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National Fire Plan Success Story

High Knob Emergency Evacuation Plan
Front Royal, Virginia
Virginia Department of Forestry
2008

Evacuation plan meeting.
Evacuation plan meeting.

The Virginia Department of Forestry, Warren County Sheriff’s Department, Warren County Fire and Rescue Department and the residents of High Knob have collaborated on a successful wildfire evacuation plan. High Knob has created an evacuation plan for their community. This plan contains evacuation routes, location of hydrants, how each resident needs to prepare, and evacuation locations outside of the community.

During the planning process it was identified the southeast section of High Knob would not have an assessable route off the mountain if their road was impassable. After review of tax maps, it was discovered there was an abandoned road leading into another community (Mosby Mountain Estates). Mosby Mountain Estates is also a Firewise USA community and understood the importance of having a second way out of their community. Mosby Mountain Estates and High Knob residents decided to use the abandoned road as an emergency access road. This would give Mosby Mountain Estate a second way out of their community; as well as High Knob having a way out for their residents that live in the southeast section. A joint emergency access grant application for this project has been written for 2008.

High Knob plans to distribute to each homeowner a copy of the evacuation plan within their community.

Project Title: High Knob Evacuation Plan "2007-2008"
Congressional District: 10
Total Cost for Project: $9,800
Source of Funds: National Fire Plan
Grant Program: Title IV Hazard Mitigation
Partners: Warren County Sheriff Department, Warren County Fire and Rescue Department, Residents of High Knob and Residents of Mosby Mountain Estates

Contact: Fred X. Turck, Assistant Director for Resource Protection, Virginia Department of Forestry, Wildfire Prevention and Education, Fred.Turck@dof.virginia.gov.