The fires raging through both BC and Yukon are making me think about what I would do if I suddenly had to evacuate as many in BC are doing presently.

In theory, evacuating with an RV sounds ideal. If you are a full-timer, then you can just drive your home out of the evacuation area. If you’re a part-timer, then you can at least know that you will have comfortable surroundings wherever you end up.

But how long does it take to pack up an RV? How quickly can you actually get it on the road? When I’m settled somewhere, it doesn’t take long for me to need at least an hour to get on the road. Moreover, I’ve been parked for two months so I’m sure that my tires need air. I also don’t have that much gas in the tank. I’m in no shape to hit the road quickly.

Then there’s the issue of exit routes. In Dawson, the choices are few depending on where the emergency is coming from. There’s the non-RV friendly Top of the World Highway that can only be reached by ferry. RVs are low priority for the ferry so the chances are good that it would take me days to get out of town. Another option would be to take the Dempster highway to Inuvik. The final, and most ideal, option is the Klondike highway back to Whitehorse.

What I’ve learned in the past few weeks is that I need to get a bit less comfortable when I’m parked for a long time as getting too entrenched undermines the mobility I craved so much. I need to check my air and battery levels and park with at least a half tank of gas. It’s also a good idea to have a few days worth of food on hand as well as cash.

Thankfully, the situation in Yukon does not thus far constitute an emergency, just a smoky nuisance.