Get the alert. Know your zone.
Wildfire season is here, but did you know emergency alerts likely won’t reach you unless you sign up? Do you know your evacuation zone map number? Sign up and find your zone map below.
Thousands still haven’t signed up for emergency alerts — is your county ready?
This visual shows what percentage of residents in each North State county are signed up for emergency alerts. Some counties are better prepared than others, and the gaps may surprise you.
10 ways to get prepared before a wildfire
- Know your evacuation zone (see chart above)
- Sign up for emergency alerts — county systems aren’t automatic (see chart above)
- Follow your local public safety agencies on social media
- Stay alert to weather conditions — especially red flag warnings and fire weather watches (read about the difference between the two)
- Understand evacuation terms:
- Evacuation warning = Get ready to leave
- Evacuation order = Leave now – danger is imminent
- Pack a go bag — meds, chargers, documents, clothes, N95 mask and pet supplies
- Plan ahead — where you’ll go, how you’ll communicate, how to evacuate animals (more on how to make a plan for large animals and livestock)
- Create defensible space — clear flammable material at least 5 feet from your home (see 5 tips from the Butte Fire Safe Council)
- Try to keep at least half a tank of gas in your car at all times.
Stay alert, not scared — Preparedness is peace of mind. Start now, before fire season ramps up.
Where to get information
- Radio — NSPR at 91.7 FM, your local translator, or mynspr.org
- County alerts — Sign up online (see chart above) — each county has its own system
- Cal Fire incidents page — for wildfires 10+ acres statewide
- InciWeb — federal wildfire and major incident tracking website
- Watch Duty — a non-profit wildfire alert app for real-time push notifications
- The Lookout — independent wildfire maps and analysis from fire behavior specialist Zeke Lunder
- weather.gov or the NWS Fire Weather page — for official weather alerts
- Social media — Follow NSPR + your county emergency services on Facebook and X (e.g., @ButteSheriff, @CALFIRE_ButteCo, @NSPRnews)
