Cambria Evacuation Guide
The Cambria Evacuation Guide is a new public safety resource created through a collaborative effort that began last year. It is part of a countywide initiative led by the San Luis Obispo Fire Safe Council to produce clear, easy to print evacuation handouts that can be shared directly with the community. The goal is to provide every Cambria resident with simple, reliable steps that improve household readiness and strengthen community resilience before the next wildfire or emergency.
This guide was developed in partnership with the Cambria Fire Department, the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services, and CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo. These agencies contributed local knowledge, state guidance, and evacuation best practices to ensure the tool accurately reflects Cambria’s neighborhoods and evacuation zones.
A major component of this project is the new evacuation website at FireSafeSLO.org/evacuation. This public website features an interactive map application that allows residents to locate their home, view their assigned evacuation zone, and see the preferred routes out of the community. The tool also displays the current evacuation status of each zone and links directly to official emergency information sources. This online mapping platform is designed to work alongside the printed Cambria Evacuation Guide, giving residents both a physical and digital resource for preparedness.
All mapping products created for the guide and the website were developed to meet ADA accessibility standards. The maps were tested with accessibility tools that evaluated color contrast, symbol shape, text clarity, and QR code readability. Recommended improvements were applied to ensure all residents, including those with visual limitations, can easily read the zone boundaries, route markings, and location labels. QR links were selected and sized so that they can be scanned from both printed sheets and screens.
The guide gives residents a complete set of tools to prepare for an evacuation. We used AI simulations technology to determine evacuations route for each neighborhoods. It includes a detailed checklist describing what to do before fire season, what to secure when high fire conditions develop, and what to take when leaving. It also provides essential phone numbers and official websites for receiving alerts, incident updates, and evacuation notices.
A section on Go Bags outlines what to pack, including water, food, medications, personal documents, chargers, cash, clothing, and supplies for pets. The guide also explains the Ready, Set, Go program in clear language so residents understand how to stay prepared year round, how to get set when conditions worsen, and when to go immediately if directed by law enforcement.
The guide describes what to do if escape routes become blocked or residents become temporarily trapped. This includes staying in cleared areas, avoiding canyons and heavy vegetation, keeping headlights on, sheltering in a vehicle if it is the safest location, and contacting emergency services with exact location details.
The final section explains how to return home safely once an evacuation order is lifted. Residents are reminded to watch for hazards such as damaged utilities, unstable trees, ash pits, and downed power lines. Re entry is only allowed once law enforcement and fire officials confirm the area is safe.
The Cambria Evacuation Guide and the new FireSafeSLO.org/evacuation. evacuation website together provide a strong foundation for public readiness. Both tools are easy to read, accessible, and built for real world use. They represent a significant step forward in improving wildfire preparedness and community resilience across the north coast of San Luis Obispo County.