Get ready now - wildfire can strike anytime!
Sign up for emergency alerts from Peak Alerts
Clear space around your home
Pack a go-kit for people and pets
Create and practice your family communication and evacuation plan
Sign up for emergency alerts from Peak Alerts
The best way for people to stay informed of emergency situations is to sign up for Peak Alerts at peakalerts.org. You can receive official emergency alerts via phone call, email, text message, or app notification. You can also register multiple locations (home, work, school) and receive alerts for those places, no matter where you are.
Clear space around your home
Learn about wildfire risks and how to mitigate risks where you live
When creating defensible space, the main focus is the first 30 feet around the structure or the property line, whichever comes first. Once the first 30 feet are correctly mitigated, increasing the mitigated space will continue to decrease the area's risk during a wildfire.
Learn more at coswildfireready.org/defensible-space
Pack a go-kit for people and pets
Get your emergency supply kit ready prior to a wildfire or disaster. Make sure it’s accessible for quick evacuation and prepare for the possibility of being away from home for a while.
Your ‘Go Bag’ should be easy to carry and access. Use backpacks to store items like essentials and personal documents. For food and water, consider a wheeled tub or chest for easier transport. Keep your bag light enough for comfortable lifting into your vehicle.
Your ‘Go Bag’ checklist
Ensure your wildfire ‘Go Bag’ includes your 6 P’s:
People and pets
Papers, phone number and important documents
Prescriptions, vitamins and eyeglasses
Pictures and irreplaceable memorabilia
Personal computer hard drive/storage
Plastic (credit card, ATM cards) and cash
Additional items
Clothes
Chargers (for laptops and cell phones)
Three-day supply of non-perishable food & 3 gallons of water per person
Map with at least 2 evacuation routes
First aid kit & sanitation supplies
Flashlight & battery-powered radio with extra batteries
Pet food & water
Valuables that are easy to carry
Always have sturdy shoes and a flashlight near your bed, ready for sudden night evacuations.
For more information on emergency supplies, visit www.ready.gov
Create and practice your family communication and evacuation plan
Set up emergency notifications for the entire family
Follow official public safety social media channels
Download the Reachwell app for emergency notifications in 130+ languages
Reachwell allows users to receive emergency notifications in the language of their choice. No personal information or accounts are needed. Select the language you would like to receive messages in and search for "Peak Alerts." Emergency notifications for El Paso and Teller County will alert the user's phone. Download the Reachwell App from Google Play or the Apple App Store by clicking the buttons below.
Prepare an emergency supply kit
Put together your emergency supply kit before a wildfire or other disaster occurs. Make sure to keep it easily accessible to take it with you when you have to evacuate. Plan to be away from your home for a minimum of 72 hours. Storing food and water in a tub or chest on wheels will make transporting it easier. Keep it light enough to be able to lift it into your car. Download a supply kit check list.
Make plans for young children, older adults, and family members with disabilities
Older adults and people with disabilities need special consideration when preparing for a disaster. Emergency plans for families with young children need to be practiced regularly and modified as the children get older. Learn how to prepare the family.
Create and practice your family communication plan
Disasters can make phones, the internet, and power stop working. Planning ahead helps your family know how to contact each other and where to meet.
Collect information
Write down contact information for your family.
Write down contacts for doctors, schools, workplaces, and other important places.
Get copies of emergency plans from schools, childcare centers, caregivers, and workplaces.
Choose an out‑of‑town person everyone can contact.
Choose meeting places
Indoor: Pick a safe place inside your home to go if you must stay inside.
In your neighborhood: Choose a meeting spot if you must leave your home, like after a fire.
Outside your neighborhood: Choose a place to meet if you are evacuated and cannot return home.
Download a family communication plan checklist.
Have a plan for animals
Plan in advance for pets and evacuating livestock
Plan your evacuation routes
Identify and practice multiple routes from your home, when possible
Click on the steps below to learn more about how to Get Ready! Get Set! Go!
