Colorado Fire Season: Are You Signed Up for the Correct Emergency Alert?
If you're going to remember one thing from this story, remember this, you have to sign up for emergency alerts in Larimer County and Weld County. Alerts do not automatically go to your cell phone. You must sign up for them.
In Weld County, you need to sign up for the CodeRed Alert system. In Larimer County, you must need up for NoCo Alert.
Wildfire season has begun early this year. We have already seen multiple days with Red Flag Warnings and several wildfires have broken out. The National Weather Service explains a "Red Flag Warning means warm temperatures, very low humidities, and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger."
Unfortunately, during the Marshall Fire in Boulder County, many residents did not get an alert to evacuate. Alerts went to landlines, not cell phones. Landlines? Didn't they go out with CDs and crank car windows? The Marshall Fire only took 12 hours to burn through over 1000 structures and become Colorado's most destructive wildfire.
Weld County says they will use the CodeRed Alert system for emergency alerts, as well as weather warning notifications.
NoCo Alert is used for many different alerts such as missing children, police activity, and wildfire evacuations.
Please sign up for these alerts. Those moments happen quickly and it would be a shame not to buy yourself some time.