SONOMA COUNTY, Calif., July 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Personal injury attorney Brittnie Panetta highlights the importance of preparation, evacuation planning, and protecting families during wildfire season. With wildfire season underway across California, Matthews & Associates is encouraging Sonoma County residents to take proactive steps to protect their homes, families, and communities ahead of Sonoma County Wildfire Safety & Preparedness, taking place July 21, 2026, at the Sonoma County Farm Bureau.
As devastating wildfires continue to threaten communities throughout the state, the event provides residents with valuable resources on emergency planning, defensible space, evacuation readiness, and wildfire mitigation strategies.
“Wildfires can escalate with little warning, leaving families with only minutes to make critical decisions,” said Brittnie Panetta, personal injury attorney at Matthews & Associates. “Preparing before an emergency occurs—by creating an evacuation plan, assembling emergency supplies, and staying informed about local alerts—can make a significant difference in protecting lives.”
According to Panetta, preparation extends beyond protecting property. Families should ensure every household member knows evacuation routes, establish a communication plan in case family members become separated, and prepare emergency kits that include medications, important documents, pet supplies, and several days’ worth of food and water.
Wildfire Safety Tips for Sonoma County Residents
Matthews & Associates encourages residents to:
- Create and practice a family evacuation plan with multiple exit routes.
- Sign up for local emergency notification systems and monitor official wildfire alerts.
- Prepare a “go bag” with essential medications, identification, insurance information, chargers, and emergency supplies.
- Maintain defensible space around homes by removing dry vegetation and combustible materials.
- Never ignore evacuation orders—leaving early is often the safest decision.
“Many injuries occur not only during the fire itself, but during rushed evacuations or when individuals wait too long to leave,” Panetta said. “Following evacuation orders promptly and having a plan already in place can reduce unnecessary risks.”
Wildfire preparedness also includes reviewing homeowners’ and renters’ insurance policies before an emergency occurs to better understand available coverage and document personal belongings in the event of property loss.
“As attorneys, we’ve seen how disasters can affect families long after the flames are extinguished,” Panetta added. “While no one can control when a wildfire starts, every household can take steps today to be better prepared tomorrow.”
Matthews & Associates encourages Sonoma County residents to attend Sonoma County Wildfire Safety & Preparedness on July 21, 2026, to learn from emergency management professionals, firefighters, and community organizations dedicated to wildfire resilience.
Prepare Financially Before Disaster Strikes
Wildfire preparedness isn’t just about evacuation plans—it’s also about protecting your financial future if the unthinkable happens. Matthews & Associates encourages homeowners and renters to review their insurance policies annually to ensure they have adequate coverage for their home, personal belongings, and any additional living expenses that may arise if they are displaced.
“One of the most overlooked aspects of wildfire preparedness is documenting what you own before a disaster occurs,” said Brittnie Panetta, personal injury attorney at Matthews & Associates. “Creating a detailed home inventory is ideal, but even taking a video of each room in your home and capturing furniture, electronics, jewelry, artwork, and other valuable belongings can make the insurance claims process much smoother. Store those videos or photos in a secure cloud account or another remote location so they’re still accessible even if your devices or home are lost.”
Having documentation readily available can help homeowners and renters more accurately substantiate their losses, reduce disputes during the claims process, and focus on rebuilding after what is often a deeply emotional and life-changing event.
About Matthews & Associates
Matthews & Associates is a nationally recognized law firm dedicated to representing individuals harmed by defective products, toxic exposures, environmental contamination, pharmaceutical injuries, sexual assault, abuse, and other forms of corporate negligence and misconduct.
To contact Matthews & Associates for legal representation, visit the firm’s website at: https://www.dmlawfirm.com/
For media inquiries, reach out to Shannon Pecca at Shannon.pecca@scorpion.co
SOURCE Matthews & Associates