With hotter summers and drier winters more than ever before, the risk of wildfire does not end when summer is over and autumn arrives.
As of July, this summer has brought more than 29 wildfires and burned more than 1,300 acres across Butte, Shasta, Siskiyou and Tehama counties. More will come. While expert meteorologists, local firefighters and emergency services professionals can’t predict exactly when they will occur, they can tell us one thing: it’s going to happen eventually. What each of us can control is how we prepare and respond. Taking simple steps now can make all the difference when every minute counts.
Each North State County has an Office of Emergency Services as the dedicated disaster management agency. Many are like Siskiyou County, led by a small but mighty team that works to protect lives, property and the environment during times of natural or human-made disaster. Here are the top recommendations for preparing your friends, families and communities for the next big wildfire incident.
Verify Your Sources with Multiple Official Emergency Alerts
Wildfires can start anywhere and travel fast. Relying on information passed around from friends, family, messaging apps or third-party apps can leave out the most up-to-date, lifesaving information. Having current information from official sources will give you the most accurate picture of a wildfire. Alerts from official sources give you vital time to notify your neighbors, pack your animals in the car or be informed of road closures and open evacuation routes.
Sign up well ahead for alerts that offer multiple methods of informing you, in case you don’t have access to one or more modes of communication. These respective systems can be customized to alert you by calling a cellphone, calling a landline, sending an email or text message. Don’t wait for an emergency to get signed up for alerts!
You can find links to your county’s alert registration sites by searching for the emergency management department for Butte, Glenn, Shasta, Siskiyou or Tehama counties.
Get the Watch Duty app at Google Play or the Apple Store. This free app covers the U.S. and Canada and shows current information about wildfires in your area and acres involved. You can also check the CalFire Incidents page fire.ca.gov/incidents.
Photos provided by Siskiyou Fire Safe Council
Butte County Alert Systems
Sign up for alerts at buttecounty.net/2226/Emergency-Notifications
Glenn County Alerts
Sign up for alerts, get evacuation information and find your zone at countyofglenn.net/government/departments/sheriff/office-emergency-services
Siskiyou County Alert Systems
Ready Siskiyou Alerts
Siskiyou County Sheriff
facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff
Siskiyou County Office of Emergency Services
facebook.com/SiskiyouCountyOES
Shasta County Alert Systems
Shasta County Public Warning System
alertshasta.genasys.com/portal/en
Shasta County Sheriff
Tehama County Alerts
Write Down Your Contacts and Talk to Them About Backup Plans
Who are the primary people you would call in the event of a wildfire?
How will you contact one another if the power is out or the phone batteries die?
If anyone is separated, at work, at school or in the community, where will you meet one another?
Know Your Zones, Your Evac Route and Your Last Resort Options
Your evacuation zone is critical for understanding emergency alerts. A zone is typically denoted by a few letters and several numbers.
Genasys Protect (protect.genasys.com/download) is a unique mapping tool that sends official emergency alerts by evacuation zone. Users can register for alerts for up to five zones nationwide and receive additional emergency alerts based on their location.
Knowing your evacuation zone and the surrounding zones gives you a better understanding of how wildfire may impact your community. While it’s helpful to be familiar with possible evacuation routes, always follow the directions of law enforcement and emergency officials, who may direct you to alternate routes as conditions change.
Know Who to Ask for Help
Are there people in your household or neighborhood that could have trouble with mobility, with communication or with leaving their home? Find out who may need your help or who could help you in the event of a wildfire evacuation.
People with Access and Functional Needs can submit their information to the AFN registry for their county so that first responders will be informed that someone may need assistance evacuating.
Butte County AFN
buttecounty.net/1790/Special-Needs-Awareness-Program
Siskiyou County AFN Registry
siskiyoucounty.gov/publichealth/webform/access-and-functional-needsemergency-registry
Tehama County AFN Registry and Services
Disability Disaster Access & Resources
North Valley Catholic Social Service (NVCSS)
Have Your Go-Bag Ready Today
Packing a Go-Bag doesn’t start when the stress of evacuating kicks in. It begins with the conversations and plans you make ahead of time. What forms do you need to photocopy? What forms are essential for you to verify your identity, medical prescriptions, insurance, dental records or pet’s care? What can you use for navigation, orientation and alerts if the phone lines are down? Do you have extra face masks, chargers, lights, first aid supplies, water, a radio and toiletries that can meet everyone’s needs in an evacuation?
Talk it Out. Practice to Prepare. Stay Ready.
The best type of plan is a practiced plan. Talk with your friends, families and communities about your preparedness plans, collaborate to find the best solutions for anticipated challenges and register for services. Working together to stay ready is the best way to be prepared and lead with resilience throughout wildfire season.
Far Northern Regional Center has a page with many links to emergency preparedness information. farnorthernrc.org/emergency-preparedness.
Posted in: Safety
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