In October 2007 wildfires consumed the Southern California town of Ramona, a suburb of San Diego. Residents quickly fled as flames engulfed their homes leaving only time to grab some clothes, photos, and pets. For many, even those who stored valuable documents on a computer, it was a total loss. Rebuilding their lives seemed like an almost impossible task.
Even now there seems like no end to it. Last year there were over 2,000 wildfires. Starting in 2008, the active California wildfire season has increased by more than 60 days. Individual fires are burning, on average, more than five weeks. California is hotter and drier than ever with Los Angeles now 5°F warmer than in 1920.
Having an emergency kit containing important family documents and emergency contact information is advisable in case you have to evacuate quickly. Some people have even started keeping this kit in the trunk of their cars at all times. Even if this kit is destroyed most important family documents can be replaced. The US Federal Government web site has a page dedicated to replacing your vital documents. However, replacing many legal documents such as your will and revocable living trust may not be so easy. You may have to have them recreated by an attorney, which can be costly and time consuming.
To help prevent the loss of valuable documents use a virtual safe deposit box (VSDB) to store them in a secure, remote location.
James Bell
Sources:
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
http://www.fire.ca.gov/index_incidents.php
California Wildfires and Global Warming by Dan Shapley
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/Global-Warming-California-Wildfire-47102305
Cool surfaces and shade trees to reduce energy use and improve air quality in urban areas by H. Akbari, M. Pomerantz and H. Taha
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0038-092X(00)00089-X
Wild Fire Disaster Preparation by Fire Finance
http://firefinance.blogspot.com/2007/10/wildfire-disaster-preparation-part-1.html
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