Emergency Planning, The Basics Before and During Wildfire Season

Once wildfire season is here, follow these three easy steps to ensure you and your family's safety:

Ready -- Preparing for the Fire Threat: Be Ready, Be Firewise, and create defensible space (more information can be obtained from www.firewise.org or www.firewisewyoming.com). Take personal responsibility and prepare long before the threat of a wildfire so you, other family members, and your home is ready in case of fire. Assemble emergency supplies and belongings in a safe spot. Make sure all residents residing within the home are on the same page and plan escape routes.

Set -- Situational Awareness When a Fire Starts: Pack your vehicle with your emergency items. Keep up on the latest news from local media and your local fire department. Think ahead and prepare domestic animals and livestock early if they may need to be evacuated. Livestock trailers should be pre-positioned to capture any large animals before the fire arrives.

Go -- Leave Early! Following your plans makes you prepared to leave at a moment's notice, which gives firefighters the best opportunity to deal with the wildfire. Do not return to your home unless directed that it is safe to do so by an official person.

Before a Wildfire

If you see a wildfire, call 911. Don't assume someone else has already called. Have a disaster kit and emergency plan ready. (See blog post for Disaster Kit.)

Before the Fire Approaches Your House

• Evacuate your pets and anyone with medical and physical limitations and the young immediately.

• Wear protective clothing.

• Clear items that will burn from around the house, including wood piles, lawn furniture, barbecue grills, tarp coverings, etc. Move them outside of the area around your home.

• Close and protect openings. Close all doors inside the house to prevent draft. Open the damper on your fireplace but close the fireplace screen. Close outside attic, eaves and basement vents, windows, doors, pet doors, etc. Remove flammable drapes and curtains. Close all shutters, blinds, or heavy non-combustible window coverings to reduce radiant heat.

• Shut off any natural gas, propane,, or fuel oil supplies at the source.

• Connect garden hoses and fill any pools, hot tubs, or other large containers with water.

• Back your car into the driveway and roll up the windows.

• Disconnect any automatic garage door openers so that doors can still be opened by hand if the power goes out. Close all garage doors.

• Place valuable papers, mementoes, and anything "you can't live without" inside the car in the garage, ready for quick departure. Any pets still with you should also be put inside the car.

Preparing to Leave

• Turn on outside lights and leave a light on in every room to make the house more visible in heavy smoke.

• Leave doors and windows closed but unlocked. It may be necessary for firefighters to gain quick entry into your home to fight fire. The entire area will be isolated and patrolled by sheriff's deputies or police.

*From Fremont County Wildfire -- Hazardous Fuels Wildfire Mitigation Assessment and Action Plan