With all of the wild fires occurring in Colorado, Alaris Properties LLC wants to make sure you know what to do in the event an evacuation order is issued in your neighborhood. Be safe everyone!
Where to go:
- In the event of an order to evacuate, your local police, fire and/or sheriff’s patrol should be on site to help identify safe evacuation routes. It would be a good idea to make contact with your closest fire department to ask about this to be proactive.
- Identify a primary and secondary’ place to go (i.e. a friend or relative outside the threatened area or a hotel), and let members of your family know where you plan to meet since you may be coming from different places.
- Leave a note in a prominent place inside your house identifying where you plan to be and how to contact you.
What to take:
- An emergency kit consisting of such things as drinking water, blanket or sleeping bag for each person, first aid kit, flashlight, extra batteries, battery-powered radio.
- Important documents such as insurance policies, driver’s license, credit cards, birth certificates, social security cards, house deed, car titles, house inventory (this should be prepared ahead of time and documented with photos).
- A week’s supply of clothing and prescription medications.
- Important computer files (downloaded to a disk.)
- Pets (with ID tags) and necessary pet supplies.
- Items of sentimental value as time permits.
How to prepare your house:
- Creating defensible space around your house is something that needs to be done well ahead of a threatening fire. Guidelines for creating d-space can be picked up at the fire station or foundation office.
- Leave inside and outside lights on.
- Leave outside doors (including the garage door) and windows closed but unlocked. Disconnect the automatic garage door opener. Close inside doors.
- Leave cars that remain parked facing out with windows closed and key in the ignition.
- Close outside attic, eaves and basement vents. Open the damper on your fireplace, but close the fireplace screen.
- Shut off natural gas or other fuel sources at a point as far from the structure as possible.
- Position garden hoses so that they reach the entire house. Have them charged with an adjustable nozzle, but turned off.
- Place a ladder against the roof of the house on the opposite side of the approaching fire. Place a prepared garden hose near the ladder.
- Fill tubs, sinks and other containers with water. Remove lace, nylon or other drapes or curtains made of light material. Close Venetian blinds, heavy drapes or fire resistant window coverings.
- Move overstuffed furniture to the center of the room away from windows and sliding glass doors.
