Leave when local officials direct you to evacuate, even if you have no hotel, host, or other destination arranged. Go to the nearest temporary evacuation point identified by emergency officials and ask where people are being directed now. If you are trapped or in immediate danger, call 911, give your exact location, and understand that responders may be delayed or unable to reach you.
Shelter openings, roads, evacuation zones, and fire behavior can change quickly. This U.S.-oriented guide explains how to get current directions, use Red Cross shelter information, protect household members and pets, and avoid decisions that could keep you in a threatened area.
If an evacuation is happening now
Your first task is to get out of danger, not to solve lodging. Follow the evacuation order, warning, route, and destination information issued by your local authorities. Terminology differs by jurisdiction, so follow the instruction actually issued where you are. CAL FIRE’s guidance is to be ready to go and evacuate early when an immediate evacuation is necessary.
- Leave as soon as officials direct you. Do not wait for a hotel booking, a reply from a friend, or a shelter listing before departing. Take the route authorities identify and obey road closures and traffic-control instructions.
- Tell officials you have nowhere to stay. Ask law-enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency-management staff, or personnel at a checkpoint for the nearest temporary evacuation point and current shelter directions.
- Check live shelter information while traveling only when it is safe to do so. The American Red Cross open-shelter and disaster-services listing identifies currently open locations. Sites can be added as needs change, so check again later if no location appears.
- If you are trapped, call 911. Give your exact location, including an address, road, landmark, floor, or other identifying detail. Ready.gov’s August 2024 wildfire fact sheet cautions that emergency response could be delayed or impossible; a call is not a guarantee that rescuers can reach you.
- Do not return to a threatened area for belongings or lodging. If an evacuation order covers your location, remain out until authorities announce that returning is allowed.
How to find help when you have no destination
Ask for a temporary evacuation point
A temporary evacuation point is the practical starting place when you do not know where to sleep. Local officials can direct you to the location currently being used in your incident and explain whether it is a staging area, an information point, transportation connection, or a place that directs evacuees to shelters. Do not assume that every evacuation center provides beds overnight.
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Tell staff how many people are with you, whether anyone uses mobility or medical equipment, whether you have animals, and whether you need transportation. Those details help officials direct you to a site that can serve your household instead of sending you to a location that lacks the needed arrangements.
Use the Red Cross listing as a current check, not a permanent map
The Red Cross says its map shows open shelters and disaster-service sites. Some locations are operated by partner agencies. A listing can change as a community’s needs change, so a site that is full, closed, or not yet listed may later have different status. Follow local authorities’ instructions about whether a route is safe before traveling to any listing.
The map distinguishes overnight shelters from service sites that provide other assistance. A service site may help with food, health support, information, or reconnection without offering a place to sleep. Read the individual listing or ask staff what that location is providing and during which hours.
Consider a personal host or motel only when authorities identify it as safe
A prepared neighbor or relative, a Red Cross shelter or evacuation center, and a motel are examples of destinations listed in the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s wildfire action plan. That is a local planning example, not a universal live recommendation. Use a private host or commercial lodging only if the location is outside the danger area, the route is open, and local officials have not directed you elsewhere. Never drive toward a familiar address through an evacuation zone simply because it is available.
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Compare destinations by safety and capability
When officials give you more than one choice, compare the options using the information available at that moment. Safety and current operating status come before comfort or distance.
| Option | What it may provide | Questions to confirm before going |
|---|---|---|
| Official temporary evacuation point | Current directions, incident information, and referral to local shelter options | Is it open now, and where are evacuees being sent for overnight accommodation? |
| Red Cross overnight shelter | A free place to sleep, meals, snacks, water, and disaster-related support | Is this listing an overnight shelter, is it accepting people now, and can it meet your household’s access, medical, food, and pet needs? |
| Red Cross disaster-service site | Services such as supplies, health assistance, information, or emotional and spiritual support | Does this site provide sleeping space, or does it refer people elsewhere? What are its current hours? |
| Prepared neighbor, relative, or motel | A private or commercial place to stay arranged in advance or during the incident | Has the location been identified as safe, is the route open, and can it accommodate everyone, including animals and medical needs? |
What a Red Cross shelter or service site can do
Free access and no identification requirement
The American Red Cross says its shelter services, including food and shelter, are provided at no cost. It says people do not need identification to enter. Staff ask for a person’s name and where they lived before the disaster so they can understand who has arrived and connect people with assistance. Local response plans and available services vary by site.
