Fire chief explains wildfire evacuation terminology

ARCATA, Calif. (KIEM) – As fire season rages on, some blazes have grown closer to home. It is important to be prepared in the event of an emergency.

In March, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Law Branch worked with representatives across the state to provide a recommendation for statewide standardized evacuation terminology.

Chief Justin McDonald of the Arcata Fire District provided an explanation of what to do in different situations.

“There’s three listings out there that you will see: an Evacuation Order, an Evacuation Warning, and a Shelter in Place. If you see that your community has been listed with an Evacuation Order that’s a leave now message. There is impending fire approaching. The Warning is the time that you get to collect your belongings. Be ready to go in the set position. The Shelter in Place is just that. You stay in your house, you shut the door, shut the windows, and shelter in your residence,” McDonald said.