During a Fire Event
Escape Routes, Safety Zones, and Evacuation

Residents living in any urban interface need to know that, in a worst-case wildfire scenario (such as this Applegate Fire Plan is trying to prevent), there are no guarantees that humans or structures will survive. It is important to become educated on ways to improve your chances of survival, especially if you wait too long to evacuate or if you become trapped. Please discuss this information with every member of your family.

First, have a plan. Have the escape route for your household well drawn up in advance of any emergency. Consider the situation of your home site and the likelihood of fire approaching it from any direction. Work out the best routes for escape no matter where the fire approaches. Know where you will go. Have already prioritized the precious items you would take with you and which you would, regrettably, leave behind. Have an emergency plan prepared for your animals. Know your place in the emergency communications system; keep the emergency phone numbers beside your telephone. Knowing what you would do in an emergency prevents the suffocating panic that could waste important minutes or cause you to act counter to your own safety.
Second, understand how the fire fighting agencies work. During fire season, the Interagency Dispatch centers of ODF, BLM, and USFS compare situations and update each other every morning. Local agencies call in with changes in their situations only.

The USFS and ODF have daily weather (and safety) briefings during fire season, at both local and regional levels. (This also happens during non-fire periods.)

During a large fire event, a larger, dedicated dispatch center for that fire is often set up, allowing the regular dispatchers to go back to their normal duties. Dispatch operations may expand to meet the needs of a situation that is increasing in severity. This enables the regular dispatchers to more effectively prepare for and deal with new emergencies.

Dispatch centers are not a place for obtaining public information. The first few hours of a wildfire event are not the time to be trying to get information. Over 90% of all fires in this area are contained to less than 10 acres and are out within the first two hours. (So, let the fire fighters go after them!) Scanners are a good way to obtain information on where a fire is and who's on it.

All agencies and communities work together during a wildfire event trying to balance the amount of resources needed to suppress the fire while maintaining some protection for new starts, but without overspending. Fire suppression is never free; we all pay for it the following year through our tax dollars.
Third, understand the meaning of an evacuation order. The decision to recommend an evacuation is made by the fire's Incident Commander and may be enforced by local law enforcement. It is always a hard call to balance the liability of possible loss of life or property with a desire to warn but not unnecessarily displace residents. Once an area is evacuated, road blocks will be maintained to prevent people from entering. If an evacuation center is established, it is important to check in there, so you can be accounted for. Should power and phones be disrupted, this check-in list becomes an official record for friends and family to confirm your safety. If residents follow a contingency plan of going to a neighbor's house, they should still check in at the evacuation center so they can be accounted for and not considered MIA. If the evacuation will be for a substantial period of time, the agency ordering the evacuation will often contact the Red Cross, who will make shelter arrangements for displaced residents until the danger passes.
Finally, take a look at the following checklist, "When Wildfire Approaches". Prepare your household accordingly.