By, Betsy Morse

First came the monthly outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in late June:  wildfire danger would be above normal for all of Utah and Nevada.  Then came the Poeville, Mahogany, Traverse, Knolls, Big Hollow, Pole Canyon, Cottonwood Trail, Numbers, Rock Farm and other—wildfires requiring evacuations in the Utah/Nevada Region.  Strong, gusty winds were the common thread, but the fires had diverse origins and were mostly human-caused.

The first American Red Cross wildfire evacuation center of the season opened in Reno on Saturday, June 27, for the Poeville fire.  This center and those which followed used the new protocols put in place to keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sheltering standards have changed radically due to the pandemic. The method long favored for sheltering – gathering people in large rooms in schools and public buildings, also known as congregate sheltering – now is the fallback method. Instead, the Northern Nevada Chapter used the recommended approach:  parking lot gatherings.

The site selected had easy access, a large parking lot, some grassy areas and trees.  It also had portable restrooms and a washing station outside the facility.  The latter meant there would be no reason to have evacuees enter the building, which in turn would enhance safety for everyone.

Registration initially was done while the evacuees were in their cars.  Later, as the number of people seeking
shelter soared, footprints were put on the sidewalk to mark off six-foot distances and people waited in line outside the center to register.  Self-serve water and snacks were eliminated to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.  Instead, items were distributed upon request.  Masks were offered to everyone who came who didn’t have them. 

But evacuating to a parking lot is not the same as evacuating to a gym or a community room.  As volunteer Holly McIntyre, who headed the operation, explained, “It was not a great situation for our elderly and disabled clients. It was very hot and we needed to get them to a cooler area.  Many also needed electricity for their medical equipment.”  This meant that some clients were sent to motels early in the operation while others remained at the center until evening, when officials said evacuees would not be able to return home that night. Over 100 people were sheltered in motels by the Red Cross, with most returning home after lunch on Sunday.

McIntyre added, “Our Red Cross volunteers are very flexible and will adapt to any situation. They met the challenge head on. The Poeville Fire response was entirely run by volunteers at the local level. They all did an amazing job and I have never been more proud to be part the American Red Cross Family. A few of our volunteers were brand new to Red Cross they really stepped up.  I feel it made a big difference to have some hands-on experience.”

The Poeville fire was the start of an extremely busy weekend for the Utah/Nevada Region. Shortly
after midnight on Sunday, June 28, evacuations began for the Traverse Mountain Fire (Lehi, Utah).  The Red Cross Strike Team of Beth Chynoweth, Tina Spencer, Dennis Rosenthal and Albert Vos responded.  Later in the morning, that shelter closed, but in the afternoon, the team was deployed a few miles down the road to Saratoga Springs to help with an evacuation center for the Knolls Fire.  Usually Red Cross evacuation centers in Utah and Nevada only draw a handful of people who stay a few hours and then are able to return home. The Knolls Fire was different. Of the 13,000 who were asked to evacuate, more than 500 people came to the center, with nearly 200 seeking overnight lodging from the Red Cross.

Volunteer Shauna Ringel, who managed the center, shared, “This was my first experience with running an evac center or shelter in the COVID-19 era. It was vastly different and I had to stop and think of all the new requirements that we have now.”  Although people were sheltered in the high school parking lot, they were permitted to enter the school to use the bathrooms.  But no one could enter the building unless their temperature was taken and recorded and they had to wear masks in the building.  Shauna said, “…Luckily, the High School had a thermometer reader I could use and had volunteers, in masks, who took everyone's temps and handed out masks until the County Health Department personnel arrived.”

“I learned tons because this was my first active response to a disaster since the beginning of COVID-19….I never felt worried about the virus because we took every precaution we could from the beginning to the end of our evacuation center being opened. The public was very grateful….”

Southern Nevada also joined the fun. At 2:30 PM on June 28, the Mahogany Fire began. Within five hours, it had consumed 5,000 acres on Mt. Charleston near Las Vegas and evacuations began. An evacuation center was established at an elementary school. Clark County School District police opened the center and then turned it over to the Red Cross.

Evacuation center manager (and disaster program manager) Andrew Herman-Morillo reported that “Disaster Health Services was on scene to take temperatures and we had social distancing measures in place with all required PPE. …[Our operation] went very well.  We assembled quickly and had all precautions and safety measures in place for client support.  Our team was amazing and even though we didn’t support any clients, we were quick and helpful within our community’s eyes.”  He had the following words of advice, “Be patient. Patience is key to any evac center, but especially in the COVID-19 environment.”

Since that wild weekend, more wildfires have resulted in opening additional Red Cross evacuation centers. With each one, the region has become more skilled at operating in the COVID-19 environment.  At the same time, emphasis has been placed on getting more people trained in the behind-the-scenes work necessary to support evacuation centers and shelters. Volunteers who never expected to work outside of their usual areas of expertise. The result is that as a region, we have greatly enhanced our ability to respond effectively to the new sheltering norms.

Most wildfires do not require evacuations or Red Cross support. Through the third week of July, NIFC reported that more than 1,300 wildfires occurred in Nevada, Utah, and southern Nevada (their Great Basin Region) since the beginning of the calendar year. So, what comes next?  NIFC’s outlook for August is slightly better than July at this writing: only Northern Nevada and western Utah into the Wasatch Front have above normal potential for significant wildland fires to occur, while the rest of the region drops to normal potential.

Keep in mind, however, that August is the peak of wildfire season in our region, regardless of the outlook! But our teams are stronger and more prepared than ever to support residents across Utah and Nevada.