Emergency crews prepare Colorado Springs residents for wildfire season

Wildfire season is here and emergency crews in El Paso County want to make sure you are ready in case a wildfire hits your area.

Amy Roemer is one of the evacuees in the annual wildfire evacuation drill held in Colorado Springs.

She has lived in Colorado Springs for nine years and will never forget two of Colorado’s most destructive wildfires, especially Waldo Canyon because it was close to her home.

“There was one day where we had big chunks of ash show up on our deck. We were packed and ready to go,” she said.

That’s why her family, and others, are part of the evacuation drill. They want to know what resources are available if a wildfire happens.

“The whole point of today is to take time now to be ready for an evacuation because when it comes in the real world, it is only a short amount of time. You don’t want to think, ‘What do I bring with me’?” Bart Howard, deputy director of the Colorado Springs’ Office of Emergency Management, said.

If you missed out on the exercise, emergency crews in El Paso County posted advice on how to prepare for a wildfire.