By Pat Kondas, American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming Public Affairs
Wildfires are different from other natural disasters. When a tornado or hurricane strikes, the work of the American Red Cross begins with the aftermath. Wildfires, however, are ongoing. Red Cross responders arrive in the midst of an unpredictable and shifting situation and have to try to decide what kind of response is needed.
Often, shelters during wildfires are opened and closed with very little notice, as residents may be evacuated and then allowed to return to their homes, then evacuated again as the winds shift. Such was the case with the recent Pleasant Valley Fire near Guernsey, Wyo.
The fire started on July 30. That evening, as the fire shifted toward the town of Hartville, evacuation orders were issued. The nearby Army National Guard Joint Training Center at Camp Guernsey opened their barracks to evacuees and requested assistance from the Red Cross.
Cheyenne Disaster Program Manager Silvia Aguirre-Peppers was quick to respond. Picking up supplies and volunteers on the way, she arrived to assist distraught residents, including a client who had been out of town and arrived to find she was not allowed to get back to her home.
By the next day, firefighters gained some containment of the fire, and the evacuation orders were lifted. The shelter was closed — only to re-open the day after as the fire shifted to threaten the surrounding areas of Hartville, Sunrise, Ft. Laramie and Whalen Canyon. Residents anxiously followed the work of the firefighters and at a community meeting on August 3 attended by Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, they were told that enough progress had been made on containment that they could return to their homes. The shelter at Camp Guernsey was closed finally.
Aguirre-Peppers said, “Incidents like this really show the need for communities to have preparedness plans.” She said, “While the Red Cross can provide supplies and volunteers, there could be times – like in winter – when volunteers can’t get there quickly. Communities need to have their own plans in place; the Red Cross can provide caches of supplies and shelter training so communities can be prepared if they need to stand up a shelter on their own.” She commended the community and surrounding communities for stepping up to support one another with food and other needed items. She said everyone really worked together – the community, the Guard and the firefighters; and she thanked Platte County Emergency Manager Tony Krotz for getting the word out quickly to the Red Cross and keeping the shelter workers informed.
Silvia thanked the Wyoming Red Cross volunteers who were able to respond quickly and were flexible enough to open and close the shelter multiple times: Jane Iddings, Cindy Garcia-Bartnett, Gilbert Nelson, Monica Cook, Pat Kondas and Wyoming Red Cross Board Member Bob Sherard.
Wyoming Red Cross encourages everyone to be wildfire ready. Make a plan and be prepared by www.redcross.org/wildfire
