When Wildfire Approaches - Evacuation Actions to Consider
Incident: Mustang Complex Wildfire
Released: 9/4/2012
Fire Information: 208-865-2207
E-mail: scnf.fire.info@gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -
When Wildfire Approaches - Evacuation Actions to Consider
The Lemhi County Sheriff has announced new evacuation levels for the Mustang Complex effective September 3, 2012, 7:30 p.m. Residents preparing for a possible evacuation should maintain situational awareness by continuing to monitor local news media and Inciweb for further updates. Useful advice for making near-term preparations to evacuate can be found at http://www.wildlandfirersg.org/ ; some other evacuation tips are as follows:
- Remember the four Ps:
Papers - Gather and take important documents you can't replace.
Photos: Whether on paper or on a computer or discs, think through what you don't want to leave behind.
Pills: Make sure you have a supply of your medications and your doctors' phone numbers to get prescriptions refilled.
Pets: Bring crates, medications, leashes and pet food for your pets.
- Pre-load trailers with essentials and hook up to vehicle.
- Compile a list of phone numbers for people you will want to notify of your location after your evacuation. If you have cell phones, bring car chargers and wall chargers.
- Wear sensible shoes and clothing appropriate for changing weather.
- Clear the area around your home of as many combustibles as possible, especially wood piles, gas grills, lawn furniture and plastics.
- Close all doors to the house, open the fireplace damper, close the fireplace screen.
- Shut off the gas, propane and fuel supplies.
- Connect garden hoses; fill pools, hot tubs, garbage cans and other large containers with water.
- Place an aluminum ladder against the house in plain view of the driveway.
- Prepare your car(s): Back into the driveway; roll up windows, leave doors UNLOCKED. Make sure you have one-half tank of fuel or more in your vehicle(s).
- Disconnect garage door openers so doors can still be opened by hand without power then close the doors.
- Put anything from the list of the 4 Ps in your car that you can before you have to rush out the door.
- Release any livestock from barns to pasture in the area. You may want to open gates so livestock can escape if necessary.
The Lemhi County Fairgrounds will accept large animals. Additionally, large animals will be accepted at some private landowner pastures. To coordinate acceptance for smaller numbers of livestock, please contact the Red Cross representative at 208-756-8980 on a 24/7 basis.
The Fire Information Center at the North Fork Fire Station continues to be staffed with Public
Information Officers ready to answer questions about the upgraded evacuation levels and the fire.
For more information follow us on Twitter at scnf fire info
http://inciweb.org/incident/3100/ www.flickr.com/salmonchallisnf
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