Nixon Fire controlled

The Nixon Fire, the latest Riverside County Fire, was located in
Aguanga. It started on July 29 and was fully contained 10 days later, on
Aug. 7. While burning more than 5,200 acres, twenty-three structures
were destroyed and three more damaged.

During the first days of the fire, evacuation notices were issued, and
the County Emergency Management Department had set up an emergency
shelter at Temecula High School.

With the abnormally hot summer, grasses and brushes have dried and died.
Live fuel moisture is starting to drop below normal. Fire season is not
over, and the threat is described as year-round.

Idyllwild and the Hill’s population is not large, but access to this
area is limited. It is only five years since Highways 74 and 243 were
closed for months because of a winter deluge causing massive flooding
damage to these roads.

And fires are not unknown on the Hill. Residents, especially, and
visitors must be prepared because these dangers are not always announced
days in advance.

Riverside County’s EMD has posted suggestions on its website:
//rivcoready.org/disaster-preparedness.

The first step is having a plan of action in case a disaster is
imminent, especially an evacuation order.

Plan

The first step should be enrolling with Alert RivCo. This is one of the
systems that Riverside County public safety agencies use to alert the
public in the event of an emergency. For more information or to enroll,
go to Alert RivCo.

There are three levels of warning: shelter in place, an evacuation
warning and an evacuation order.

Shelter in place means go inside, shut the doors and windows, be sure
you can access “Alert RivCo”, and be prepared if an evacuation warning
is issued.

With a warning be sure you can take care of your pets and any livestock.

Once an order is issued, leave for shelter elsewhere outside the area of
possible danger from the fire. Officials will have established temporary
shelters for those who cannot go elsewhere.

Before an evacuation is imminent, another preparation step is an
emergency kit. This will help get through the immediate days and also in
case your home is damaged or destroyed.

Of course, stay alert and aware of the fire’s movement and control.