--- title: "When You Are Told to Evacuate for a Wildfire: What to Do in the First Hour, What the Levels Mean, and Psalm 56 for the Fear" description: "Told to leave because of a wildfire? What to do first, what Level 1, 2 and 3 mean, where to get alerts, and Psalm 56:3-4 for the drive out and the night after." url: "https://biblenudge.com/blog/when-you-are-told-to-evacuate-for-a-wildfire" lang: "en" published: "2026-09-27" modified: "2026-09-27" author: "Cal Hewitt" tags: ["wildfire","evacuation","fear","psalm 56","disaster","praying for neighbors"] image: "https://biblenudge.com/og/blog-when-you-are-told-to-evacuate-for-a-wildfire.jpg" alternates: es: "https://biblenudge.com/es/blog/evacuar-por-un-incendio-forestal.md" --- # When You Are Told to Evacuate for a Wildfire: What to Do in the First Hour, What the Levels Mean, and Psalm 56 for the Fear [Cal Hewitt](https://biblenudge.com/about/cal-hewitt)Published September 27, 2026 - wildfire - evacuation - fear - psalm 56 - disaster - praying for neighbors ![When You Are Told to Evacuate for a Wildfire: What to Do in the First Hour, What the Levels Mean, and Psalm 56 for the Fear](https://biblenudge.com/blog/when-you-are-told-to-evacuate-for-a-wildfire/featured.jpg) If the authorities for your area have told you to leave, leave. Their order comes first, and everything else can wait until you are safe. Two fires are in the news on September 27, 2026. [Hawaii News Now](https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/) and [KITV](https://www.kitv.com/) reported an evacuation order in Olowalu Village on West Maui on September 27, and the [Honolulu Star-Advertiser](https://www.staradvertiser.com/) reported a fire of more than 100 acres and 40% contained that day. Near Benton City, Washington, the [Washington State Patrol](https://www.forth.news/lists/wsp/CfR9RV3Hm54e8eX4D4DbK) reported about 800 acres and Level 3 evacuations as of 4:30 p.m. on September 25, 2026. [NonStop Local](https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/residences-along-i-82-in-benton-city-area-under-level-3-evacuations-due-to-1/article_d4241171-a342-41f0-b9ed-f8f7b3ea3f61.html) gave 1,000 acres at 4:13 p.m. and 1,149 acres at 5:46 p.m. that day, and [FOX 13 Seattle](https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/benton-county-fire-evacuation-orders) reported about 1,151 acres and 0% containment on September 26. Acreage differs by report and by the hour, and each figure could change. The [Tri-City Herald](https://www.aol.com/articles/4-homes-destroyed-fire-west-203440000.html), in a report republished on AOL on September 26, described at least four homes destroyed, three of them mobile homes in Kiona Village, a count at that hour. ## If you only have a minute ### First Leave immediately if authorities tell you to. Their order wins. ### For the drive [Psalm 56:3](https://biblenudge.com/context/psalm-56-3-4), "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you." ### If you are far away Call early, and leave promises about the house out. ## What to do in the first hour [Ready.gov](https://www.ready.gov/wildfires) says: “Evacuate. Leave immediately if authorities tell you to do so.” It adds: “Listen to EAS, NOAA Weather Radio, or local alerting systems.” “Know your community’s evacuation routes and find several ways to leave the area.” “Have a plan for pets and livestock.” “Have enough supplies for your household, including a first aid kit in your go bag or car trunk.” And: “If trapped, call 9-1-1 and give your location, but be aware that emergency response could be delayed or impossible.” For animals, [Ready.gov's pet page](https://www.ready.gov/pets) says to plan with a neighbor, friend or relative who can care for or evacuate your pet if you cannot. The [American Red Cross wildfire checklist](https://www.weather.gov/media/safety/fire/Wildfire_checklist.pdf) says to be ready to leave at a moment's notice and to keep pets confined so they can be found quickly. If you have no car or need help to leave, your route is the county emergency management office and the order itself. Call early. Do not stay to defend a property, and do not go back early because the fire looks smaller. ![A packed duffel bag and an empty pet carrier beside a front door, with a set of car keys on a small table](https://biblenudge.com/blog/when-you-are-told-to-evacuate-for-a-wildfire/the-bag-by-the-door.jpg) *Packed, and close to the door.