Wildfire Preparedness Guide for Summit County Families & Pet Owners

When the Fire Alarm Goes Off, You Won't Have Time to Think — So Think Now

(Wildfire Preparedness for Summit County Families, Renters, and Pet Owners)

Most of what gets written about wildfire preparedness focuses on your property. And that matters — a lot. But this post is about the other half of the equation: you, your family, your pets, and your ability to leave quickly and safely when it counts.

In Summit County, evacuation orders can move fast. Summit County's Director of Emergency Management, Brian Bovaird, has been direct about the challenge: "We don't have the luxury of having multiple evacuation routes or lots of different ways to get out of the county." That means the window between "watch" and "go" can close quicker than most people expect. The time to make decisions about what to grab and where to go is right now, on a calm Tuesday in June — not at 11pm when the sky is orange. Denver7

Here's how to get ready.

Start With Your Evacuation Route — Before You Need It

If you own or rent in Summit County, you need to know your primary route out and at least one backup. The county is actively working on this: the Summit County Comprehensive Emergency Evacuation Assessment is a collaborative effort involving more than 20 partners — including Summit Fire & EMS, Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District, the Colorado State Patrol, CDOT, and all local ski areas and municipalities — focused on improving how residents and visitors can safely leave the county during a wildfire. Summit County

That work matters, but it doesn't replace your own plan. Look at your specific neighborhood and ask: If I had to leave at midnight with smoke in the air and every neighbor doing the same, which way would I go? What if that road was blocked?

If you're in a condo building, find out if your HOA has an evacuation plan posted. If they don't, that's a great question to raise at the next meeting.

And here's the most important thing local fire officials want you to internalize: Summit Fire & EMS public information officer Steve Lipsher put it plainly at a 2026 wildfire preparedness event: "Ideally you're going to be able to avoid ever having the horror of trying to drive through smoke or flames. You do not want that to happen. Leave early. Get out. Then, hang out until you know the threat is over." SummitDaily

Summit Fire & EMS echoes this on their website: if there is a wildfire within two miles of your location, do not underestimate the threat or the speed at which a wildfire can move. Do not wait to be told by authorities to evacuate — they may not have a chance to contact you. Summitfire

Build Your Go-Bag Now

Summit Fire & EMS recommends preparing an evacuation kit for your vehicle that would allow you to be away for at least three days. It doesn't need to be elaborate. A backpack or duffel with the right things inside, stored near your front door or in your car, is all you need. Summitfire

Here's what to pack:

Documents and ID

• Copies of your driver's license, passport, and Social Security card
• Insurance cards and policy numbers (home, vehicle, health)
• Property deed or lease agreement
• Summit Fire & EMS specifically recommends making backup copies of irreplaceable family photos and vital documents, and consulting with your insurance agent about adequate coverage ahead of wildfire season Summitfire
• Emergency contacts written on paper — don't rely on your phone

Cash and Cards

• Cash in small bills — card readers and ATMs can go down in emergencies
• One credit card you can use independently of your phone

Communication

• A portable phone charger (fully charged)
• A battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA weather radio
• Extra charging cables
• A list of important phone numbers — family contacts, insurance agents — in case your cell phone is not available Summitfire

Medications and Health

• A 7-day supply of any prescription medications (rotate these so they stay current)
• Copies of prescriptions
• Basic first aid kit: bandages, antiseptic, pain reliever, antihistamine
• Contact lenses or an extra pair of glasses

Clothing and Shelter

• One full change of clothes per person (layer for mountain conditions — nights get cold fast at elevation)
• Sturdy, closed-toe shoes for each person
• Emergency Mylar blankets

Food and Water

• One gallon of water per person per day, for at least three days
• Non-perishable snacks: protein bars, nuts, dried fruit
• Manual can opener if you're packing canned food

Practical Items

• A flashlight with extra batteries
• Multi-tool or pocket knife
• N95 respirator masks — more on these below
• Hand sanitizer and basic hygiene items
• A small notepad and pen

Make sure every adult in your household knows where the bag is and can grab it in under two minutes.

Have a Family Communication Plan

If a wildfire breaks out on a Tuesday afternoon, your family probably isn't all in the same place. Talk through the following in advance — and write the answers down.

• Where will you meet if you can't reach each other by phone?
• Who will pick up kids from school or childcare?
• Designate a family communication strategy that names someone outside the immediate area to be the main contact point for all family members if you get separated or have trouble with local phone networks Southmetrocrr
• What's your meeting spot if your neighborhood is under evacuation order and you can't get back home?