Overnight and daytime services are different
An overnight shelter may offer a safe place to sleep, meals, snacks, and water. Red Cross disaster-service sites may instead provide information, supplies, health assistance, or other help without beds. The Red Cross also describes disaster-related health services such as first aid and help refilling prescriptions that were lost or left behind, emotional support, spiritual care, and help reconnecting with loved ones. Check the specific listing for services and hours rather than assuming every site offers all of them.
Tell staff about access, health, food, and cultural needs
When you arrive, explain any disability-related access requirement, medical condition, medication need, dietary restriction, communication need, or cultural or religious requirement. The Red Cross says its shelters are accessible to people with disabilities and asks arriving guests to disclose specific needs so staff can help with equipment, supplies, food, and other arrangements. A service site may have different capabilities, so ask what it can provide or where it can refer you.
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Pets and service animals
Take your pets when you evacuate. The Red Cross welcomes service animals. It also says workers try to accommodate household pets, but animals may be housed separately from people depending on the circumstances. Ask at the evacuation point or shelter how pets will be handled, what records or supplies are useful, and whether another local facility is being used for animal care. Do not leave an animal behind because you have not yet confirmed the arrangement.
What to take if you have time without delaying departure
CAL FIRE recommends keeping an emergency supply kit or evacuation bag in a vehicle. The Red Cross says to take useful items only if doing so does not slow your escape. Its examples include:
- Medications and information needed to refill prescriptions
- Clothing and bedding
- An emergency kit tailored to your household
- A child’s comfort item
- Essential items for disability, medical, communication, or dietary needs
- Pet carriers, leashes, food, water, and medications when readily available
Do not spend time shopping, sorting possessions, or collecting documents after an evacuation order. If smoke, flames, traffic, or official instructions make departure urgent, leave with what is immediately at hand and get to safety.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When smoke, fire, or road closures block your plan
Stay with official directions rather than improvising a route toward a familiar town or hotel. Road conditions and fire behavior can change faster than a map or social-media post. If you encounter a closure, turn around only where authorities direct and ask personnel for the currently approved route. Do not drive through barricades or enter an evacuation zone to reach a destination.
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If you cannot leave safely, call 911 and report your exact location. Move away from immediate hazards if authorities provide a safe instruction, close windows and doors if you are sheltering temporarily, and keep your phone available for alerts. Ready.gov emphasizes that emergency response may be delayed or impossible, so communicate early rather than waiting until flames or smoke surround you.
Keep information current during a fast-moving incident
CAL FIRE incident pages can help with general incident information, but CAL FIRE cautions that those pages are not intended to provide up-to-the-minute evacuation or fire-behavior information. Use local emergency alerts, emergency-management channels, law-enforcement instructions, and other official communications for immediate action.
- Check the current evacuation order or warning for your exact area.
- Confirm that a road is open before committing to it.
- Check shelter status again if a location is full, closed, or missing from the listing.
- Ask officials whether a site is for overnight shelter, daytime services, transportation, or another purpose.
- Do not rely on an old screenshot, a previous incident map, or an unverified post.
Plan before the next wildfire
Advance planning reduces the chance that a missing destination will delay you. Ready.gov recommends learning how local emergency management communicates, identifying transportation needs, and understanding where staging areas and shelters may be established. CAL FIRE advises households to know local evacuation orders and centers, keep an evacuation bag or emergency supply kit available, and plan for pets.
Choose several possible low-risk contacts or destinations in advance, including people who can accommodate your household’s access and medical needs. Discuss alternate routes, how you will travel if a vehicle is unavailable, and where animals can go. Store medications and essential equipment where they can be grabbed quickly. Revisit the plan when household members, vehicles, medications, or local conditions change.
Quick Recap
Mistakes that can put evacuees at greater risk
- Waiting for a room before leaving: evacuation timing is a safety decision, not a lodging decision.
- Assuming every center has beds: some locations provide information or other services only.
- Using a fire map as the sole evacuation source: incident pages may not reflect real-time orders or fire behavior.
- Assuming pets can stay in the same room: animals may be housed separately, even when a shelter is accommodating them.
- Believing identification is required: the Red Cross says it is not required for its shelters.
- Returning for belongings: wait for an official all-clear, even if your original destination seems nearby.
- Leaving needs unspoken: tell shelter staff about disability, medical, food, communication, cultural, and religious requirements as soon as you arrive.
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