* ## What the levels mean Benton County uses the Washington three-level language, per [Benton County Emergency Services](https://www.bces.wa.gov/currentemergencies) and the [Washington Emergency Management Division](https://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-division). Level 1, “Be Ready,” means prepare to leave. Level 2, “Be Set,” means be ready to leave at short notice. Level 3, “Go Now,” means leave immediately, and the September 25 Benton City notice used Level 3. Other places use other words; Olowalu was reported as a simple evacuation order. Read your own county's definitions, and follow the highest level you are given. The [New South Wales Rural Fire Service](https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/plan-and-prepare/bush-fire-survival-plan) asks people to monitor official warnings and leave when directed, and [FireSmart Canada](https://firesmartcanada.ca/) covers evacuation planning. In the UK, follow your local fire and rescue service. ## Where to look tonight - Benton County: its [current emergencies page](https://www.bces.wa.gov/currentemergencies). The Benton City notice named Ki-Be High School, 1205 Horne Drive, as a temporary Red Cross shelter. - Anywhere: sign up for your own county's warning system, and confirm a shelter accepts pets before you drive there. - Family: [Red Cross Safe and Well](https://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery-services/contact-whats-safe.html) lets you leave a status message, useful for the relative far away who cannot get through by phone. ## Psalm 56:3-4, for the drive out and the night after The passage this site offers for fear is [Psalm 56:3-4](https://biblenudge.com/context/psalm-56-3-4), here with verses 1 and 2 before it: > 1 Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up. All day long, he attacks and oppresses me. 2 My enemies want to swallow me up all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me. > > 3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. 4 In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? It is David's prayer while in danger from enemies, placed by its heading when the Philistines seized him in Gath, and it moves between fear and trust. The first words admit the fear, “When I am afraid,” and the rest of the line is something to do while still afraid. Matthew Henry's [Reformed commentary](https://biblehub.com/commentaries/mhcw/psalms/56.htm) treats fear as the occasion for renewed trust and prayer, and Enduring Word's [evangelical commentary](https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-56/) reads the fear as acknowledged rather than absent. Say verse 3 once, in the car, at a red light or in the shelter line. Later, hold a question: What are you afraid of right now, if you say it plainly? [Fear of the future](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-fear-of-the-future) tells the Gath story; [storms](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-storms) reads it for flooded homes. ## What this is like The [National Center for PTSD](https://www.ptsd.va.gov/disaster_events/for_everyone/fires_help.asp) says evacuation orders “may happen with very short notice, forcing people to make important decisions in very little time,” and that “Days or weeks may pass before evacuees can get back to their homes to even assess the damage.” The [American Psychological Association](https://www.apa.org/topics/disasters-response/wildfires) says strong emotions and trouble concentrating are common, and [SAMHSA](https://www.samhsa.gov/technical-assistance/dtac/disaster-survivors) says disasters can affect people directly or through media exposure, such as a relative watching from far away. On Reddit's r/TriCitiesWA, evacuees wrote on September 25 and 26, 2026, in [one thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/TriCitiesWA/comments/1wq9kz8/benton_city_fire/) and [another](https://www.reddit.com/r/TriCitiesWA/comments/1wqbjkt/just_got_out_of_traffic/): “We just drove by the conoco to pick up a family friend in prosser. Came back 20 min later and boom fire.” Another: “When we had finally got out of the line the fire seemed to be getting dangerously close to homes.” The hours of not knowing whether the house is still standing are a recognized kind of strain, not a weakness. ## Children, pets and the days out of the house The [National Child Traumatic Stress Network](https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/trauma-types/disasters/wildfire-resources) says caregivers can give “simple but accurate information in a quiet, steady voice,” and that children benefit from a daily routine and from something familiar, “a stuffed animal or blanket to hold.” Its [parent guidelines](https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources//parents_guidelines_for_helping_children_impacted_by_wildfires.pdf) say more, and [HealthyChildren.org](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Wildfire-Safety.aspx) stresses explanations a child can follow. Our own wording: “We have to leave for a while because of the fire, and we are going together.” Leave promises out. ![A small stuffed rabbit and a folded blanket on the back seat of a car in evening light](https://biblenudge.com/blog/when-you-are-told-to-evacuate-for-a-wildfire/the-back-seat.jpg) *Something familiar for the drive.