Road closures throughout the valley, like this one at Mazama, restrict access to level 2 and level 3 fire evacuation areas.
Be prepared for rapidly changing fire conditions
A staggering 15% of Methow Valley homes (671) have been ordered to evacuate because of the Cedar Creek and Cub Creek 2 fires as of Monday (July 26). Another 1,048 have been told to be ready to leave, bringing the total under evacuation orders to 1,719, or 38% of the valley’s residences.
The Methow Valley School District has 4,538 possible living structures, not including apartment buildings, according to Okanogan County Assessor Larry Gilman.
Most people have been staying with friends or have left the valley, but some are bivouacked in local campgrounds or motels. One person has been staying at the Red Cross shelter at Methow Valley Elementary School for much of the past week.
Okanogan County Emergency Management and fire teams use three levels to designate evacuation: level 1 (be aware of your surroundings; take action if needed), level 2 (the fire has the potential to move in your direction, so be ready to leave), and level 3 (leave immediately). Everyone should have important items packed and ready to go.
Evacuation zones are drawn by Okanogan County Emergency Manager Maurice Goodall in consultation with fire incident commanders and law enforcement officers. They study fire activity, weather and roads to determine areas that could be at risk. When a fire is moving really fast, they may evacuate a large area, Goodall said.
Because they try to avoid evacuating people in the middle of the night, evacuation zone evaluators may tell people to leave earlier in the day if the fire appears threatening, Goodall said. There have been several times this fire season when a fire moved faster than expected, prompting night-time evacuations.
Evacuation boundaries
Evacuation zones may seem arbitrary or puzzling – people wonder why it’s safe on one side of a line, but not on the other. When mapping boundaries, the evaluators try to select familiar landmarks as close to the danger as possible, Goodall said.
The emergency officials also adapted their terminology in response to feedback from residents. Some people in Mazama who were being evacuated because of the Cedar Creek Fire didn’t know which way was north or east and asked the emergency teams to use words like “coast side” instead, Goodall said.
Law enforcement officers do their best to go door to door to notify people of a Level 3 evacuation, but that’s not always possible because of safety considerations.
On Sunday night (July 25), when a spot fire crossed the containment lines south and west of Sun Mountain Lodge, fire managers determined it was necessary to evacuate the Pine Forest community, which is served by a complex system of steep roads just below the lodge. Officers from Twisp and Winthrop, the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, and state and federal land agencies were all rallied to go door to door to notify residents, Goodall said.
Still, as emergency alerts indicate, people in an evacuation zone shouldn’t wait for a knock on the door or an announcement from a bullhorn.
Occasionally, Emergency Management issues a second Level 3 evacuation order for an area that’s already been told to leave. That happened on Sunday night for some residents of Wolf Creek. While they had been told to get out a few days earlier, some people had already returned to their homes, Goodall said.
Flagging, roadblocks
People who’ve been wondering about colorful flagging on their driveways or mailboxes should understand that the ribbons are left by fire crews, law enforcement, or crews from insurance companies. They have no specific meaning for residents, Goodall said.
The Washington National Guard is staffing roadblocks. Roads into evacuated areas and fire zones are closed to everyone but residents. People should be prepared to show some identification – even a utility bill, Goodall said. “Respect the people at the roadblocks – understand that they’re there for you,” he said.
Resources
• Evacuation orders and maps are available on the Okanogan County Emergency Management website at okanogancounty.org/government/emergency management/index.php under “Active Fires.”
• Red Cross shelter: Cots, meals, access to showers. Call (509) 670-5331 or go to Methow Valley Elementary School, 24/7.
