how do you evacuate your firearms in case of fire evacuation

[Nosferatu]

what would you do IF you had to evacuate

It depends on what property.

If it's the MT property, there isn't much I can do, it's still a tinderbox.

If it's the WA property, I'm dumping gasoline on everything and heading to MT!

 

[rjmt]

Two float planes, two helicopters, and one controller.

View attachment 1471467

The "airliner" icon is a single-engine light plane.

Bruce

we can see the light plane circling
here's a link to the float plans

AT-802F FIRE BOSS – Firefighting Aircraft

No other amphibious scooper air tanker attacks wildland/urban interface fires with the agility, tempo, and effectiveness of the AT-802F Fire Boss.

airtractor.com

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

We had to evac a couple years back. I packed up my suburban with all my guns, ammo, powder and primers. Drove them over to my brother's place in Salem. I'm not going through that again. When we were able the move back in, I upped my insurance to cover everything. This time, I'll just take my sentimental guns and let the rest burn if need be.

 

[rjmt]

Naaa - the fire is blowing south, we can't even see the smoke anylonger
and I trust the ANG and their Blackhawks
the wives on our road are freaking out, most husbands are out of town working - only us old retired guys are home
But the idea of the posting is the same - what would you do IF you had to evacuate
I'll have to rethink my ammo storage
at present time, I took all the drawers out of my Captains bed and store my ammo in cans under my bed

I'm not afraid to correct myself
I was told by a resident of La Center that ANG Blackhawks were dropping water
I was sent this photo - at least I know the difference between a Huey and a Blackhawk
this is an old Vietnam ere Huey dropping water on the La Center fire

 

[L84Cabo]

This is why you have insurance. You take the guns that are sentimental, can't be replaced, and/or what you are able to take, then secure the safe and hope for the best. If there is somewhere out in the open (like a dirt field) away from combustible materials, I would probably relocate the ammo there and cover it with a tarp. Heck you could probably even bury it if there is time and they're in ammo cans (just an idea).

Good luck, stay safe, and Godspeed!

 

[bcp]

Flightradar24 showed 2 WA DNR helicopters and one called H60 with no photo, at the time I looked.

Aviation Program | WA - DNR

The Aviation Program Washington State DNR Wildfire Aviation is a highly trained air–ground firefighting team available for Initial Attack (IA) rapid response to wildland fires. Wildfire Aviation is comprised of 10 UH-1H(M) Huey helicopters modified for water/suppressant delivery in remote...

www.dnr.wa.gov

Bruce

 

[Knebel]

Maybe if you have a barn, an underground safe in the barn would be beneficial. Or fireblankets and wrap the guns!

 

[bumpus]

If you don;t have a safe, those silicone impregnated gun socks are supposed to be fireproof. I'd be sure you took photos of all of your belongings (and serial numbers) on the offhand chance that your insurance may cover some of the losses.

 

[Bobbygun]

I'm not sure how much insurance will actually cover. I think there is a $10,000 limit for firearms and related items in my policy. When I talked to may agent about raising the amount, he pointed out I had a fireproof safe that I had spent a lot of money on and said there is only so much a guy can do. But, looking at some of the properties hit by the Holiday Farm fire a few years back, that gun safe wouldn't save anything. I may have to have another convo with said agent.

When we were in Evacuation Level 1 that year, I had the pickup loaded with nearly all of my guns/ammo/reloading supplies. I backed it up against a wall to make it difficult to break in without me hearing it. When it looked like we were going to Level 2, we started looking at what else to put in the pickup. I was so darn proud of my son when he pulled our European elk mounts off of the wall and carried them to the pickup. Priorities ya know.

 

[Awrig6]

Download the Watchduty app. I just went through this in WA. The app is very up to date and shows wind direction. Best of luck partner.

 

[WWShooter]

If you think you may have to evacuate, a few minutes taking pictures of anything of value might be well spent.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Quick napkin/spitball concept here. If possible for future events.. sink a concrete tub or some such into the ground; put plastic totes in there, load plastic totes with ammo cans, sealed. Put a drain and fill system around there.. this way when you can(maybe connect to rainwater collection or similar?); you can put some water in the space between the cement and plastic totes for when it turns to fire season... of course, enclosed/covered like a bunker or outbuilding would be best for this. Have a way to keep vermin from entering the tub.

