What should I do if a house or barn fire occurs:

• Use a fire extinguisher, blankets, or water to extinguish a small fire

• If the fire is too large for you to put out, close the doors to isolate the fire and exit the house as quickly as possible (Take People/Pets/Keys/Purse/Wallet)

• Go outside and call 911 with a cordless phone or run to your neighbors

• DIAL 911

  Because the 911 operator may try to transfer you to Riverside County Dispatch, describe your emergency and say:
  
  

  “My lot number is ____ in Rancho Carrillo. Please send Orange County Fire Authority to respond from Station 7 or 58. They know where we are! Our Gate is on Mile Marker 8 on Ortega Hwy 74.”

  After calling 911, if possible, please notify Rancho Carrillo Fire Department Personnel for assistance: 

• Keith Warren      -0159
  

• Brent Chase       -0128

• Nancy Streza      -0711
• Morgan Russell  -0644
  

• Robert Davis       -1504

• Karen Ritter        -1499

• Patty Stephens    -9940
• Jim Trindle          -0234
• Cathy Cope          -0244
  
• 
  

• If you cannot reach anyone, pull the fire alarm at the fire station

I see flames directly along our access road or in Rancho Carrillo proper, who do I call?

I smell smoke.  What should I do?

• Look out  your window or drive around the valley

• Monitor emergency websites:

     CHP  - http://cad.chp.ca.gov/   (Change to Orange County in upper left corner box)

  
     Orange County Fire Incidents -  http://www.ocfa.org/ocfamain.asp?pgn1=3

          (You can sign up to receive OC major incidents by email at this website too

  
      Riverside Co Fire Incidents:

            http://tcfireweb.co.riverside.ca.us/firepio/process?action=viewIncidents

  
       Sign up to receive incident report emails from Riverside County Fire dept

             http://www.rivco-ealert.com/user/subscribe.aspx?id=1037

• Call a Rancho Carrillo Volunteer Fire Dept. member. (If you don't have a current directory, call Nancy at -0711 for one.)

How will I know if a forest fire is headed our way?

• You will receive a phone call. We have a OneCallNow system in place with our residents' home and cell numbers.
     (Update your numbers with Nancy at -0711)

• Watch or listen to the local news.

• Stay calm

• Keep the roads and driveways clear for fire equipment.

• Gather your valuables and important documents (medicines, purse/wallet,  insurance papers, deeds, auto registrations, passports, birth certificates, stock certificates; extra clothes)

• Load your escape vehicle and park it facing the exit.  Leave keys in the ignition.

The fire is getting closer – what can I do to help?

• Close all windows and doors as well as inside doors.    Unlock doors.

• Open the gate to your driveway   – disengage the motor

• Turn on exterior lights

• Close blinds and remove lightweight curtains.

• Turn off propane at the tank.

• Turn off lawn or tree watering sprinkling systems

• Put all flammable lawn furniture in the house or garage.

• Trim branches that are touching your house

• Close garage doors and disable openers

• Leave electricity on for lights and pumps.

• Connect garden hoses so the firefighters can use them.

• Place ladder against front of house.

• If you leave a vehicle outside, park it away from the house, facing an exit  in an open area, leaving plenty of room for many emergency vehicles to enter your driveway; leave keys in ignition.  Close all windows.  If you leave a vehicle in the garage, leave keys in ignition.

• Keep the access road to Ortega Highway clear so fire equipment can get up here.

• Turn horses and farm animals out of the barn and/or take them to the fire station arena.  Close barn doors.  Do not let them run loose in the valley or the wilderness.

• Use a digital camera or video recorder to take pictures of your house, furniture and anything that you would want replaced by the insurance company!   Take your camera with you!

DON’T DO THESE THINGS:

• Don’t hose down your house with water unless there are flames touching it.   It will quickly evaporate and use up precious water.

• Don’t drive your horse trailer down the hill.  It will block the road and prevent fire trucks from coming up.

• Don’t Panic

• Don’t let your horses run loose in the valley.  They are safer in a pasture or at the rec center’s arena.

• Don’t leave your animals in the house or barn.  Either take them with you in your car, lock them in an outside pen or let them run loose.

Where do I go?  What do I do?

• BE SAFE!   Don’t put yourself or your family or your neighbors at risk.

• You may choose to go to the Fire Station lot. Use “Hooligan parking areas.”  Stay calm.  Offer to help or stay out of the way.

• If you choose to leave Rancho Carrillo, notify the Fire Station (728-0600) where you are going  and how you can be reached.

• In case of a quick evacuation – or if you are unable to get home to Rancho Carrillo, meet your neighbors in the parking lot in front of Ballpark Pizza in San Juan Capistrano (or a designated Red Cross Shelter).  Call the RC Fire Department office for updates  728-0600.

• You should have an out-of-state emergency contact. Instruct your family members to call that number if the local phone lines are jammed during an emergency. The out-of-state person can help your entire family to keep in touch with one another.

• Rancho Carrillo has survived emergencies in the past. Make friends with your neighbors during good times, so that in case of emergencies, you will know who to call!