Do not go back until officials allow it. Report your pet to the county animal agency, shelters and microchip registry now, and ask where rescued animals are.
Start from where you are
You can begin the search from wherever you evacuated to. Report your pet today to your county animal agency, nearby shelters and humane societies, the evacuation center and your microchip registry. The CDC’s advice for a pet lost in any emergency is to notify shelter caretakers, contact local humane societies and animal control, update your microchip company and post missing pet flyers once conditions are safe. Do not go back into a closed area to look. Ready.gov and the CDC both say to wait until authorities say it is safe to return. Ask instead how you can get a message to the people who are allowed in. Say: My cat was left at 2200 Ridge Road when we evacuated. He is gray, and he hides under the back deck. Can a responder check for him?
Who to call during the fire
Each county runs this a little differently, so ask rather than assume. Start with your county’s animal services agency and emergency management office. Ready.gov tells residents to contact the local emergency management office, animal shelter or animal control office for advice on pets. Los Angeles County gives a useful example of what one agency does. Its Department of Animal Care and Control says its Public Safety Division handles emergency rescue during wildfires, and that it provides care for animals when their owners are in a temporary shelter. It places rescue trailers at Red Cross centers so displaced animals are housed near their people, and it lists pet reunification among its services. Ask your county: Are animals being rescued from the fire area? Where are they taken? Is there a list or a phone line?
Give them details they can use
Responders have limited time, so give them what they need at once. Include the exact address, gate or access code, where the pet was last seen, where it hides, whether it is friendly, and whether it was indoors or out. The CDC tells owners to learn where their pets hide when scared, and this is when that knowledge pays off. Give a photo, two phone numbers, the microchip number and any medical needs. If a neighbor has access, ask them to check, but only if they are allowed to be there. Keep a list of who you told and when.
Fix your contact details
A fire can take your landline, home address and sometimes your cell service, so a chip record may now point nowhere. Call your registry and report your pet missing. Add a working cell number and a contact outside the area, which Ready.gov recommends for pet records. Give the new address where you are staying. Do the same on any license record and at your vet’s office. Ready.gov says text messages and social media often work better than calls after a wildfire. Ask your vet to email your pet’s records and rabies certificate to you, since any paper copies may be gone, and you may need them to prove the pet is yours.
Going back to look
Once officials open your area, go carefully and go in daylight. The CDC says to return to damaged buildings during daylight, especially if the power is off. Ready.gov warns to stay away from hot ash, charred trees, smoldering debris and live embers, because the ground can hold heat that can burn you or start another fire. Wear long sleeves, long pants, work gloves and sturdy thick-soled shoes, and use a respirator. The CDC recommends a NIOSH-approved N95 to limit how much ash you breathe, and says to check air quality at airnow.gov, because smoke can linger for days after a fire ends. Watch for debris on the roads and for electrical hazards, and leave children with someone else.
Where to look once you are back
Start with the places your pet knows, such as under decks, in sheds and in brush near home, along with anything still standing. Move slowly, call softly and stop to listen. Leave a note with your phone number where it can be seen from the road. Ask neighbors and road crews what they have seen. Put a flyer at the evacuation center, relief centers and shops that are open. The CDC says familiar scents and landmarks may change after a disaster, and pets can become confused and lost, so widen your search, and look along the routes your pet would use. Keep a notebook of sightings. Our post How to map lost pet sightings can help you see a pattern.
Keep checking shelters
Keep calling and visiting after the first week. Los Angeles County, for example, has mutual assistance agreements with animal agencies inside and outside the county, so an animal may not stay where it was first taken. Ask every shelter if it holds animals from the fire, and if those animals follow different rules from strays. Hold periods differ by place, and they may change in a disaster, so ask. Check neighboring counties too. Bring ID and proof of ownership, including a picture of you with your pet, which Ready.gov says helps document ownership.
When you find your pet
Get to a vet, even if your pet looks fine. Tell them your pet was near a fire, and tell them about any smoke or ash, so they can check what you cannot see. Follow their advice on burns, breathing and food and water, and do not treat injuries at home first. Keep your pet on a leash or in a carrier outdoors, because the CDC warns that pets can get lost again when familiar scents and landmarks have changed. It also says that pets may act differently after a disaster and should be watched closely. Check your home for hazards before letting your pet inside. If a well serves your home, note that the CDC warns private wells can be contaminated after a wildfire, so ask local authorities if the water is safe for you and your animals. Tell the shelter, registry and neighbors that your pet is home.
Sources
CDC, Pet Safety in Emergencies: cdc.gov/healthy-pets/emergency-preparedness/index.html. CDC, After a Wildfire: cdc.gov/wildfires/safety/how-to-safely-stay-safe-after-a-wildfire.html. Ready.gov Wildfires: ready.gov/wildfires. Ready.gov Pets: ready.gov/pets. Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control, Emergency Response: animalcare.lacounty.gov/emergency-response.