* Ready.gov says to listen to authorities about whether it is safe to return, and to avoid hot ash and smoldering debris, since the ground can hold heat pockets. NCTSN adds to report fallen power lines and not use water until officials say it is safe. For smoke or injuries, call a doctor or your health line. ## Words that land better Some kind things land hard. Our own wording: - Instead of “at least you got out”: “I am so glad you are safe, and I know it is still frightening not to know.” - Instead of “it's only stuff”: “Tell me what you grabbed, and what you are worried about.” - Instead of a promise about the house: “I do not know whether it is standing, and I am here either way.” - Instead of “you just have to trust God”: “I am praying for you, and you do not have to feel calm.” ## More Scripture, and praying for neighbors In Matthew 2:13-15, an angel appears to Joseph in a dream, and he “took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt,” because Herod sought the child's life. In Acts 9:23-25, Saul's disciples “took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket,” because people were watching the gates. Both left by night. To pray for evacuated neighbors, [Romans 12:15](https://biblenudge.com/context/romans-12-15) says, “Weep with those who weep,” to the Christian community, and Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another's burdens,” to believers. The Church of England publishes [prayers for those caught up in tragedy and disaster](https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-action/prayer-worship/prayer-resources/prayers-those-caught-tragedy), Anglican words to borrow. Our own idea: pray by name, with an offer of a spare room. ## Where to go next If the nights are too heavy, please reach a person. In the United States, call or text 988 for the [988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline](https://988lifeline.org/); [Crisis Text Line](https://www.crisistextline.org/text-us/) says, “Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a volunteer Crisis Counselor.” The [SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline](https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/disaster-distress-helpline), for disaster survivors, is call or text 1-800-985-5990. In Canada, call or text [9-8-8](https://988.ca/). In the United Kingdom and Ireland, [Samaritans](https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/) is on 116 123. In Australia, [Lifeline](https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/national-services/lifeline-crisis-support) is 13 11 14. Elsewhere, [Find A Helpline](https://findahelpline.com/) lists lines by country. Tonight, say Psalm 56:3 once aloud, and before you sleep, open your alert page or Red Cross Safe and Well and leave a status for the people waiting to hear from you. [Bible Nudge](https://biblenudge.com/) takes what you are carrying, in your own words, and offers one passage. [Find a passage](https://biblenudge.com/nudge). ## Words that come up here Tap a term to see what it means. **Safe and Well.** A Red Cross service for leaving a status message. **Level 3.** “Go Now,” leave immediately. ## Share this page If somebody you know is carrying this, the link goes straight to the passage and what surrounds it. Nothing here asks them to sign up for anything. [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbiblenudge.com%2Fblog%2Fwhen-you-are-told-to-evacuate-for-a-wildfire)[Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbiblenudge.com%2Fblog%2Fwhen-you-are-told-to-evacuate-for-a-wildfire&media=https%3A%2F%2Fbiblenudge.com%2Fblog%2Fwhen-you-are-told-to-evacuate-for-a-wildfire%2Ffeatured.jpg&description=When%20You%20Are%20Told%20to%20Evacuate%20for%20a%20Wildfire%3A%20What%20to%20Do%20in%20the%20First%20Hour%2C%20What%20the%20Levels%20Mean%2C%20and%20Psalm%2056%20for%20the%20Fear) ## Related Articles - [Afraid of Falling Behind at Work as AI Changes Your Job: What Workers Report This Year, One Free First Step, and Psalm 56:3-4 to Pray](https://biblenudge.com/blog/afraid-of-falling-behind-at-work-as-ai-changes-your-job): Watching colleagues use AI and wondering about your own job? What PwC's September 2026 survey reports, one free first step for tonight, and Psalm 56:3-4 to pray. - [After You Stopped to Help at a Crash: Why It Keeps Replaying, What Helps in the First Weeks, and Psalm 56:3-4](https://biblenudge.com/blog/after-you-stopped-to-help-at-a-crash): You stopped and went toward a crash, and now it replays at night. What helps in the first weeks, who to call, and Psalm 56:3-4 for the hours after. - [When Your Child's School Goes Into Lockdown: What to Do While You Wait, How to Talk That Night, and Psalm 56 for the Fear](https://biblenudge.com/blog/when-your-childs-school-goes-into-lockdown): What schools ask of parents during a lockdown, what the alert words mean, Psalm 56:3-4 for the fear, and how to talk that night.