigation?
• Do you have enough room to load up all of your pets? Where will you go with them all?
• What would you do if you were iced in?
• What would you do if you were flooded in? You must evacuate NOW otherwise you risk dying.
• How will you see at night if you have no lights? Do you have candles? A generator? Battery or solar powered lights?
• What happens if all of the food in your fridge spoils? How will you cook your food?

One tip I have from when we were evacuated is, people want to help. We messaged a ton of AirBnBs, even with SIX dogs, and we just explained to them that we were under emergency evacuation and can they please let us stay with the 6 dogs. I made sure to let them know our dogs are well behaved and that I would pay any deposit to be allowed to stay there. Many people said yes and lots were trying to help! Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

We have an RV we use to get everyone out safely but if the roads are icy, we cannot drive it so we still have a lot of work of our own to figure out. My best advice is to really imagine what you would do IF you lost everything today! Imagine the worst case scenario and work through it with your family today!

What other prep tips do you have? Let’s all share so we can be as prepared as possible!