Every year, California prepares for fire season.
And every year, families lose more than homes.
They lose everything inside them.
In 2018, some of the most destructive fires in our state’s history left thousands displaced—and families grieving the loss of loved ones.
You don’t think it will happen to you.
Until it does.
The Part No One Talks About
After the fire is out… what’s left?
Not the furniture.
Not the clothes.
And most of the time—not the photos.
The albums.
The scrapbooks.
The boxes in the closet.
Gone.
What You Can Control
CAL FIRE teaches the 6 P’s of Preparedness.
I want to focus on the ones I can actually help you protect:
Papers
These are your most critical documents:
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificates
- Social Security cards
- Living trust and will
- Insurance paperwork
- Bank information
These should be:
- Scanned
- Backed up digitally
- Stored on a hard drive
- Kept in a fireproof safe or offsite location
Pictures
This is where most families lose everything.
Printed photos, albums, scrapbooks, and memorabilia are not protected unless you take action.
Here’s what you should do:
- Scan everything
- Store on at least two hard drives
- Keep those drives in separate locations
- Add a cloud backup like Dropbox or Google Photos
Three locations is best.
Personal Computers
Your computer is not a backup.
If it’s in your house—it’s at risk.
You need:
- Automatic cloud backup
- A second copy on an external hard drive
- At least one copy stored outside your home
Why This Matters
When evacuation happens, you don’t get time.
You grab what you can and you go.
If your photos and documents are already backed up and stored safely…
You don’t have to think about them.
They’re already protected.
This Is Where I Come In
If this feels overwhelming—that’s normal.
Most people don’t know where to start.
I help families:
- Digitize photos and albums
- Organize their files
- Set up simple backup systems
So if the worst happens—you’re not starting from zero.
What to Do Right Now
Don’t wait for an evacuation warning.
Start with one step:
Take a photo of what you have—albums, boxes, loose photos, documents.
Send it to me.
I’ll tell you what to prioritize and how to protect it.
No pressure. No obligation.
➤ Start here: plcphotos.com/contact
Final Thought
You can replace most things in your home.
You cannot replace your memories.
