Some 400 attendees take part in practice wildfire scenario, hear from fire panel at Historic Ashland Armory

By Holly Dillemuth, Ashland.news

When a wildfire hits the city of Ashland and surrounding areas, what’s your evacuation plan?

An estimated 400 attendees packed the Historic Ashland Armory for a two-hour workshop Wednesday, July 16, to learn more about what to do to prepare should such a natural disaster occur in or near Ashland.

Attendees participated in a hypothetical wildfire scenario in south Ashland, took part in a Q&A session with panelists and mingled with vendors to learn how to sign up for evacuation notices and emergency alerts, register for Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) volunteer training, and prep food for natural disasters with Rogue Food Unites. 

Ashland.news, Ashland Together, the city of Ashland, and the Ashland Climate Collaborative hosted the event, the fourth in a special series focused on community fire preparedness issues.

Panelists Ashland Chief of Police Tighe O’Meara, Emergency Management Coordinator Kelly Burns and Community Wildfire Protection Plan researcher Charisse Sydoriak shared their experiences and answered questions from the crowd following a presentation on wildfire preparedness, with Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Tara Houston, also an Ashland.news volunteer, emceeing the event.

“We are not here to solve wildfire(s) tonight,” Houston said. “Our goal tonight, though, is to help give you resources so that you know where to look to help build your plan after leaving this room.”

Houston acknowledged that with smoke and high temperatures that have lingered in the Rogue Valley from surrounding fires in recent weeks, the forum was even more crucial for the community.

“This conversation is more real today than it ever has (been), with the wildfires that ripped through L.A. in the winter, with the fires that started not far away from here with a lightning storm,” Houston said. “These dangers are in our backyard, so it’s really important that we come together as a community and find our path forward.”

Burns was among those who spoke to attendees about evacuation preparedness. A 32-year veteran firefighter and paramedic with Ashland Fire & Rescue, he has served in emergency management since 2023.

Burns invited residents to practice their own evacuation depending on where they live in the city while they are at home this summer.

“We’re going to give you a scenario that might scare you a little bit, but we’re all in this together and, as long as we work together, we’ve got a better chance.”

Then, attendees actually had the chance to put a hypothetical evacuation into practice Wednesday evening, with people sitting close by. Residents talked amongst themselves about a hypothetical fire that started in south Ashland and moved toward the center of town, prompting, hypothetically, a city-wide evacuation.

They talked amongst themselves about what they would do and where they would go.

‘Keep thinking about your plan’

Selene Aitken, 78, was among those who participated in the simulation.

“I want to be prepared,” Aitken said, “and I think because it’s so scary that I need repetition …

“My nervous system kind of interferes with my learning.”

“We know what happened in Paradise (California), even the Almeda Fire,” she added. “I’m really glad they did this program.”

Aitken said she came to the event out of concern for wildfire preparedness.

She was appreciative of how Houston navigated the emotions that can surround wildfire preparedness, including short breathing exercises that Houston facilitated for attendees twice during the two-hour event.

Aitken said she would tell others, “Keep preparing, keep thinking about your plan.

“I intend to look at all the possible ways to exit or sit it out (if not in the path of a fire),” Aitken said.

Burns emphasized that, while the scenario of having a wildfire in Ashland can be scary, it can empower residents to start making a hypothetical plan and to get to know the necessary resources, including evacuation routes. 

“You don’t have to be fearless, but you can keep moving forward,” Burns said.

Burns explained that Ashland contains 10 zones that help discern evacuation areas during a disaster event such as a wildfire.

“You live in the Rogue Valley in Jackson County, and Jackson County decades ago was host to lots and lots of fires,” Burns said, “and you know what we are now? We’re host to lots and lots of fires, so you live in a place where you need to pay attention to the weather.”

Burns urged residents, commuters, and tourists to sign up for evacuation notices by texting the following to 888777:

• 97520: To receive local advisories on power and utility outages, missing persons, and emergency messages

• WATERSHED: For information on fuels-reduction burns in the Ashland watershed and smoke advisories and resources.

