Early Wednesday afternoon, Chaffee County Fire was dispatched to a fire southwest of Buena Vista. Upon arrival, crews encountered a fast-moving grass fire pushed by high winds.
Firefighters were able to contain the fire to 35 acres.
Pre-evacuation notices were sent to area homeowners and businesses but were lifted by late afternoon. The orders were sent using the Everbridge Emergency Alert Program.
In the time of an emergency, get notified. Receive alerts about emergencies and other important community alerts by signing up for the Chaffee County Everbridge Emergency Alert Program.
In Colorado, cellphone users must opt-in to receive local emergency alerts.
Everbridge will provide you with critical information quickly in a variety of situations, such as fires, severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons and evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods. You will receive time-sensitive messages wherever you specify, such as your home, mobile or business phones, email address, text messages and more.
You may have signed up for the old Code Red notification system. This information did not carry over to the Everbridge system.
Another lesson from yesterday’s fire is the need to make an emergency plan. Make sure everyone in your household knows and understands what to do if you need to evacuate quickly. You may have to evacuate quickly due to a wildfire. Learn your evacuation routes and practice with people and pets in your household and identify where you will go.
Follow the instructions from local authorities. They will provide the lates recommendations based on the threat to your community and appropriate safety measures.
Make sure your insurance policies and personal documents, like ID’s, are up to date. Make copies and keep them in a secure space.
Strengthen you home. Use fire-resistant materials to build, renovate or make repairs. Create a fire-resistant zone that if free of leaves, debris, or flammable materials for at least 30 feet from your home.
Gather supplies, including a first aid kit, in your go bag or car trunk. Being prepared allow you to avoid unnecessary excursions and to address minor medical issues at home. Not everyone can afford to respond by stocking up on necessities. Make essential purchases slowly and build up supplies in advance.
