Back-to-School Wildfire Preparedness

What Every Parent Should Know Before Fire Season

For many families, the start of a new school year means updating schedules, buying supplies, and meeting teachers. Here in Marin County, it also coincides with the height of fire season and is an excellent time to prepare your household for wildfire. 

If a wildfire threatens your community during school hours, your child may not be with you. Knowing how your school plans for emergencies (and having a family plan in place) can reduce confusion and help everyone stay safe.

Marin schools coordinate with local fire agencies, law enforcement, and emergency managers to develop plans that prioritize student safety. Understanding those plans before an emergency occurs can provide peace of mind and help parents make informed decisions during a stressful event.

Understand Your School's Emergency Plan

In California, every public school is required to maintain a Comprehensive School Safety Plan that includes procedures for natural disasters. While each situation is unique, schools prepare for several possible responses:

• Shelter in place

• Evacuation to another location

• Controlled parent-student reunification

• Early dismissal when conditions allow

The safest option depends on the location of the fire, weather conditions, road closures, and guidance from emergency responders.

One of the most important things parents can do is learn about these procedures before an emergency occurs.

Questions to Ask Your School

Consider asking school administrators:

• What is the school's wildfire emergency plan?

• Under what circumstances would students shelter in place?

• When would the school evacuate instead?

• Where would students be taken if evacuation became necessary?

• How will parents receive emergency updates?

• What is the reunification process after an evacuation?

• Who makes decisions about evacuation or sheltering?

• How often are emergency drills conducted?

• How are students with medical, mobility, or other special needs supported?

• Does the school coordinate with the local fire department and emergency management agencies?

What Does "Shelter-in-Place" Mean?

The phrase "shelter-in-place" can sound alarming, but it can be the safest available option, particularly when roads are congested or compromised.

It simply means students remain safely inside a designated building while the immediate hazard outside is assessed or passes. During this time, school staff supervise students and maintain communication with emergency responders.

Parents often assume their first action should be driving to the school to pick up their children. During a wildfire, however, that may not be possible, or safe.

Once an evacuation is ordered for a location, law enforcement will not allow parents to enter the area. Roads are likely to be congested with evacuating residents and emergency vehicles. Adding hundreds of parents attempting to reach a school can create additional traffic, delay first responders, and increase risk for everyone.

In most cases, schools will temporarily shelter students in-place until evacuation routes are clear or it is safe to begin an organized reunification process. If resources are available, and it is safe to do so, bus transportation may be arranged in coordination with fire and law enforcement authorities. 

Why Schools May Shelter-in-Place

Many Marin County schools have characteristics that make them relatively resilient during a wildfire emergency.

Most campuses include:

• Hardened buildings with noncombustible materials, tempered windows, roofing, and ventilation systems

• Large athletic fields

• Parking lots

• Wide paved areas

• Irrigated landscaping

• Reduced vegetation immediately surrounding buildings

No building is completely fireproof, but these features help reduce the likelihood that a school will ignite from embers or nearby flames.

Many Marin schools also benefit from:

• Defensible space maintenance 

• Fuel reduction projects and vegetation management

• Strategic grazing programs

• Coordination with local fire agencies

This does not mean schools will always shelter in place. Every wildfire is different, and emergency officials will determine whether sheltering, evacuating, or relocating students is the safest course of action.

How Parents Can Prepare Before Fire Season

Preparation starts long before smoke appears.

Update Your Contacts

• Verify emergency contacts with the school.

• Add grandparents, relatives, or trusted friends who could pick up your child if needed.

• Update phone numbers and email addresses.

Make a Family Plan

Talk through questions such as:

• What happens if evacuation occurs while everyone is at different locations?

• Who can pick up your child if you cannot?

• Where will your family reunite?

• How will you communicate if cell service is disrupted?

Practice these conversations before an emergency happens.

Sign Up for Alerts

Make sure you receive:

• School emergency notifications

• Local emergency alerts (such as AlertMarin)

• Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

• Register your home address and each school’s address at AlertMarin.org, and pay attention to which zones are under warning or order when a fire starts.

Follow emergency.marincounty.gov and your local fire agency and school district for official information.

Prepare Your Vehicle

During fire season:

• Keep your gas tank at least half full.

• Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle.

• Know multiple routes home from work and school.

Talking to Children About Wildfire

Children respond differently to emergencies depending on their age. Honest, age-appropriate conversations can reduce anxiety while helping them feel prepared.

Elementary School

Younger children will look to trusted adults for reassurance.

Focus on:

• Explaining that adults have emergency plans.

• Reassuring them that teachers practice these situations.

• Teaching them to stay with their class and listen to instructions.

• Helping them memorize important family phone numbers if appropriate.

Avoid overwhelming them with frightening details about wildfire disasters.

Middle School

Middle school students may understand more about wildfire but still become anxious or fearful.

Encourage them to:

• Follow teacher instructions even if they feel nervous.

• Avoid spreading rumors.

• Understand that parents may not be able to immediately pick them up.

• Ask questions about emergency procedures if they are uncertain.

This age group benefits from understanding why emergency decisions are made.

High School

High school students are often more independent and may drive themselves to school or leave campus during the day.

Discuss:

• Why they should follow official instructions rather than making independent decisions during an emergency.

• The importance of avoiding unnecessary driving during evacuations.

• How to communicate if phone networks become overloaded.

• Where the family plans to reunite after the emergency.

If your student drives, review evacuation routes and remind them never to drive into an area affected by wildfire simply to reach family members.

During a Wildfire

If your child's school is affected by a wildfire:

• Stay calm.

• Avoid rushing to the school unless instructed to do so.

• Respect road closures and authorities if they are not allowing entry into the fire area.

• Monitor official communications from the school and local emergency agencies.

• Keep phone lines available for emergency use.

• Follow reunification instructions if students are relocated.

• Students are typically released only to adults listed on their emergency card, and those adults will need photo ID at the reunification site.

Remember that emergency decisions are made with one priority: keeping students, staff, and first responders safe.

A Final Thought

No two wildfires are the same, and no emergency plan fits every situation. That's why schools prepare for multiple response options, including sheltering in place, evacuation, and coordinated reunification with families.

The best time to ask questions is before there is smoke in the air. Understanding your school's emergency procedures, discussing them with your children, and making a family plan can help reduce uncertainty and allow everyone to respond more calmly if a wildfire occurs.

When schools, parents, and emergency responders all understand their roles, children are safer, and families are better prepared for whatever wildfire season may bring.