What You Should Do in the Case of a Wildfire

Suggestions for Dealing With a Wildfire

You need to take action before a wildfire strikes to ensure the safety of your family and your home:

As for Any Disaster, Have a Plan & Preparedness Kit Ready for Your Family

We recommend creating a family emergency plan and a 72 hour kit.

Contact Teton Conservation District to Get a Free Evaluation of Your Wildfire Risk

There are steps you can take to  reduce the risk of your home being lost to a wildfire. Teton Conservation District provides free Wildfire Risk Overviews of residential and commercial properties and works with land and property owners to develop a plan for reducing that risk. https://www.tetonconservation.org/wildfire-risk-management 

Implement Wildfire Mitigation Strategies

Follow through on the strategies suggested by Jackson Hole Fire/EMS when they did their evaluation of your home. FEMA has a thorough list of actions that you can take to mitigate your wildfire hazard. Firewise is another resource which offers tips and strategies for reducing your wildfire risk and protecting your home.

Stay Tuned to Eas Broadcasts for Instruction Before, During, & Following the Disaster

Listen to your NOAA All-Hazards Weather Radio or another Emergency Alert System (EAS) broadcaster for instructions from emergency services before, during, and following a disaster.

Stay Informed of Local Wildfire Situations

Listen to local radio and watch local television for information on fires nearby. You can begin preparing by implementing your fire mitigation strategies before you are given notice of a potential evacuation. A great internet resource for detailed wildfire information across the country is InciWeb. This is an inter-agency internet database of significant incidents, most of which are wildfires. It will give you information on total acreage consumed, percent containment, and any press releases issued for a fire.

If You Are Given Notice of Potential Evacuation, Begin Preparing Immediately

If you are told you may need to evacuate, act as if it is going to happen. The next notice may be ordering you to leave immediately, so you want to take action before that. Check with FEMA on what to do during a potential wildfire evacuation.

Unless specifically instructed to do so by authorities, do not leave sprinklers or any other water running on your property. This reduces the water pressure, and forces firefighters to get dangerously close to the fire line. If deemed necessary, firefighters will set up special sprinkler systems designed for this purpose.

If Told to Evacuate, Do So Immediately

When you are given an evacuation order, it is for the protection of human life. Follow the directions given to you as far as routes to take because some roads may be closed due to fire apparatus operations, fallen trees, heavy smoke, or fire.

Tree on Fire
Large Grass Fire
Backyard on Fire

Do not stay behind and try to defend your home. If you carried out your mitigation plan ahead of time and followed the potential evacuation instructions, you have done everything that you could. Firefighters will defend these properly prepared homes first because they have the best chances of surviving. You and your garden hose are no match for a wildfire, so keep yourself safe and evacuate with your family.

Learn More

FEMA has a website that covers all aspects of wildfire preparation. For quick reference, you can print out these pamphlets on wildfire preparedness: