Be Ready Before the Next Fire Starts

Rich Garner, Rio Blanco County Emergency Manager: June 24, 2026

Yesterday afternoon, a vegetation fire broke out south of Rifle near Gage Road and the Grass Mesa area. Driven by high winds through dry cheatgrass and juniper, it grew to nearly 300 acres in a matter of hours, jumped a county road, threatened homes and gas infrastructure, and forced families out of their neighborhoods with little warning. Crews from across the region- engines, hand crews, helicopters, and air tankers — threw everything they had at it.

That fire was one county over. It could just as easily have been here.

Rio Blanco County has been lucky this season. But luck is not a plan. With wildfires popping up all across the West and our fuels bone-dry, every household in the county should treat the coming weeks as a question of when, not if. The good news: the things that keep your family safe are simple, and you can do most of them this week.

This post comes in two parts. Part one is about being ready to leave at a moment's notice. Part two will be about making sure the next fire doesn't start with you.

Part 1: Ready, Set, Go — Be Prepared to Evacuate

When a wind-driven fire is moving fast, you will not have time to figure things out. As we like to say: you won't have time to think when things are burning — we get ahead of it now. The "Ready, Set, Go!" model breaks readiness into three simple stages so you always know what to do next: 

  • READY: Prepare and monitor conditions. Live 'Ready' in fire season!
  • SET: Short-notice evacuation is likely. A pre-evacuation notice or fire nearby. Be packed and ready to leave the moment conditions worsen.
  • GO:  Evacuate immediately. Your life is at risk. Leave now.

If you feel you are in danger, you do NOT need to wait for an evacuation order. Leaving early is often the safest decision you can make.


READY: Get prepared now

These are the things to do today, before any smoke is on the horizon.

Stay informed:

  • Sign up for emergency alerts and Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone, and register for the county's public warning system. 
  • Know your trusted sources: the Sheriff's Office, your fire district, and the county website — not rumors on social media.
  • Keep a NOAA Weather Radio handy for real-time warnings, especially if the power goes out. 

Make a plan: 

  • Sit down with your household and agree on how you'll evacuate, including your animals and livestock. Pick a designated meeting location outside the area, and make sure everyone — including kids — knows their role and where to go if you're separated.
  • Know your routes. Identify at least two ways out of your neighborhood. Fires and downed power lines have a way of closing the obvious road, so always have a backup.

Build a Go Bag for every member of the family and keep it packed and somewhere you can grab it in seconds. At a minimum, each kit should include:

  • Several days of medications and any medical supplies
  • Copies of important documents (ID, insurance policies, deed or lease, birth certificates) in a waterproof folder
  • Water and non-perishable snacks
  • A change of clothes and sturdy shoes
  • Phone charger and a backup battery
  • Flashlight, first-aid kit, cash, and a spare set of keys
  • Glasses, hearing aids, and other personal essentials
  • For pets: food, water, leash, carrier, and vaccination records
  • For infants: formula, bottles, diapers, and baby food

Make a checklist of valuables:
When the clock is running, a simple list of irreplaceable items —photos, heirlooms, the hard drive, the safe — keeps you from forgetting things or wasting precious minutes.

Keep your tank at least half full:  During fire season, never let your fuel run low. Back your vehicle into the driveway so it's facing out and ready to drive away.

SET: A fire is near — get ready to move

When a pre-evacuation notice goes out or you can see fire activity nearby, act now so you can leave quickly and safely if it comes to that.

  • Stay glued to alerts, radio, and local updates.
  • Prep your house: close all windows and doors, bring in or move flammable items (patio furniture, doormats, propane cylinders) away from the structure, and turn on exterior lights so the home is visible to crews in smoke.
  • Load your vehicle: put go-bags, important documents, and your checklist valuables in the car now.
  • Confirm your route and an alternate.
  • Check on others: neighbors, seniors, and anyone who may need help getting out.
  • Confirm everyone knows the meeting location.

GO: Leave now

When the order comes — or when your gut tells you it's time — go. Don't wait.

  • Evacuate immediately and take everyone with you.
  • Use designated routes and follow directions from responders.
  • Do not return until officials say it's safe.
  • Stay informed through official channels for re-entry information.

Here's the hard truth about waiting: delaying can cost you everything. 
Fire grows faster than expected, roads jam and gridlock, options disappear. 
When in doubt, go.

Part 2: One more thing before fire season peaks... DEFENSIBLE SPACE

You can dramatically improve your home's odds by creating defensible space around it:

  • Thin trees and remove "ladder fuels" — the low branches and brush that let a groundfire climb into the canopy.
  • Keep trees spaced out and limbed up, and trim branches well back from your home and chimney.
  • Aim for a maintained, lean zone close to the house and reduced fuels out toward your property line.
  • Move firewood piles and propane tanks away from structures.
  • Choose and maintain fire-resistant plants near the home.

A home with good defensible space gives firefighters a fighting chance to defend it — and gives you peace of mind when you have to leave.