Community Evacuation Exercise — September 11, 2026 | Woodside Fire Protection District
Woodside Fire Protection District · Bureau of Fire Prevention & Life Safety
Community Evacuation Exercise
A full-scale, multi-agency evacuation exercise for the Portola Valley community
Friday, September 11, 2026
Time TBD — check back for updates
Portola Valley, CA
September is National Emergency Preparedness Month. This exercise is one of many community readiness efforts by WFPD.
Who is this for
This exercise is for everyone
This exercise is designed to help residents, volunteers, utilities, public safety agencies, and community partners better understand how they will work together during a real evacuation.
Residents
✓Practice evacuation procedures
✓Learn how emergency notifications work
✓Become familiar with assembly locations and resources
✓Meet the agencies and organizations that support our community
Partner Agencies
✓Exercise evacuation plans and procedures
✓Test communications and coordination
✓Practice resource management and decision-making
✓Identify strengths and opportunities for improvement
About the exercise
Why we exercise
Wildfires move fast — and in a community like Portola Valley, the window between ignition and evacuation can be very short. This full-scale exercise gives residents, first responders, and partner agencies the chance to practice evacuation routes, test emergency communications, and identify gaps before a real emergency occurs.
The exercise will be conducted as realistically as possible, activating the same systems and protocols that would be used during an actual evacuation event.
Resident Participation is Voluntary
Residents are encouraged to participate by practicing their evacuation procedures, traveling to the designated assembly area, and learning more about the agencies and organizations that support our community during emergencies. There is no requirement to evacuate or leave your home.
Roads & Traffic — Details to Follow
Information about road closures, traffic redirection, and evacuation corridor activation will be posted here as logistics are finalized. Check back for updates closer to September 11.
Participating agencies
Our partner agencies
This exercise is a true community effort. We are proud to have the following agencies and organizations participating alongside WFPD:
🔴 Public safety
Woodside Fire Protection District
San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office
CAL FIRE
Redwood City Fire Department
Menlo Park Fire Protection District
San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management
🟡 Utilities & infrastructure
PG&E
California Water Service
🟢 Community organizations
Town of Portola Valley
WPV-CERT
WPV-Ready
Portola Valley Amateur Radio Club (PVARC)
San Mateo County Large Animal Evacuation Group
Portola Valley Emergency Preparedness Committee
Exercise scenario
The simulated fire event
Simulated ignition · Labor Day weekend conditions
Grass fire at Buck Meadows, Los Trancos Open Space
Ignition source
Power tools — cutting and mowing operations
Location
Buck Meadows, Los Trancos area, Portola Valley
Fuel type
Dry grass — late-season, cured
Scenario timing
Labor Day weekend — elevated risk period
The scenario models a realistic ignition event: power tools used during cutting and mowing of Buck Meadows contact dry late-summer grass, triggering a fire during one of the highest-risk weekends of the fire season. Labor Day weekend historically sees a spike in outdoor activities, reduced staffing, and peak fuel dryness — making it an ideal planning benchmark.
Fire behavior modeling & exercise correlation
Using fire growth modeling, WFPD has pre-calculated how this scenario fire would grow — factoring in spread rate, direction, and intensity based on terrain, fuel load, and typical Labor Day weekend weather conditions. The model also projects downstream impacts: which evacuation zones would be activated, in what order, and the expected traffic load on key egress routes. Following the exercise, real-world data on evacuation timing, zone clearance, and traffic patterns will be compared against the model to identify where planning adjustments are needed.
How you'll be notified WEA
Evacuation orders for this exercise will be issued via Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) — the same federal system that delivers Amber Alerts and severe weather warnings directly to cell phones. No app download or sign-up is required. Any compatible phone within the affected geographic area automatically receives the alert as a loud tone and vibration, even if the ringer is off, broadcasting the evacuation zone and instructions.
Track it in real time with Watch Duty
Once the WEA goes out, open the Watch Duty app to follow the exercise in real time. Watch Duty pulls live data directly from official sources, giving residents a single, easy-to-read dashboard showing exactly which evacuation zones are under warning or order, fire perimeter maps, and agency updates — all in plain language without needing to monitor multiple channels.
