Vail Fire introduces new program to urge wildfire readiness

Area residents and property owners can take five steps now to be better prepared for a sudden wildfire.

To encourage these home preparedness actions, Vail Fire and Emergency Services is introducing the “Wildfire Ready Vail” initiative over the course of the next five weeks in recognition of Wildfire Preparedness Month in May.

Paul Cada, the department’s wildland program manager, said the Wildfire Ready Vail campaign offers a series of free and low-cost activities that are quick and easy to implement.

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“We often hear from residents that they don’t know where to start or think a preparedness plan is a daunting process,” Cada said. “This campaign is designed to show how easy it can be to take an action each week along with your friends and neighbors.”

To meet the Wildfire Ready challenge, community members will be asked to do the following:

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Task 1: April 26-May 2

Be in the know about wildfire incidents and sign up to receive EC Alerts at http://www.ecalert.org.

Task 2: May 3-9

Share critical information about your household by registering with the free Community Connect service so first responders know what to do. Go to http://www.communityconnect.io/info/co-vail.

Task 3: May 10-16

Create your evacuation plan, checklist and emergency supply kit by incorporating the “six P’s“ to take with you: people and pets; papers, phone numbers and important documents; pictures and irreplaceable memorabilia; personal computers; and plastic (credit cards, ATM cards) and cash. Go to http://www.vailgov.com/evac.

Task 4: May 17-23

Review your home evaluation at vailwildfire.com and request a free site visit with wildland staff to get your home wildfire ready. Request site visit by emailing pcada@vailgov.com or calling 970-477-3475 to schedule.

Task 5: May 24-30

Get to work cleaning up your yard based on feedback from wildland staff.

Details about each of the Wildfire Ready tasks can be found at vailgov.com/wildfireready. Weekly prompts and reminders will be posted to the fire department’s social media channels — Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — as well as updates on KZYR radio and in the Vail Daily.

Following a record year for wildfires in Colorado in 2020, Cada said the outlook for 2021 is for wildfires throughout the West to be larger, burn longer and harder to control due to heavy accumulations of fuel and dryer and warmer weather.

“Waiting until we have smoke in the air to prepare for a wildfire is too late,” Cada said. “Taking these five simple steps now will prepare you and your family for another potentially record-breaking fire season.”

For more information about the Wildfire Ready Vail campaign, contact Cada, 970-477-3475 or pcada@vailgov.com.