Evacuation

The order to evacuate comes from the San Diego County Sheriff, communicated to residents and the general public in multiple ways:

• San Diego County Sherrif: The primary means of notifying those affected is by the "Hi-Lo" method. All San Diego County Sheriff patrol cars are equipped with a "Hi-Lo" warning system. Hi-Lo provides a unique sound different from the sirens you hear when police respond to emergency calls. Please watch the Sheriff's video so you can become familiar with the sound if an evacuation order is issued.
• Alert San Diego: If you registered for alerts on their website, you will receive alert messages on your mobile phone, or via their mobile app if you have it on your phone.

When the order to evacuate is given:

1. Leave Immediately

• Do not delay. Evacuation orders mean your life is at risk.
• Fires move quickly - do not wait to be trapped.

2. Grab Your Go-Bag

3. Wear Protective Clothing: Long pants, long sleeves, sturdy shoes, N95 mask if available.

4. Secure Your Home (if there's time)

• Shut all windows and doors
• Leave lights on for firefighter visibility in smoke
• Move flammable furniture and curtains/blinds away from windows
• Close fireplace dampers and vents

5. Stay Informed: Phone apps, law enforcement and fire agency social media, as well as news outlets, are important sources for keeping abreast of current conditions:

• Navigation/traffic information: Waze or Google Maps
• Radar & wind visualization: Windy.com
• Fire alerts: Watch Duty
• Air quality & smoke: AirVisual/IQAir
• Radio: AM Newsradio 600 (KOGO) - San Diego's breaking news station

6. Keep Emergency Contacts Informed

Note: You do not, however, have to wait for the evacuation order. If there is a fire in the area, you may want to leave in advance of an actual order. Doing so gets you out of potential harms way more quickly and would help reduce evacuation congestion for others if and when an order is actually given.