Arnold, CA…A Wildfire Evacuation Planning Town Hall for Greater Arnold residents and homeowners was held yesterday at the Hazel Fischer Elementary School. “In the event of a wildfire, we all need to have an evacuation plan so we’re not caught flat-footed,” said District 3 Supervisor Martin Huberty, who is organized the town hall. “Residents need to know how an evacuation will be announced, as well as, how they can plan to evacuate effectively to Highway 4.”

Speakers included representatives of the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department, Office of Emergency Services (OES), CAL FIRE, Ebbetts Pass Fire District, Health and Human Services, and the Red Cross.

“At our wildfire preparedness event in early May, people commented that after learning more about how to create a defensible space to protect their homes, they wanted to know more about the wildfire evacuation process in Calaveras,” Huberty said. Questions arose like: “What is my evacuation zone? How will an evacuation be announced? If I can’t get out, should I shelter in place, go by a lake or get to higher ground? What are some good open areas to go to? Where are shelters going to be? Thinking now about what to do can save lives.”

Highlights of the evacuation plans of one homeowner’s association were shared, as well as details of family evacuation plans – from knowing where their cat carrier is to putting the phone numbers of motels in neighboring towns in their phones now.

Huberty said he also wanted to hear from residents on the idea of practicing an evacuation. “It’s impossible to predict where a fire will start or where the wind will take the embers, but being familiar with basic evacuation plans can make all the difference in the midst of a wildfire.”

As evacuations are managed by numbered zones, residents are encouraged to determine their evacuation zone by looking up their address at: https://community/zonehaven.com Residents are urged to sign up for both emergency communications services: www.nixle.com and the Calaveras Alert Emergency Notification Program: http://oes.calaverasgov.us/notifications

For more information, contact Martin Huberty at 209-286-9007.