When a 3-acre brush fire broke out near Mill Valley on Aug. 27, Lisa Bloch realized her own pet evacuation plan had a hole.

Bloch, Marin Humane's director of marketing and communications, was in a meeting with the organization's emergency management program manager, Nate Davidson, when a fire alert appeared on his phone. The blaze had ignited above Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands, close to her home. She contacted a neighbor to ask if he had seen the Nixle alert. His reply: "What's a Nixle?"

Bloch wrote in a Marin Independent Journal column published Monday, Aug. 31, that she decided her neighbor might not be the best person to rescue her cats if her neighborhood were evacuated. The exchange exposed a gap many pet owners share: no plan for getting animals out when an evacuation order drops.

About 60 firefighters and aircraft contained that Headlands fire by about 1:45 p.m., under 90 minutes after it was reported. No injuries were reported and no structures were threatened. But the incident landed days before September, which is National Preparedness Month.

Southern Marin Fire District's "Four Weeks. Four Actions." campaign, which we covered Aug. 31, focuses on household readiness. Marin Humane adds a pet-specific checklist that complements those steps.

Microchip and ID your pet. Marin Humane offers microchipping for $25 for dogs and free for cats. Collars with current ID tags and a valid license round out the basics.

Crate-train before you need to. Marin Humane recommends placing a favorite treat inside the carrier while sounding a bell or distinct noise. Repeat daily until the pet enters on its own. In an evacuation, seconds count.

Pack a pet emergency kit. A watertight plastic container should hold leashes, collars, ID tags, food, water, medications in a separate container, veterinary records, and photos of each pet to prove ownership.

Line up a trusted neighbor. Identify someone who can reach your home and remove your pets if you are away. Give that person access and detailed instructions on where to find each animal.

If a pet goes missing during a fire, Marin Humane advises calling or visiting the nearest animal shelter, posting on social media and distributing lost-pet flyers once the area is safe. A frightened animal can stay hidden for days. Setting up a feeding station and leaving clothes with the owner's scent nearby can help draw them out. Pets are more likely to be reunited with their owners if they stay in the county where they were found.

Marin Humane also recommends signing up for AlertMarin and Nixle alerts and downloading apps such as PulsePoint, Watch Duty and earthquake early-warning services.

For animal-related emergencies, Marin Humane Animal Services is available 24 hours a day at 415-883-4621, option 1.