Wildfire Evacuation Go-Bag Checklist: What to Grab When You Have Five Minutes (2026)

Short answer: A wildfire evacuation go-bag is different from every other emergency kit in one way: you may have five minutes. The Maui and California fires gave some residents less. So the bag lives by the door or in the car, is packed at all times during fire season, and holds the things you cannot replace or buy on the road: documents, medications, a way to breathe in smoke, a way to see and charge a phone, and the car's ability to start and drive out.

The five-minute rule

Everything below is chosen so that leaving is a grab, not a search. During fire season, from late spring through the first rains, the bag is packed, the car has more than half a tank, and the car is backed into the driveway facing out. Those three habits are the whole difference between an orderly evacuation and a panic.

What goes in the bag

Breathe

• P100 respirators, better than N95 for smoke, one per person plus spares
• Sealed goggles for ash and embers
• A wet bandana as a backup

See and communicate

• A headlamp per adult; smoke turns noon into dusk
• A phone power bank; the Fusion refills itself on the dash once you are out
• A hand-crank radio for evacuation orders when cell service fails
• A whistle on the outside of the bag

Documents and money

• ID, insurance, deeds, and prescriptions in a waterproof pouch
• A USB drive with scans and family photos, the thing people most regret losing
• Two hundred dollars in small bills

Medications and health

• Seven days of every prescription, refreshed each season
• A compact first aid pouch; the Tactical Survival Kit
• Glasses, hearing aid batteries, anything a person depends on

Water, food, clothing

• One liter per person and a filter
• A day of bars
• Long sleeves and pants in natural fibers, sturdy shoes, a hat, and gloves, worn or in the bag; synthetics melt in ember contact

Pets

• Leash, carrier, a day of food, vaccination records

The car is part of the kit

The bag is useless if the car will not start. A jump starter in the vehicle means a dead battery does not trap you; it also charges every phone in the car for days. Keep LED flares, not burning flares, which are a fire hazard in dry conditions. Windows up, recirculate air, headlights on in smoke, and follow the posted evacuation route, not the app's shortcut through a canyon.

Before the season

• Sign up for county emergency alerts and know your evacuation zone
• Clear defensible space around the house
• Photograph every room for insurance and store it off-site
• Agree on a family meeting point outside the fire area
• Practice the five-minute drill once

Frequently asked questions

What is the most important thing in a wildfire go-bag?
Documents and medications, because they are the two things you cannot buy on the road, followed by a respirator to breathe in smoke.

N95 or P100 for wildfire smoke?
P100. It filters finer particulate and is the standard for smoke; N95 is the minimum.

Should I stay and defend my home?
No. Leave when ordered, and earlier if you are in a high-risk zone. Fire moves faster than people expect and roads close.

Where should the bag live?
By the exit door or in the car, packed at all times during fire season.

Are road flares safe during fire season?
Burning flares are not. Use reusable LED flares, which have no flame and no ember risk.

Build your go-bag from the POD X survival kits and keep a jump starter in the car. Every POD X product carries a 3-year warranty with free registration. Follow your local fire authority's guidance first.