Text messages may get through when phone calls won't — a text requires far less bandwidth than a voice call, and messages may save and send automatically when capacity becomes available. Make sure every family member knows to text first. Southmetrocrr

Local emergency managers have noted that part of this is a "we" responsibility — first responders cannot take every person by the hand and guide them out. "There's not enough of us, and there's too many people," Pitkin County Emergency Manager Chris Breitbach said at a 2026 preparedness summit. The more your family has rehearsed this, the less you'll have to think in the moment. SummitDaily

Don't Forget Your Animals

This is the one most people underestimate. Planning your pet evacuation in real time, during an active emergency, leads to bad decisions and worse outcomes. Do it now.

For dogs and cats:

Summit County's own emergency preparedness guidance lists pet carriers and pet supplies as essential items in your go-bag. Summit County

• Have a carrier or crate accessible and easy to grab
• Keep a leash and collar with ID tags on your animal at all times during fire season
• Pack a pet go-bag: 3 days of food and water, a collapsible bowl, waste bags, any medications, and a copy of vaccination records
• Have a recent photo of your pet on your phone in case you get separated
• Know in advance which hotels, friends, or family outside the county will accept animals — most emergency shelters do not

Make Sure You're Actually Getting Alerts

This is the fastest action you can take today: sign up for SC Alert at scalert.org. Summit County moved to a new vendor in 2025, so even if you were previously registered, you need to re-register. Summit Fire & EMS supports the SC Alert system, which provides free emergency text and email messages — one of the primary ways you'll be informed if a wildfire occurs in your area. Summitfire

Bookmark your fire district's site and check it throughout the season:

• Breckenridge and Blue River: rwbfire.org
• Keystone, Frisco, Silverthorne, Dillon, Copper Mountain: summitfire.org

Active fire restrictions are posted at the top of the Summit Fire & EMS website as conditions change — and conditions are already changing. Summit County implemented Stage 1 fire restrictions as of June 19, 2026, in response to rising fire danger. Colorado

A Quick Note on Air Quality

Even if you're nowhere near an active fire, wildfire smoke is a real health issue in Summit County during fire season. Summit County Public Health works with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to monitor air quality and notify the public about unhealthy conditions. The fine particles in smoke — PM2.5 — are the biggest concern, because they can get deep into your lungs and even enter your bloodstream. Summit County

In Summit County, visibility is a practical guide: when visibility drops below 5 miles, air quality has reached unhealthy levels — first for sensitive groups, then for everyone when visibility falls below 3 miles. Summit County

If smoke is heavy:

• Stay indoors with windows and doors closed
• Run your HVAC on recirculate, not fresh air intake
• Use a HEPA air purifier if you have one
• The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) recommends limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present — especially for people with medical conditions, children, older adults, and pregnant individuals Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
• A properly sized N95 or P100 mask will help reduce exposure to smoke particles, but does not eliminate health risk entirely Summit County
• Cloth and surgical masks offer no meaningful protection against wildfire smoke

Monitor air quality in real time at AirNow.gov or sign up for air quality advisories directly from CDPHE at cdphe.colorado.gov.

And don't forget your animals: CDPHE publishes separate guidance specifically on protecting pets and large animals from wildfire smoke — worth bookmarking at cdphe.colorado.gov. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Your Preparedness Checklist

☑ Re-register for SC Alert at scalert.org
☑ Bookmark your fire district's site (rwbfire.org or summitfire.org)
☑ Check current fire restrictions before any outdoor burning
☑ Identify your primary and backup evacuation routes
☑ Build your go-bag and keep it in your car or near your door
☑ Write out your family communication plan — including an out-of-area contact
☑ Pet go-bag packed; carrier accessible
☑ Large animal evacuation plan in place and practiced
☑ Equine/livestock destination pre-arranged outside Summit County
☑ Important documents backed up digitally or stored off-site
☑ N95 masks on hand for each person
☑ AirNow.gov and CDPHE air quality alerts bookmarked

Your home is worth protecting. So are the people and animals in it. If you have questions about any of this — or need help connecting with the right local resource for your specific neighborhood — don't hesitate to reach out. This is exactly what I'm here for.

Stay safe out there.

Betsy Repaske | Real Broker

Sources:

• Summit Fire & EMS — Wildfire Information: summitfire.org/wildfire-information
• Summit Fire & EMS — Wildfire Planning Tips: summitfire.org/wildfire-planning-tips
• Summit Fire & EMS — Courtesy Home Wildfire Assessment: summitfire.org/courtesy-home-wildfire-assessment
• Summit County Emergency Evacuation Assessment: summitcountyco.gov/EEA
• Summit County Public Health — Smoke and Air Quality: summitcountyco.gov/Smoke
• Summit County Wildfire Conditions & SC Alert: summitcountyco.gov/fire-restrictions
• Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment — Wildfire Smoke and Health: cdphe.colorado.gov/wildfire-smoke-and-health
• Colorado State University Extension — Wildfire Preparedness for Horse Owners (via Colorado Virtual Library): coloradovirtuallibrary.org
• Summit Daily News — 2026 Wildfire Preparedness Coverage: summitdaily.com
• Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District: rwbfire.org