The sky was black. Ash was falling, the power was out, and the August heat was relentless. We  moved our animals into our car while my eyes burned from the smoke, and I could barely see as my mask fogged my glasses. At the same time, I was calling and texting loved ones, listening for emergency alerts, and constantly checking official websites for updates on the fire.

Through it all, one thought overwhelmed me: How were we going to get out?

Traffic was already moving slowly, and our entire community was trapped bumper to bumper with only one way out. Fire stood between us and our only exit route. I worried about our homes, our neighbors, livestock, wildlife, and the few resources our community has. I watched first responders desperately fight to protect us while facing the harsh winds of late August. We knew when the fire jumped the freeway, all of Lemon Valley could burn.

As I worried about my own home, I thought about the devastation in the Palisades and Paradise fires and wondered whether the North Valleys was about to suffer the same fate.

We watched the fire crest Peavine Mountain and burn its way down the hillside all day from our home. Then, while we sat helplessly in our cars, we watched the flames burn as first responders fought the fire. Smoke filled the sky, the flames moved closer, and traffic barely moved. Families were trying to escape, but our community had only one exit. I kept assuring our children that our home was not going to burn down every time they asked until my husband softly told me we can’t promise them that.

For four years, I have warned that there is no alternative evacuation route out of the North Valleys. On August 22, my family and our entire community experienced exactly what that means.

Today, I am calling for a North Valleys Fire Safety Plan. We cannot prevent every wildfire, but we can prepare for the next one. The goal is to make sure that when a fire comes, every family in the North Valleys and unincorporated Washoe County can get out alive.

The plan has three phases.

First, I am calling for a joint meeting of the Reno City Council and the Washoe County Commission, held in the North Valleys, so the people who lived through August 22 can stand before the people who represent them and share what happened: their fears, their stories, and their ideas for how we can fix this before it happens again.

Second, we will evaluate the community’s feedback and use it to develop practical solutions, including a strong fire barrier around neighborhoods. 

Third, I am calling for immediate action to expedite the construction of an additional emergency access road, a reliable second way out so North Valleys families are never again trapped in standstill traffic as a wildfire threatens their only evacuation route.

If you sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic that day, uncertain whether your family would make it to safety; if you lost your home; or if you believe our community deserved better preparation, I ask you to stand with me and sign the petition for the North Valleys Fire Safety Plan. 

Paid for by Friends of Meghan Ebert