Edit. The idea is basically water is the insulation, and keeps things from getting too hot and dry to light ammo or things off.

 

[sobo]

I'm not sure how much insurance will actually cover. I think there is a $10,000 limit for firearms and related items in my policy. When I talked to may agent about raising the amount, he pointed out I had a fireproof safe that I had spent a lot of money on and said there is only so much a guy can do. But, looking at some of the properties hit by the Holiday Farm fire a few years back, that gun safe wouldn't save anything. I may have to have another convo with said agent.

Most homeowners policies cap out at $2,500 for firearms unless you have a rider to insure for more. IMHO, those riders are way overpriced.

But there Is a better way... Collectibles Insurance Services Scroll down the page to see what they cover, how it all works, and the FAQ at the bottom.

I got a quote from these guys for what I estimated my collection of guns, ammo, et al, to be. I got tired of cataloging and estimating values for everything (they insure not just guns and ammo, but all gun-related stuff, plus knives, swords, etc.), so I just threw out a number of $40,000 for the collection (it's worth more than that). The quote worked out to $357.35/annum, so less than 1% of my collection's cost per year. I'll bet ol' State Farm's riders can't beat that...

 

[GWS]

evacuation is at level 3 now, but we are still outside the evacuation zone
smoke is blowing south away from us
we were notified they are cutting power around Jenny Creek Rd
have an hour of battery UPS as backup if needed and 24 hrs of fuel for the generator

I would think really hard about getting that fuel away from your house or barn if that fire starts moving your way, before you need to evacuate.

 

[Czechsix]

I had to evac years back. Loaded all the weapons in the back of the truck with blankets in between the layers. Loaded some ammo, some hard to find powders.

Left primers and lots of other powders and ammo. If I would have had the chance I would have buried and cached them. Good chance that a couple of feet below the surface it'll still be relatively cool.

Best of luck, terrible situation to be in. Stay safe and remember, in the end it's just material stuff. Even the memorabilia and sentimental stuff.

 

[rjmt]

I would think really hard about getting that fuel away from your house or barn if that fire starts moving your way, before you need to evacuate.

yes, we have a pallet that can be moved with the tractor to relocate all fuel

 

[rjmt]

good morning - blue skies with no smoke
fire still going with 35 acre burned, but only one home lost
a local land owner took his tractor and plowed firebreaks around threatened homes
first fire in this area since La Center burned down in 1890
but it gave us something to think about

we got a scare at 8 last night when the sheriff automated call rang through on all our phone at the same time
my wife was already headed to her Subaru with the cat before she heard we were Zone 1
we already cleared paths through the trees down the field to our neighbors properties
if our access road gets blocked, we can take the Subarus cross country to get out

 

[solv3nt]

Most homeowners policies cap out at $2,500 for firearms unless you have a rider to insure for more. IMHO, those riders are way overpriced.

But there Is a better way... Collectibles Insurance Services Scroll down the page to see what they cover, how it all works, and the FAQ at the bottom.

I got a quote from these guys for what I estimated my collection of guns, ammo, et al, to be. I got tired of cataloging and estimating values for everything (they insure not just guns and ammo, but all gun-related stuff, plus knives, swords, etc.), so I just threw out a number of $40,000 for the collection (it's worth more than that). The quote worked out to $357.35/annum, so less than 1% of my collection's cost per year. I'll bet ol' State Farm's riders can't beat that...

I've got a state farm personal articles policy on all of mine. I think it's about $200 per year.

 

[sobo]

I've got a state farm personal articles policy on all of mine. I think it's about $200 per year.

What's your policy limit? Did you have to submit S/Ns for your guns? Did they cover Form 1/Form 4 stuff? Did you have to submit pics?

I have SF on all my property (home, cars, jewelry, etc.), but they wanted all of that documentation and I was not willing to submit stuff like that to them...

 

[solv3nt]

What's your policy limit? Did you have to submit S/Ns for your guns? Did they cover Form 1/Form 4 stuff? Did you ahve to submit pics?

No policy limit. Each is an individual item, and it doesn't go against the home owner policy; no deductible. I submitted pictures and serials for everything.