EVERGREEN, Colo. — Ahead of a high fire danger weekend, Evergreen Fire Rescue hosted an evacuation workshop to help residents prepare for the worst-case scenario.
"This is Colorado. It's time for all of us to realize that wildfire season can happen at any point," said Einar Jensen, risk reduction coordinator for Evergreen Fire Rescue.
Nancy Duffy loves living in Evergreen, but she told Scripps News Denver she is always worried about wildfires after the July 2020 Elephant Butte Fire that burned just west of the town.
"It was really close," Duffy said. "We were getting prepared just in case we had to evacuate."
Ever since that fire, Duffy said her focus has been on preparing for potential evacuations.
"It used to be years ago where it was a summertime thing. Now it's year-round," she said, referring to Colorado's fire season.
To help residents prepare, Evergreen Fire Rescue held an evacuation workshop Thursday night.
"We don't want people to rely on a sign with Smokey Bear or anything else telling them that it's low danger, high danger, very high danger," said Jensen.
At the workshop, neighbors split into groups to learn about Lookout Alert emergency notifications and what to pack in a "go bag". When it comes to packing, Evergreen Fire said you should remember the four Ps: pets, pills, papers and pictures.
Jensen stressed the importance of practicing for an evacuation ahead of such an event.
"The next time you're coming back from the grocery store or from work, try a different way into your neighborhood so that your brain remembers a different way," Jensen said. "Instead of taking Evergreen Parkway, maybe you can take Bear Creek Canyon."
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With Colorado expected to see high fire danger heading into the weekend, Duffy hopes her community is walking away from the evacuation workshop a little more prepared.
"Knowledge, and knowledge is power," Duffy said. "This is gold."
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