Photo by Amanda Seidler / Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District
Summit County officials held a virtual town hall meeting Friday, June 25, to help community members better prepare for the possibility of a wildfire evacuation this summer.
Commissioner Josh Blanchard welcomed a panel of public safety experts to the meeting, including Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons, Director of Emergency Management Brian Bovaird and Summit Fire & EMS spokesperson Steve Lipsher, to help educate residents on what to expect in the event of an evacuation.
The most important takeaway from the meeting was simple: Pay attention and respond appropriately to public messaging.
“I just can’t stress enough the preparedness level, because if we accomplish our goals of ordering an evacuation, effectively message the evacuation, then it really is up to community members to be ready to take that action that we’re asking from them at a moment’s notice,” Bovaird said.
In 2017, the Peak 2 Fire ignited near Breckenridge and forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes in the Peak 7 neighborhood and the surrounding area. A year later, the Buffalo Mountain Fire burned its.