Wildfire, natural disaster preparedness: What to have ready in case of an evacuation or emergency

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. – In the midst of the Alisal Fire, Central Coast officials want to remind residents to always be ready in case of an evacuation or emergency due to a wildfire or other natural disasters.

"Residents should always be ready to have a 'go-bag' in case of a wildfire or earthquake or other disaster," said City of Santa Maria's spokesman Mark van de Kamp. "That should include basics such as food and water and up to three days."

Van de Kamp said important documents should be included in that 'go-bag,' some documents could be birth certificates, social security cards, pictures and more.

Officials from the San Luis Obispo County Service Emergency Center said preparedness is very important in case of an emergency.

"At the time of the emergency is not the time to figure out what to do," said Emergency Service Officer and former Chief of Cal Fire Scott Jalbert. "Getting that information ahead of time is important."

Both the City of Santa Maria and SLO County Service Emergency Center recommend to sign up for phone alerts.

To sign up for Santa Barbara County's ReadySBC alerts, click here.

For San Luis Obispo County's emergency alert, click here.