• 97520SHELTER: For warming, cooling, cleaner air center notifications.

• JACKSONEVACS: To receive evacuation notices for all of Jackson County.

For those who for some reason do not receive an alert, Burns noted that alerts should override the silent feature on iPhones, though not cellphones in airplane mode.

“Ultimately, if it’s a red flag warning period … if it’s like, weather right now, don’t keep your phone on silent,” Burns said. “It behooves you to sleep light and just be more ready.”

He also reviewed evacuation levels:

• Level 1: Be Ready!

This level encourages individuals to be aware of danger in the area and to check in with neighbors, family, and friends.

• Level 2: Be set!

Individuals are encouraged to pack up their go bags in their vehicle and, if they don’t have one, to make arrangements ahead of time in the event evacuation is needed.

• Level 3: Go Now!

Individuals under this level must evacuate, with no time to grab valuables.

“Don’t wait for us to say, “Go!” Burns reminded the audience. 

Ashland Family YMCA recently worked with Burns to create Level 1, 2, and 3 evacuation plans for the YMCA. Ashland School District also has a plan in the works, according to Burns.

“I’ve been working with our administrative staff at the school district because I think my kids are near and dear to my heart, too, and I want them to have a plan,” Burns said.

“I know that our district is doing the framework of a Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 so that they have plans and destinations for kids,” he added.

Burns admitted that even those in emergency management don’t always have all the answers in regards to every case-by-case situation involved in evacuation. He encourages residents to be watchful of red flag and high wind warnings and to trust their gut if they feel the need to evacuate earlier.

Since the Almeda Fire, an on-ramp has been installed to the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 from North Mountain Avenue that’s accessible only with help from the Oregon Department of Transportation if the need for evacuations arises.

“I want more places that we can get out of town if we need it, so just know I’m pushing that, and I’m doing my very best,” he said.

Sydoriak noted that those living outside of North Mountain Avenue should not count on that ramp, as it likely could be congested during an evacuation.

“The evacuation study showed that it only shortened the evacuation time from the city, which is four hours, by 10 minutes,” she said, drawing gasps from the crowd.

Burns noted that planning your routes ahead with various exits out of town can help prepare you and your family.

Go-bags a must

Burns also emphasized the need for a go-bag, however simple, and noted that some have developed “go-bag shame” after hearing the advice over and over, but still have not taken any action.

Aitken has had a go-bag ready for the past two years. She has lived in Ashland since 1985 and currently lives in the Railroad District.

Asked what’s in the bag, she said, “Too much, I think.”

From cash to a change of clothes, a toothbrush, toothpaste and a water bottle, her bag is ready should the day come.

Burns echoed her advice: Just get started where you are.

“Throw a few things into an available bag or sack and put it by your door and that’s the beginning of your go-bag,” he said. “It will actually make you feel better and it will reduce some of the stress you feel when we get inundated with smoke … you’ll at least have a start.

“If everyone did anything after this talk tonight besides going home and maybe feeling a little better, I want you to make a plan for Level 1, make a plan for Level 2 and make a plan for Level 3, and if they’re the same, great,” he said. “But each one requires some thought, and potentially some action.”

Burns directed individuals to think about evacuation paths both north and south — and east, as well, toward Klamath County.

“I need you to learn your town,” Burns said, noting it’s important to find open spaces where you can “hole up” during a fire if evacuation routes are blocked.

Preparedness beyond the go-bag

Sydoriak, who’s been a wildfire evacuee herself, reminded the audience that, through her experience, she learned there’s even more to prepare beyond the go-bag.

“No matter how we prepare — go-bags, kits, know our route, etc., evacuations are difficult,” Sydoriak said. “And I suspect with climate change and the repeated disasters that we are facing that we will all of us at one point or another have to evacuate … it’s a very traumatic experience, so how do you prepare in other ways than the go-bag?”

