Loveland Pinewood Lake evacuation alert

Loveland’s Pinewood Lake neighborhood spent the weekend treating a phone alert like the real thing. Residents in the wildfire-prone area west of Loveland told the Reporter-Herald they loaded vehicles, checked routes and contacted neighbors after a mandatory evacuation alert was issued on Saturday, May 30, as part of a preparedness effort ahead of fire season. The Reporter-Herald said the alert prompted residents to move through the steps they would take in an actual wildfire evacuation, including deciding what to pack and how to leave quickly. The Pinewood Lake Wildfire Action Group separately posted that May 30 was the date of a “Neighborhood Evacuation Readiness Drill” for the community. The episode landed weeks after other wildfire evacuations in the Loveland area, including the Sedona Hills Fire near Carter Lake in mid-May. (reporterherald.com) Local emergency and fire agencies have been expanding public-facing wildfire planning tools and neighborhood outreach as summer approaches. ### Why did Pinewood Lake residents get a mandatory evacuation alert? Saturday, May 30, was the date the Pinewood Lake Wildfire Action Group set for a neighborhood evacuation readiness drill, according to the group’s website. (reporterherald.com) The group said the goal was to have residents “practice grabbing your GoBag” and evacuating safely to the Loveland Fire Training Center for a debrief and community information session. The Reporter-Herald reported that residents responded to the alert as if a fire were approaching, using the exercise to test how fast they could leave and what they still needed to prepare. (9news.com) The paper said some residents described packing cars, reviewing routes and coordinating with neighbors over the weekend. ### What were residents practicing for? Pinewood Lake sits in the wildland-urban interface west of Loveland, where evacuation timing and route access can become critical during a fast-moving fire. (pinewoodlakewag.wixsite.com) The Pinewood Lake Wildfire Action Group has also posted information about an alternate evacuation route to the south if County Road 18E is blocked. NOCO Alert, the regional emergency notification system for Larimer and Jackson counties, says mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders are used during emergency events and tells residents to gather essential items, keep emergency supply kits in vehicles and follow designated routes. (reporterherald.com) The site also lists Loveland-area shelter and community hub locations that can be activated during an incident. ### What wildfire-preparedness work is happening around Loveland? (pinewoodlakewag.wixsite.com) Loveland Fire Rescue Authority says it is partnering with The Ember Alliance to build a Community Wildfire Protection Plan, or CWPP, that identifies wildfire risks facing neighborhoods and recommends steps to reduce them. The agency says the effort includes a Wildfire Ambassador Program that connects residents with local volunteers and mitigation resources. The agency says ambassadors work directly with residents to explain property risk, connect them with mitigation help and support neighborhood projects and events. (nocoalert.org) Its preparedness page directs residents to wildfire-risk guides, plan documents and local event information. ### Why does this stand out now? May 11 brought a separate wildfire response west of Loveland when the Sedona Hills Fire burned 12 acres near Carter Lake and triggered mandatory evacuations, according to 9News. (lfra.org) That fire was later fully contained, but it put evacuation procedures back in front of nearby mountain and foothills residents before the start of peak summer fire season. Larimer County’s AEGIS platform says it provides real-time information on evacuations, fire danger and mitigation, while NOCO Alert remains the system used for emergency notifications in the area. Those tools, combined with neighborhood drills such as Pinewood Lake’s, are part of the local preparation now underway. ### Where would residents look next if conditions change? Loveland-area residents can monitor live evacuation status through Larimer County’s AEGIS evacuation map and sign up for notifications through NOCO Alert. (9news.com) Loveland Fire Rescue Authority says neighborhood-specific wildfire events and preparedness resources are available through its Community Wildfire Preparedness program and ambassador network. (experience.arcgis.com) (aegis.larimer.gov)