Knowing what to do if you were to leave your home during a fire is crucial as firefighters work to put out the destructive flames that swept through Los Angeles County last week, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee.
Following their respective ignitions last Tuesday, the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire, which are raging on different parts of Los Angeles County, both had some evacuation zones lifted on Sunday. With areas no longer under danger from fires, many are free to return home, but it raises the question of why some are permitted to do so while others must wait.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department provided detailed information on what must be done in order for personnel to decide that the evacuation is lifted and that repopulation may start in a general information release published back in 2020.
“The Los Angeles County Fire Department recognizes that evacuation orders can cause undue strain on those eager to return home,” read the press release. “Please understand that incident commanders are continuously evaluating both fire and infrastructure conditions so that repopulation can occur as quickly as possible, but not at the expense of your safety.”
According to firefighters, several criteria are taken into account before orders are released, such as:
“When evacuations are lifted and repopulation begins to occur, it may sometimes include the entire evacuation area but, more likely, will affect only one portion of the evacuation area at a time,” authorities from the agency stated.
They claim that segmenting repopulation not only makes it easier to bring people home as soon as possible, preventing traffic jams in the area, but it also lessens the strain on local law police, who may need to verify identification before allowing residents to return home.
In order to avoid becoming distracted by the possible damage caused by the disaster, residents are encouraged to drive with vigilance.
“Because there are many hazards that can exist when returning to your home after a wildfire, we urge you to take safety precautions, such as personal protective equipment,” the release read.
They also caution that street closures and sporadic power outages can still be present throughout the region.