With all the wildfires that have occurred so far this year up and down the Front Range, you can be forgiven for thinking that the fire season now lasts all year long. When you live in the West, you need to be prepared to evacuate, at a moment’s notice. Here are our recommendations to be prepared for fire season, to keep your data safe, and to make sure your technology continues to work wherever you are temporarily staying.

Recommendations for fire season

1. Use a laptop for your daily computer. There is not a lot of difference between a laptop and a desktop anymore, so get the computer that will allow you to grab it fast. You can still have a large monitor, mouse, and keyboard on your desk. If you need to bug-out, just unplug everything.

2. Whenever you leave your home, bring your laptop with you. This way if a wildfire breaks out when you’re gone, you won’t lose your data.

3. Get two charging cables for your laptop. Keep one at your desk and the other in the laptop case so you don’t need to grab anything extra.

4. Make sure you use the Cloud to back up your data. An external hard drive can accidentally get left behind. Or worse, you may not even have time to grab your laptop. I like Dropbox because I can log onto the Internet from anywhere to easily access my data. A lot of our customers also use the iCloud.

5. Talk to your cell phone provider about turning your cell phone into a hot spot. As long as you have access to a strong cellular signal, you’ll be able to send a good WiFi signal to your laptop from anywhere.

6. Make sure you have a bunch of fully charged battery packs. I have two iXCC Power Banks and am constantly using one or the other. I carry one in my car so if I run low on charge, I can easily get recharged again.

7. Keep the Geek For Hire phone number handy. We can talk you through most issues you might be having. Remember, if you just have a quick question, we don’t charge for phone calls under 15 minutes.

8. Remember to keep your precious photos and other valuables in a bin by the door ready to go in case you do get evacuated.

9. Keep your fuel tanks at least half full throughout the fire season.

10. Grab your laundry basket. All of your favorite clothes are already in there!

11. If you think you might be evacuated, corral your pets in their kennels. That way you won’t be searching under the bed or behind the bookcase if you do need to leave.

Conclusion: Be prepared for fire season all year long!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Macs and PCs for the past twenty years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides remote service (Tier 3) throughout North America.