Live evacuation zone mapsPush alerts by zoneFire perimeter trackingAgency scanner feedsRoad closure updates
The scenario begins with a simulated ignition at Buck Meadows. The sequence unfolds as it would in a real incident:
1
Worker operating power tools discovers the fire and calls 9-1-1
2
Fire Dispatch receives the call and alerts Woodside Fire crews for a wildland response
3
Fire personnel begin suppression operations and establish incident command, calling for additional resources as needed
4
Based on fire behavior and modeling, the evacuation notification process is initiated
WEA Alert Issued
Wireless Emergency Alert pushed to all phones in the area
A Wireless Emergency Alert is broadcast to every compatible cell phone within the affected geographic area — no app or sign-up required. The alert identifies the evacuation zone and directs residents to act. Residents can open Watch Duty for live zone maps and real-time updates.
Active exercise
Immediate evacuation orders & corridor activation
Evacuation orders are issued and corridors are activated. Woodside Fire and outside agency engines deploy throughout the evacuation area, sounding Hi-Lo sirens to alert and direct residents. Traffic management and multi-agency coordination are observed and evaluated across Portola Valley's egress routes.
Know this sound — the Hi-Lo evacuation siren
The Hi-Lo siren is the sound of an evacuation order. When you hear it from a Woodside Fire or outside agency engine, it means: leave now. Train yourself and your family to recognize it before exercise day — and before fire season.
Assembly
Gather at Portola Valley Town Center
All participants converge at the designated assembly point for check-in and the start of the debrief.
Post-exercise
Debrief, vendors & refreshments
Agency leads conduct a structured debrief comparing exercise outcomes to fire behavior modeling data. Vendor booths covering home hardening and defensible space will be open, along with light snacks and refreshments.
At the assembly point
What to expect at Town Center
After the active exercise wraps up, everyone converges at Portola Valley Town Center for something residents often enjoy just as much as the exercise itself — a chance to meet the people and organizations protecting their community, up close.
Meet the responders
See fire engines, meet crews from WFPD and partner agencies, and ask the questions you've always wanted to ask.
Multi-agency debrief
Responders and community leaders review what worked, what didn't, and next steps.
Home hardening vendors
Local experts on ember-resistant vents, decking materials, and fire-safe landscaping.
Defensible space resources
Guidance on Zone 0 (the home ignition zone), Zone 1 & Zone 2 clearance, chipping programs, and compliance requirements.
Light refreshments
Snacks and drinks provided. A great opportunity to connect with neighbors and partner agencies.
Assembly & debrief location
Portola Valley Town Center
Portola Valley Town Center
765 Portola Road · Portola Valley, CA 94028
Parking available on site. Accessible entry from Portola Road.
Be ready before exercise day
How to prepare as a resident
Prepare a go-bag with medications, documents, water, and essentials for your household and pets
Sign up for SMC Alert — San Mateo County's emergency notification system — using the QR code below
Download the Watch Duty app to monitor evacuation zones and fire activity in real time
Visit WPV-Ready to access community preparedness resources, evacuation planning tools, and local emergency information
Talk with your household — including children and elderly family members — about what to do when an alert is issued
Clear defensible space around your home and address any home hardening items ahead of fire season
Have a full tank of gas in your vehicle the night before the exercise
🔥 Ring + Watch Duty: Fire Watch
If you have a Ring device, enable Fire Watch in the Neighbors section of the Ring app. It delivers Watch Duty wildfire alerts directly through Ring and can optionally share camera snapshots with first responders during an active fire event. Learn more →
Tune in: Portola Valley Emergency RadioDuring emergencies, WFPD broadcasts live updates on 1680 AM. Keep a battery-powered or hand-crank radio on hand and tune in whenever cell networks are congested or down.
Learn more
This is a planned exercise — not a real emergency. Exercise notifications will be issued through official WFPD and San Mateo County alert channels in advance. If you receive a WEA alert on September 11, 2026, please follow all instructions as if it were real.
Questions about the exercise?
Contact the Bureau of Fire Prevention and Life Safety
Learn more