“There are things that you need to be aware of: scams, builders who may not know what they’re doing. Everything needs to be vetted. Don’t sign anything until you’ve had a chance to breathe.”

In smaller or solo households, it might make sense to keep everything in one bag; for bigger families, these things might go into individual “go-bags.”

Matsuura said he wouldn’t leave, couldn’t leave, because of everything that his modest home on New York Avenue meant.

“Everyone is acting normal but everything is falling apart outside.”

“We’re prepared to do anything and everything for as long as it takes to contain these fires,” Biden said.