When the Fire Moves In, So Do the Thieves: Asset Protection During Evacuations

When wildfires sweep through a neighborhood, the priority is clear—get out fast. But when families flee, what they leave behind becomes vulnerable.

In January 2025, that vulnerability became painfully real. Wildfires across Los Angeles County forced thousands to evacuate. Within days, police had arrested more than 20 people for looting homes in the evacuation zones. The stolen items ranged from luxury bags and electronics to an Emmy Award and $200,000 in cash.

This wasn’t the first time thieves moved in behind the fire line, and it won’t be the last.

This article walks through how looters exploit emergency evacuations and how tools like ASSURIoT can help safeguard what you can’t take with you.

Why Evacuations Create a Perfect Window for Theft

When you’re told to evacuate, there’s no time to secure everything. People prioritize kids, pets, medications, and passports. Few are thinking about a display case in the guest room or the RV in off-site storage.

Criminals know this. They watch news updates and track evacuation orders. Some pose as utility workers or aid responders to gain access to empty homes. Once inside, they quickly look for small, expensive valuables.

In the 2025 Los Angeles evacuations:

• Police arrested 20 individuals for looting
• Security footage showed break-ins at homes threatened by flames
• Items taken included cash, electronics, art, and collectibles
• Santa Monica police found 100 unauthorized people inside one evacuation area overnight

Law enforcement called it “a second disaster.”

Looting during emergency evacuations is not unique to wildfires. Multiple suspects were arrested for similar crimes in Florida during Hurricane Ian in 2022.

This is why asset monitoring should be part of every emergency preparedness plan.

What Assets Are Most at Risk When You Have to Leave Fast

Not everything fits in the car or belongs in a go-bag.

The most common items targeted during evacuations include:

• Jewelry and family heirlooms
• Electronics (laptops, tablets, cameras)
• Firearms or tool cases
• Designer bags, collectibles, and display items
• Luggage, safes, and cash left in drawers
• Collector cars, trailers, and RVs stored off-site or in garages

Some of these can be locked away or hidden. But that only works if thieves aren’t determined—and most are.

Adding IoT tracking devices to high-value assets gives you another layer of visibility.

How IoT Tracking Devices Can Help You Stay in Control

During a wildfire, police and fire services are focused on saving lives. They can’t patrol every home, vehicle, and driveway. Once an area is evacuated, it can take days before anyone returns.

That’s the blind spot where theft thrives and when smart tracking becomes crucial. ASSURIoT uses a compact IoT tracker to monitor your assets no matter where they are.

Key features that matter during an evacuation:

• Real-time location updates. Know where your vehicle, case, or trunk is right now.
• Motion alerts. Get notified if something moves that shouldn’t.
• Geofencing. Receive an alert if the asset crosses a boundary you define.
• Multi-network connectivity works even when cell service is unreliable.
• Long battery life ensures the tracker lasts for weeks, not hours.

It’s a simple setup that adds peace of mind when you need it most.

Protecting Collector Cars, RVs, and Other Mobile Assets

If you own collector vehicles, trailers, or RVs, you know how hard they are to move quickly. Sometimes, you relocate them to a safer zone. Other times, you leave them behind in a locked garage.

Either way, they’re targets.

Here’s how to reduce the risk:

• Keep vehicles fueled and in good working order
• Digitally store registration, vehicle identification number (VIN), and title documents
• Use wheel locks or disable the vehicle before leaving
• Install a tracker and test it ahead of time
• Photograph the vehicle—including any upgrades or customizations

When you relocate a vehicle off-site, it’s often out of sight for days. That’s why asset monitoring services matter more during disaster events.

Don’t Wait to Document. Insurance Depends on It.

If your belongings go missing or are damaged by fire, your insurance claim depends on what you can prove. After a disaster, speed matters.

That’s where pre-evacuation documentation helps.

What to prepare:

• Photos of high-value items, vehicles, and electronics
• Serial numbers or VINs
• Appraisal or purchase records
• Inventory spreadsheet or cloud-based catalog
• Screenshots of tracking locations or movement history

ASSURIoT’s total Collection Management solution, part of the ASSURIoT Mobile App, is designed to safely store and retrieve valuable asset records in case of need. If necessary, ASSURIoT’s Recovery Package feature helps you compile much of this with a click. It creates a secure, encrypted website with your tracking data, ownership records, and photos, ready to send to police or insurance.

It’s the kind of preparation that pays off when time matters.

Preparedness Without Panic: A Checklist

Evacuations are high-stress moments. The more you prepare in advance, the more confident you’ll feel if and when the time comes.

Here’s a smart checklist to start:

• Add IoT trackers to collector vehicles, display cases, or travel trunks
• Set up geofence zones around your home or off-site storage
• Digitize important documents (titles, insurance, appraisals)
• Create a cloud-based photo inventory of valuables
• Make sure your devices are charged and updated
• Save a copy of your asset records in multiple locations
• Know where you’d relocate high-value items if evacuation becomes likely

These steps don’t take much time, but they can protect months, years, or a lifetime of investment.

You Can’t Stop the Fire. You Can Track What Matters.

You must move fast in an emergency. Fires, floods, and storms don’t wait for you to secure everything. But with trusted asset monitoring services, you don’t have to leave visibility behind.

Whether you're sheltering in place, stuck in traffic, or hundreds of miles away, ASSURIoT keeps watch.

Evacuation doesn’t have to mean full vulnerability. It can mean preparedness, action, and peace of mind.