By Mel Crichton EBS COLUMNIST
In late June, about 90 residents convened at Warren Miller Performing Arts Center to hear about surviving wildfire as part of a very low key “wildfire week” in Big Sky. Some words and phrases stuck in my mind.
First, “Everbridge” is the one word everyone should have heard. Patrick Lonergan of Gallatin County Emergency Management said it first. In the YouTube recording of the 102-minute presentation, you’ll hear it repeatedly. Everbridge is the county’s emergency notification program that manages alerts to registered users.
If you don’t sign up for Everbridge, you’ll still get a push notification if your phone is near the active fire area. It’s very broad coverage, and you may not be in danger, but it works even if the cell system is jammed up. Like an Amber Alert, you must have alerts enabled on your phone.
It’s even better to sign up for the county notification system through Everbridge. Alerts will be sent to your phone based on physical addresses you care about. It’s more specific and tailored to you, and you get the messages wherever you are, even out of state.
Big Sky visitors can sign up using a special QR link on the Big Sky Wildfire Hub, or by texting “BIGSKY” to 888777—this short-term signup expires after 30 days.
Then, download the Everbridge mobile app. Be sure to sign up for other types of Everbridge alerts beside fires—weather disasters, earthquakes, even floods.
Another app, WatchDuty, will show you where fires are, but don’t count on it for evacuation help.
‘It depends’
According to Gallatin County Sheriff’s Sergeant Dan Haydon, our evacuation plan is always the same: “it depends.”
It depends on weather, terrain and fuels—factors that affect predicted fire behavior. You may be told to evacuate. You may be told to shelter in place if evacuation is dangerous. You may be told that the fire won’t affect you but be alert.
Jack Creek Road is one option for evacuation, but not always. Same goes for Ousel Falls Road and U.S. Highway 191. But even U.S. 191 can’t handle all the traffic that could come out of Big Sky. Consider hunkering down at one of Big Sky’s registered refuge points (page 8). And yes, pets are allowed at the parking lot refuges. You may be there for hours, so take your go kit with water and food. If you evacuate by car, drive sanely and use your head.
If traffic is slow, don’t abandon your car, Haydon explained. That causes more problems, and you’ll lose vital protection from flying embers.
How will you know to leave? Likely you’ll get a phone notification, but if a uniformed officer bangs on your door, get moving. You may have only minutes, so be prepared.
Smoke-wise communities
Project manager Liz Davy of Greater Yellowstone Fire Action Network emphasized the need to be smoke aware. You can access local air quality data at AirNow.gov.
There are a half dozen air monitors in the Big Sky area—pay attention to air quality hazard levels. You definitely don’t want to be biking or golfing on purple-code days.
Fire Adapted Big Sky’s Neighborhood Ambassadors can demonstrate commercial and home-made air filtration units for staying safe on heavy smoke days, as they did during the June event.
‘That better not happen’
At a recent farmers market, one of our Neighbor Ambassadors asked a woman if her family was prepared for wildfire in Big Sky.
She walked away saying, “That better not happen.”
Really? Like it’s in our control—let’s hope there are few people with that mindset in Big Sky.
Big Sky Fire Department Wildland Fire Chief Jon Trapp encouraged the audience to sign up for home risk assessments on the Big Sky Wildfire Hub and to prepare homesites for potential fire. Grant funding is available to help with mitigation costs through the fire department.
Fires are happening in more places, more often, so be prepared to evacuate and have your go-kit ready, as you may not have much advance warning. The best overview of information is the Big Sky Wildfire Action Guide, available as a handout or online at the Big Sky Wildfire Hub. It shows primary evacuation routes and refuge sites, and the basics of home and evacuation preparation. You can also request a homesite assessment on the hub’s website and sign up for Everbridge notifications.
These are just the highlights of the 102 minutes. These officials are dedicated to their work and want all of us to be safe when a wildfire comes. I strongly urge every Big Sky resident and owner to take less than two hours to watch the presentation, because it could save your life.
As the experts told us, “Your survival is up to you.”
Mel Crichton acts as neighborhood ambassador coordinator for Fire Adapted Big Sky. He may be reached at kj9c@comcast.net.
