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Prepare for the Fire Season
Preparations
Fire season in the Methow Valley can begin as early as June and last into October. These are actions you can take to prepare.
- Read the material on the Protecting Your Home web page and implement as many strategies as you can
- Create or review a family plan for emergencies. The State of Washington Emergency Management Division and others have great advice
- Review the Edelweiss Evacuation Map and think about a walking route should roads become blocked
- Know how to get emergency notifications (see below)
- Prepare (or make an easy to find list for packing) a “go bag” for your car(s) and for evacuation on foot. It should include:
- Personal and Pet needs: Clothes, food, water, first aid kit, phones, and chargers—and items for people with disabilities and others with access and/or functional needs
- Plastic: Credit cards, insurance cards, cash
- Priceless items: Including pictures, irreplaceable mementos, and other valuables
- Prescription medications: Includes dosages, medicines, medical equipment, batteries or power cords, eyeglasses, and hearing aids
- Papers: Includes important documents (hard copies and/or electronic copies saved on external hard drives or portable thumb drives)
- Consider that an evacuation COULD occur after dark or in smoky conditions. Your go bag should include a flashlight or other light source and masks.
Two sources for emergency communications:
1. Go to OKANOGAN COUNTY’S ALERTS. Follow the instructions to provide your contact information for options including telephone, text, and email.
2. Edelweiss uses an automated system to notify every Edelweiss member via a telephone message explaining the nature of any emergency and instructions on what to do. The system is called “Edelweiss Maintenance Commission Dial-My-Calls Emergency Broadcast System.” To ensure that they have your current telephone number(s) please email: MANAGER@EDELWEISSMETHOWVALLEY.ORG.
IMPORTANT: The Edelweiss Maintenance Commission often follows up with an email to the Edelweiss community with the same message that is issued on the Dial-My-Calls emergency messages. Please make sure the Edelweiss Maintenance Commission has your current email address. Please email updates to: MANAGER@EDELWEISSMETHOWVALLEY.ORG
Do you have guests during fire season, if so, download the EMC Visitor FW Information PDF and share it with your visitors. Be sure to also provide the Edelweiss Maintenance Commission contact information to any long-term house guests that you may have (see main Firewise Page).