How to Help and Teach Your Kids during California Wildfires

Written By Kelly S

Earlier today, I was running errands and could see smoke coming from three different wildfires around Southern California. My kids’ have had several outdoor activities cancelled or moved indoors this week, and it’s hard to escape the smell of smoke. Sound familiar?

Whether you’re reading this when there are active fires or when things are relatively calm… fire is an important reality here in California, and it’s worth learning about as a family!

I’m a mom and California Naturalist, and here are some of the books, field trip ideas, discussion points, and activities we have used as a family. Looking for more? I have a whole lesson on Wind and Wildfires in my family nature study guide, SoCal Nature Kids: Sky.

Note: If you’re near a wildfire in a potential evacuation zone… please stop reading this and follow the directions of your local fire authority! These tips are about books to read and things to talk about… not how to evacuate or keep kids physically safe when near a wildfire.

Children’s Books to Read about Wildfires

How to Talk to Children About Wildfires:

  • Be calm. Invite your kids to share any questions or fears: “there are wildfires in California right now. I wonder if you have any questions?”

  • Education can be empowering. You might discuss:

    • Wildfires can happen virtually year-round, but we see many in fall because of summer dryness and Santa Ana winds (dry, warm winds that blow over the mountains towards the coast, getting drier, hotter, and faster as they go).

    • Even without people, lightning would cause some wildfires, but humankind has increased their frequency. Human activity (cigarettes, campfires, arson, car fires, etc.) causes most wildfires today.

    • Firefighters work hard to put out wildfires in many ways, including creating fire lines: a strip of land without brush or debris, so the fire has no fuel. (When a fire is 5% contained, 5% of it is surrounded by fire/control lines.) Also, planes and helicopters drop water/fire retardant from overhead.

  • Learn about hope in nature’s fire cycle. Have you ever seen a picture of a charred landscape with new plants growing in seemingly-dead areas? My favorite Southern California nature book, Wild LA, says some plants depend on fire for survival:

    • Fire poppies and the purple-flowered poodle-dog bush only grow after fires.

    • Manzanita seeds can hide underground for 100+ years, waiting for a fire to tell them to sprout.

    • Fire beetles only lay eggs on newly-singed branches and can find a fire from 20 miles away!

    • Post-fire, rabbits, deer, and rodents enjoy seeds hiding in the soil or plants starting to sprout.

    • Redwood trees hold so much water they can stand firm after being burned!

How to Thank Firefighters with Your Children

Empower your children to write a thank you note to a firefighter thanking them for their work. Firefighters are working tirelessly to protect us. Can you show love and support by mailing a card to a fire station or blessing a firefighting family you know?

  • Make a card, draw a picture, and/or write a note to say “thank you” to firefighters. You can tell why you appreciate them, and how they help you.

  • To deliver your card, you can drop it off or mail to your local fire station or, send to CalFire at any of these addresses - these are some of the CalFire regional offices:

    • CalFire 210 W. San Jacinto, Perris, CA  92570

    • CalFire 3800 N. Sierra Way, San Bernardino, CA 92405

    • CalFire 2249 Jamacha Road, El Cajon, CA 92019

    • CalFire 1150 #175 Laurel Lane, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Other Ways to Empower Children in Wildfires

Looking for even more action steps? Here are a couple other things you can do as a family to take action and feel empowered in a wildfire:

  • Prepare: As a family, pack an evacuation go-bag, talk through emergency plans and fire safety, or have a fire drill. Even if you don’t live in a wildfire zone, this can still be a good time to practice what to do if your smoke alarm goes off.

  • Make a plan together for fun ideas when poor air quality means staying indoors.

  • In the long term, consider volunteering with a Prescribed Burn Association. These are groups that work together to do prescribed burns — which are done in a safe, monitored way — to prevent big wildfires down the road. I took part in a Wildfire seminar this summer and learned more about Prescribed Burn Associations, and believe it or not, these are sometimes family-friendly! If you’re wanting to take long-term action towards supporting fires, a PBA was recommended in the seminar as a place to begin.

Southern California Fire Field Trips (for when there aren’t active fires)

Visit a Fire Station (if there’s not an active fire)

Many local fire stations welcome visitors, especially children! Of course, if there’s an active wildfire going on, I’d wait to make arrangements until things have calmed down for the fire department.

It’s best to schedule a fire station visit in advance, especially with any kind of group. However, occasionally my family has been walking past the fire station on the way into the library next door, and a firefighter has welcomed us to come look at their trucks on a slow day.

Here are a few sites to get started with scheduling a fire station visit, but you can also check with your own city/county:

Southern California Fire Museums to Visit with Kids:

Here are some firefighter museums found throughout Southern California - many are small and volunteer-run, and only open a few hours a week, so make sure you check hours before you go.

Southern California Fire Hikes for Kids:

Here are a few places to get outside and explore fires more. Of course, you don’t want to go hiking in an area where there is a fire, or even when there has recently been a fire!

You can go on a hike to a fire lookout — these are sites, many of them historical, where firefighters and volunteers in the past or present have watched for fires:

Hikes in Areas Previously Burned

Occasionally you may find a spot as you’re hiking where there was a previous fire. Unfortunately these are becoming more common!

For your safety, you want to be sure to check with officials/rangers before hiking a trail where there was a fire… it can take months or even years before areas are reopened! Ask to get confirmation that trails are clear and things are safe, and be sure to stay on the trail.

The National Park Service has a guide for teachers (that could be used by parents too) with some discussion points here.

Other Tips for California Wildfires:

I keep these two apps on my phone, especially around this time of year:

  • Watch Duty — helps you know what fires are going on in your area

  • AirNow - gives reports on air quality

Kelly S
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