Protect Yourself From Wildfires

Two weeks ago, my daughters and I were visiting a friends house in The Farm neighborhood. When we walked out to leave, we  saw black smoke everywhere.  We turned around to warn our friend and the next thing we knew the entire area was evacuated and most of CSFD was on the scene about 10 minutes later. I caught one photo on our way out. It turns out we were witnessing the start of a construction fire that ended up burning 17 acres just south of The Farm residential neighborhood. Scary stuff!

Many of us are familiar with the inherent risk of living in Colorado with possible wildfires, and this experience reminded me of quickly it can happen.  The good news is that the Colorado Springs Fire Department has resources to help us prepare in the event of this occurring near our homes.  Since we personally live in an area designated as a “Wildland Urban Interface”, we recently received a wildfire risk postcard that had some great information on it. Check the map below to see if you live in that zone as well. As we approach the annual hot/dry season, it was good refreshing and I wanted to share it with you.

1. KNOW YOUR RISK
   To learn the wildfire risk of your home, check out the Wildfire Risk Map by visiting: https://bit.ly/coswuimap
2. PREPARE YOUR HOME
   Schedule an Onsite Consultation with our Wildfire Mitigation team to walk your property and recommend what you can do to lower your wildfire risk. Contact us today to schedule at:
   melissa.hoffman@coloradosprings.gov / 719-385-7493
3. MAKE YOUR PLAN
   Do you have your family wildfire action plan ready? Everybody’s plan will be different. Learn more about planning for wildfire by visiting: https://bit.ly/wildfireplan
4. GET NOTIFIED
   There are several ways to be notified of an emergency. It is your responsibility to stay informed. Start by getting your entire family signed up for Peak Alerts so you will receive official emergency notifications based on your location. Register today by visiting: https://elpasoteller911.org
5. KNOW THE EVACUATION STEPS
   STEP 1-Pre-Evacuation Warning: This means that there is a high probability that you may be ordered to evacuate.
   STEP 2 – Evacuation Order: This means you are in imminent danger and need to evacuate immediately.
   STEP 3 – Shelter-In-Place: This means that the best way to stay safe is inside a building or vehicle.

HELPFUL LINKS

Twitter: @csfdpio
Facebook: facebook.com/csfdpio
Instagram: @colorado_springs_fire
Website: www.coswildfireready.org