Sydoriak evacuated from wildfire more than 20 years ago in New Mexico.

There was no 1-2-3, ready, set, go system in place in New Mexico some two decades ago, she said.

Instead, Sydoriak had to realize on her own it was time to tell her husband to pack up their eight pets and then-12-year-old daughter and leave their home.

“As the fire roared into town, people had 15 minutes to go,” she said. “That could’ve been prevented by the system that we now have in place.

“There were no cell phones in those days; we had to find shelter.”

‘Preparedness is a process’

Emergency managers do their best to try to prepare individuals for the worst, but Sydoriak emphasized there are things they can’t help with. 

“You have to have a plan,” Sydoriak said.

“Preparedness is a process. It’s not done because you put your go-bag by the door and put a few things in there. My goal is to raise your awareness of evacuation challenges, help you become more self-reliant in making those decisions, and helping your community out by caring about other people during an evacuation event.”

Asked how many in the audience had experienced evacuation, about 3 to 4% of the crowd raised their hands.

She also asked what was the one of the more difficult aspects of evacuation.

“Traffic,” noted multiple people in the audience.

“How many of you have thought about what’s going to happen if there’s no internet and the satellite goes down?” she asked.

“Asking what-if questions today could save you tomorrow,” she added.

‘Run through all the what-if scenarios’

O’Meara, the police chief, echoed Sydoriak and Burns in regards to evacuation planning.

“A lot of this evacuation topic is just dependent on the situation,” he said. “During Almeda, we had a traffic nightmare.” 

Each person is encouraged in an evacuation situation to take their own initiative, to be responsible for themselves, he added.

“Run through all the what-if scenarios,” O’Meara said.

He also noted that while there were more than 10 Ashland police officers on duty during the Almeda Fire, that numbers are dependent on the time of day a disaster occurs. If in the middle of the night, numbers on patrol could be much fewer.

O’Meara emphasized it’s important not to wait for a firefighter or law enforcement officer to bang on your door to leave the area if needed, even if it’s in the middle of the night.

“We just don’t have that many people to do it,” he said.

Learn more about CERT

Representatives from numerous agencies were also on hand following the event to answer more questions and distribute resources.

Paul Collins, volunteer deputy of Ashland CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), spoke with Ashlanders about what the organization does to help communities prepare for natural disasters. He’s served with CERT for about 18 years.

“CERT is an organized group of your neighbors that are there to assist in disasters where we don’t have enough emergency responders to go around,” Collins said. “And we assist the fire departments in small ways and we help the community learn about prevention.

“I want to make sure that people can get information about CERT and our upcoming fall (basic training) on Sept. 26,” he added. 

The training, scheduled from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at SOU’s Lithia Motors Pavilion, is free to Rogue Valley residents. Residents can learn how to prepare to help themselves and others during various natural disasters, including wildfires.

In other planned events, Burns shared about working with community partners to host a community wildfire evacuation drill from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, to get residents ready for the real thing.

“This will be an actual practice drill and I’ve got a lot of community partners and agencies that are willing to step in and help pull this off,” he said.

Registration will open in September with more information available closer to that time.

Spreading the get-ready gospel

In 2024, Ashland.news formed an informal community partnership to combine skills and resources with multiple partners, including Ashland Climate Collaborative, Ashland Together and the city of Ashland, to create a series of community events. 

Ashland.news will publish a special print Wildfire-focused edition tentatively in coming weeks.

“In addition to reporting the news, we also believe we have an important role to play as a neutral convener of important community conversations,” said Lorrie Kaplan, president of the Ashland.news board of directors. 

“When I think about issues that we need to be informed on … this issue is of course top of mind for all of us.”

Reach Ashland.news reporter Holly Dillemuth at [email protected].

July 21: “More info” section updated with additional CERT training sessions.

July 25: Added video link.

July 30: Corrected name of Ashland Family YMCA.