On Thursday, I stood in my backyard watching a massive plume of smoke rise above Tracy from a warehouse fire, and days later, firefighters are still trying to put it out. Thankfully, the wind has been blowing away from our neighborhood, but the sight was impossible to ignore. My thoughts immediately turned to the employees who may have been working there when the fire began and to the firefighters risking their safety to protect our community. As I watched the smoke billow into the sky, I found myself remembering another emergency that changed my life forever.
On September 26, 2019, I was home alone when our home’s fire-prevention sprinkler system failed catastrophically. Within minutes, more than 25,000 gallons of water flooded our house. The force of the water was so great that it damaged 75 percent of our home and even blew a hole through the roof. One moment, everything was normal. The next, my life had changed completely.
At the time, I didn’t have Bear. I had Baby Teddy and Candy. When the house shook and water began pouring down from the upper floor, I had no idea what had happened. I was frightened, confused, and in shock. Looking back, I know I didn’t handle everything perfectly. I called Jim instead of 911. I wasn’t thinking clearly. But emergencies have a way of doing that to people.
What I remember most vividly is not the damage to the house. It is not the insurance claims, the repairs, or the months of reconstruction that followed. What I remember is grabbing Teddy and Candy and getting them safely outside. As water rushed through the house, I wasn’t thinking about possessions. I wasn’t thinking about paperwork. I wasn’t thinking about furniture or electronics. I was thinking about my dogs.
Standing outside that day, I realized something that has stayed with me ever since. The things we love matter most. Everything else can be replaced.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was about to be displaced from my home for months. I had no emergency go bag. I had no extra medications packed. I had no copies of important documents ready to grab. I had no plan for where I would sleep that night or what I would need the next morning. Fortunately, family, friends, our builder, and countless others stepped in to help us through one of the most difficult periods of our lives.
That experience taught me a lesson that I have never forgotten. Emergencies rarely announce their arrival. They don’t wait until you’re ready. They don’t give you time to gather medications, family records, chargers, clothing, or pet supplies. They simply happen.
That is one reason I wrote articles about creating emergency go bags for both people and pets. At the time of our sprinkler disaster, I didn’t have one. If I had, many of those first chaotic hours would have been much easier. A go bag is not about fear. It is about reducing chaos during one of the most stressful moments of your life. It allows you to focus on what matters most: your safety, your family, and your pets.
For those of us who share our lives with animals, preparedness includes them too. Our pets depend on us completely during an emergency. Having food, water, medications, vaccination records, leashes, carriers, and comfort items ready to go can make a tremendous difference. In an emergency, our pets are counting on us to have a plan.
Watching the warehouse fire reminded me of something else. Even when systems fail, people step forward. Firefighters, police officers, dispatchers, emergency personnel, family members, neighbors, and restoration crews all become part of the recovery process. We may never know exactly what caused the fire or how events unfolded, but we can certainly appreciate the people who worked tirelessly to protect lives and property.
If there is one lesson I hope readers take away from both experiences, it is this: prepare before you need to. Create a go bag for yourself. Create one for your pets. Store important documents in a safe location. Think through your emergency plan before an emergency occurs. Not because you expect disaster, but because life can change in a matter of minutes.
The Tracy warehouse fire was a reminder of that reality. So was the sprinkler disaster that turned my life upside down in 2019.
And if I learned anything from that experience, it is that when disaster strikes, the people and pets we love are what matter most.
Further Thoughts From Mom:
Looking back, I realize that the first things I saved were Teddy and Candy. Today, Bear would be right there beside me. That experience taught me that preparedness isn’t really about protecting things. It’s about protecting the people and pets we love. Everything else can be replaced. 
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