Squaw Valley’s Emergency Evacuation Plan provided by the Squaw Valley Fire Department.
Attire and Equipment:
Cotton or wool clothes are more fire resistant than synthetics
Proper attire includes long pants, long sleeved shirt or jacket and boots
Carry gloves, a handkerchief to cover your face, water to drink, and goggles
Keep a flashlight and portable radio with you at all times
Tune in to a local radio station and listen for instructions
Family Members and Pets:
If possible, evacuate all family members not essential to preparing the house for wildfire first
Make sure to designate a meeting place and contact plan using cell phone, e-mail or a relative in another area
Evacuate pets to a safe location – contact the Humane Society or Animal Control for assistance if needed
Vehicles:
Place vehicles in garage or in the driveway, pointing out. Leave the keys in the ignition!
Roll up the windows, close the sunroof
Open the garage door using the garage door opener, then disconnect the garage door opener drive. Then, manually lower the door so that it can be opened manually from the outside if needed
Essential Items:
Important documents (financial records, insurance policies, birth certificates, medical records, etc.)
Credit and ATM cards, insurance cards, address book, PDA, laptop computer
Drivers license, passport
Medications, prescription glasses, toiletries
Computer backup files -flash drive, external drive for desktop machine
Inventory of home contents (video before possible emergency), photographs of interior and exterior of house
Cell phone and charger
Change of clothing
Family photo albums and videos, family heirlooms
Place essential items in car
Inside the house:
Close all interior doors
Leave a light on in each room
Remove lightweight curtains and other combustible materials from around windows
Close fire-resistant drapes, shutters and blinds
Turn off all pilot lights
Move overstuffed furniture (couches and easy chairs) to the center of rooms
Outside the house:
Place combustible patio furniture in the house or garage
Shut off propane at the tank
Close all exterior vents if possible
Prop a ladder against the house to provide firefighters easy access to the roof
Make sure that all garden hoses are connected to faucets and attach nozzles
Close all exterior doors and windows, leaving all exterior doors unlocked
Turn on outside lights
If available and there is time, cover windows, attic openings, and vents with 1/2″ plywood
Wet down wood shakes or shingle roofs before leaving if possible
Fill trash cans and buckets with water and place where firefighters can find them
If you have an emergency water source (pool, pond, etc.) and/or portable pump, clearly mark it’s availability so it can bee seen from the street
If evacuation is needed:
Take Squaw Valley Road to Highway 89. Go to Truckee or Tahoe City – Whichever is away from the fire
Listen to local radio stations for evacuation locations
If it is not possible to leave the Valley, go in your car to the Squaw Valley USA parking lot and wait there
If not possible to leave your residence, shelter in place until all is clear and leave the Valley if possible
Please evacuate early if asked to do so to avoid entrapment by the fire storm! Studies from the recent fires in Australia showed that people who died were the ones who planned to leave, but waited to long to do so. They encountered conditions that were untenable, but only a short time earlier had been safe to travel.
Drive with headlights ON so that you can be seen in the smoke
Drive carefully and with caution for changing conditions -vehicle accidents clog roads and lead to confusion and unnecessary deaths
Be prepared: it will likely be dark, smokey, windy, and hot. There may be airborne embers, no power, no telephone service, and poor water pressure.
Remember, NOTHING you own is worth your life!