The 2024 Roxborough Park Wildfire Evacuation Drill : Lessons Learned after Planning, Running, and Studying a Community Evacuation Exercise

Abstract

In June 2024, the community of Roxborough Park, Colorado conducted a wildfire evacuation exercise (or drill for short) that was observed by a team of researchers. This collaborative effort involved residents, community organizers, first responders, emergency managers, and researchers. The drill aimed to test and refine evacuation protocols, communication strategies, and coordination among various stakeholders and gave the opportunity to researchers to collect information related to human response in a wildfire evacuation. The present contribution describes the community as well as the roles and activities of the parties involved, the drill itself, followed by lessons learned. Drill participants practiced real-time decision-making, route navigation, and emergency response actions in response to a hypothetical wildfire threat. The exercise highlighted strengths in community readiness and identified areas for improvement, such as traffic management and information dissemination. Feedback from participants and observers was collected to inform future planning and training. The drill underscored the importance of community engagement and interagency cooperation in mitigating wildfire risks and ensuring the safety of residents. This proactive approach could serve as a model for other Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) communities striving to enhance their wildfire resilience.