🔥May is Wildfire Awareness Month

To kick off Wildfire Awareness Month, we encourage all park residents and staff to review the National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook from Predictive Services. This four-month outlook provides valuable insight into regions across the country—particularly the Southwest—where the risk for elevated wildfire activity is forecast.

Weather patterns for May are uncertain, with equal chances of warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier conditions than normal. However, wildfire risk increases in June, with above-normal fire potential expected across most of Northern Arizona, so residents should stay prepared and fire-aware.

Every household should have a “Go Bag” ready in case evacuation becomes necessary. Your Go Bag should be sturdy, easy to carry, and contain essential items to support you and your family for up to 72 hours. Recommended items include:

• Bottled water (one gallon per person per day)
• Nonperishable food and manual can opener
• First aid kit and necessary medications
• Personal hygiene items (toothbrush, wipes, etc.)
• Flashlight, radio, and extra batteries
• Copies of important documents in a waterproof container
• Cash in small bills
• Spare keys, local maps, and a whistle
• Supplies for pets and service animals
• Cell phone chargers and backup batteries
• N95 masks for smoke protection

For a comprehensive checklist, visit Build a Kit (ready.gov).

Grand Canyon National Park and Coconino County use the READY, SET, GO! system to guide our community through escalating evacuation alerts:

• READY: Always be prepared. Assemble your Go Bag and keep essentials following the 5 Ps: People & Pets, Prescriptions, Papers, Personal Needs, and Priceless Items.

• SET: Be aware. When a SET notification is issued, conditions are changing, and you should consider voluntarily relocating to a shelter or to a family/friend’s house outside the affected area. Keep your vehicle’s fuel tank full and be ready to leave quickly if conditions worsen.

• GO!: This is an evacuation order. There is no time to waste; depart immediately using designated evacuation routes. Your safety depends on prompt action. Follow all directions from emergency notifications and personnel.

🗺️Know the Park’s Evacuation Plan

The Grand Canyon National Park Evacuation Plan is designed to ensure the safety of residents, staff, and visitor in the event of wildfire or other emergencies. The plan covers all park areas and includes:

• Clearly identified evacuation routes for South Rim, North Rim, and Desert View
• Procedures for rapid evacuation and transportation
• Designated evacuation centers and safety zones
• Coordination with local, county, and federal emergency services

Also be sure to review the Grand Canyon National Park Evacuation Checklist as well as the Evacuation Site Bulletin.

⚡NEW FOR 2025: APS Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Program

As part of ongoing wildfire risk reduction, Arizona Public Service (APS), servicing power to the South Rim, may implement Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) in high-fire-risk areas, including the Grand Canyon region. This program is designed to prevent electrical systems from igniting or fueling wildfires during periods of extreme fire weather characterized by high winds, heat, and dry conditions.

What to Expect:

• Shutoffs are a tool of last resort, used only when weather and environmental conditions create an extreme wildfire risk.
• If a PSPS is anticipated, APS will provide advance notice, typically starting several days before a possible shutoff using email, text, and phone calls.
• Outages could last up to 20 hours, depending on weather and the time needed for APS crews to inspect and safely restore power.

Potential Impacts:

• Loss of electricity can affect refrigeration for food and medications, heating/cooling, communications, and fuel distribution.
• Residents should ensure their Go Bag includes items such as battery-powered lights and backup chargers.

Stay Informed:

• Make sure your APS account contact information is current to receive PSPS notifications.
• Monitor local emergency notifications and APS updates for the latest information on power status and safety resources.

📞 Sign Up for Emergency Notifications

Timely information saves lives. All residents and staff should:

• Register with the Coconino County Emergency Notification System to receive critical alerts for wildfires, evacuations, and other life-safety events. Sign up or update your information at the county’s official site.

• Sign up for Grand Canyon National Park’s Everbridge Emergency Notification System for real-time texts, emails, or calls about incidents impacting public safety, travel, work conditions, and significant park-wide events. Everbridge is used for weather alerts, road closures, power outages, evacuations, and more. At any time, you can update your notification preferences by following the link above.

• Assemble your Go Bag and review your family’s emergency plan.
• Review the park’s evacuation plan and know your evacuation routes.
• Sign up for both the Coconino County and Everbridge Emergency Notification systems.

The key to an orderly and efficient evacuation is your individual preparedness. Thank you for helping keep our community safe this fire season!

Contact for further information:

Joelle Baird, Public Affairs Office

Grand Canyon National Park

grca_public_affairs@nps.gov

-NPS-