Family Finds Wildfire Evacuation Drill To Be A Valuable Effort
In a wildfire there can be only minutes to get out. So CBS4 looked into what's important when you have to go. CBS4's Alan Gionet put the five members of the Meade family of Highlands Ranch through an evacuation drill.
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (CBS4) - The Meades have been through it before. Evacuation is not for the slow or unorganized. They are neither.
"When Daniels Park was on fire we did have to evacuate when we lived in Castle Pines North," said Michelle, referring to the Daniels Park fire that approached Castle Rock in 2003. "So I had a good idea of what I needed to take and how to get out of the house fairly quickly."
Her husband Sean wasn't home that day and her kids were much younger, but they got out. Thankfully, their home was still there when they returned.
This time we gave them a drill and a limit. They had to be out in 15 minutes.
The Meades and their three children got out in plenty of time -- that's the good news.
The kids even showed some great improvised ideas. The two youngest, ages 7 and 10, grabbed the family's pet gerbils, headed to the car and stayed there.
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That made it easier for mom and dad to know where they were.
"You have to really know your family members and you have to really know what they're capable of," noted Allstate spokeswoman Stephanie Howell.
Mom Michelle and dad Sean are well organized. They have their computer backed up on a hard drive and off-site. They know where important items are. They grabbed documents and clothes for a few days, even toothbrushes. They also got their safe and heirloom jewelry.
"It's important to make sure that you get all the documentation that you need to travel. Documentation that you needed when you got married. These things are important documentation, you should take them out of your home," said Allstate agent Tammy Lopez.
Lopez also noted there are some things you simply cannot take, like the antique piano that sits in the family's front room.
"These type of things have a high value to them, so we'd want to get some type of appraisal and then schedule it separately on their policy."
That you will have to do ahead of time.
One thing was missing when they loaded up, though -- nearly all of their most important family photos.
"We did not get all the pictures today, but we had nine minutes left," said Michelle.
That's because the family got out in a little over six minutes -- a great time.
But they learned a few things:
Have a plan, know where things are and move quickly.
In the end team Meade received an A grade for their effort.
Wildfire Resources
- Visit CBSDenver.com's Wildfire Ready section.
- Read recent Wildfire stories.
Wildfire Photo Galleries
- See images from the most destructive wildfire (Fourmile Fire) and largest wildfire (Hayman Fire) in Colorado history.
