EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & EVACUATION
As the smoke continues to blanket the Lake Tahoe Basin and surrounding areas from the Caldor Fire, we are all feeling the impacts in many ways. It is uncomfortable both physically and mentally and creates a sense of urgency around the topics of emergency preparedness and evacuation.
“The Lake Tahoe Regional Fire Chiefs and Caldor Fire Incident Cooperators are working together diligently to ensure that everything possible is being done to mitigate the spread of this fire to the Lake Tahoe Basin. This fire is the number one priority in the country which means all available resources are being diverted to this incident” said North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Fire Chief Ryan Sommers. Current incident objectives include building a line east of the eastern edge of the fire, west of Camp Sacramento. The line is being constructed with bulldozers and hand crews. Once the line is constructed, the Incident Management Team will take the appropriate measures to try and mitigate any further progression of the fire to the east. The Operations Division of the team has established “trigger” points with respect to the fire's edge and if the fire reaches those trigger points, they may start asking for evacuations of Camp Sacramento to the east. There are a multitude of elements, such as weather, wind, and humidity that have to line up for the fire to progress in this direction.
People have a lot of questions regarding the evacuation process and when and how they will be notified. First, stay informed. Please sign up for county CODE RED emergency alert notifications. You will recognize the CODE RED call when your caller ID displays the following numbers. Please be sure to add these telephone numbers into your telephone contacts, when applicable (866-419-5000 or Emergency Alert for Emergency Notifications, 855-969-4636 or Community Alert for General Notifications).
In addition to CODE RED notifications, you may also be notified by the Emergency Alert System (EAS), adopted by the Federal Communication Commission, the EAS now replaces the old Emergency Broadcast System. Tune in to KKOH-AM780 on your radio, this is the primary relay station for northern Nevada. Other emergency notification systems include reverse 911, the media, and local emergency officials/door-to-door notifications.
It is up to each of us to be prepared before an emergency occurs. This means making a plan with your family that addresses communications, evacuation routes, pet(s), and special needs. Also, consider taking a home inventory of all items in your household.
Lastly, assemble a kit or ‘go bag’. This should include a three-day supply of essential items such as food, water, first aid and supplies, clothing, bedding, sanitation, flashlight, extra set of car and house keys, portable radio and batteries, home inventory checklist.
Being prepared and staying informed are the two best things you can do when it comes to emergency preparedness. Make a plan, assemble a kit, and stay informed. If evacuation becomes necessary, the more you are prepared, the quicker you can respond. Have your kit or go bag ready. If you are advised to evacuate do so immediately, do not wait. Know your evacuation routes and stay informed.
For folks that want to make donations or lend assistance on these fires, please call the incident fire information phone number, and ask for shelter and/or animal evacuation information (also listed in the incident information on InciWeb. You can also contact Red Cross, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. For those interested in specifically helping people affected by the Western wildfires, write “Western Wildfires” in the memo line of a check and mail it with a completed donation form to the address on the form or to their local Red Cross chapter.
Some general helpful information links:
For Caldor Fire Information:
Ø Caldor Fire Linktree: https://linktr.ee/IMT6?utm_source=qr_code
