VIDEO: It could be an earthquake, a severe storm or a wildfire. Disasters happen and when they do, they often drive people out of their homes. Their only refuge may be a Red Cross emergency shelter.
And to make sure that shelter is ready to go in an emergency, everyone involved needs to practice. That's what they did Thursday morning at two local schools.
The scenario was a fictitious 3,000 acre wildfire in Washoe Valley forcing the evacuation of 300 homes.
Those who were around in 2012 won't have stretch their imagination much. They can just remember the Washoe Drive Fire. It burned some homes, forcing evacuation of whole neighborhoods of people, pets and livestock.
That's just the kind of emergency today's exercise was meant to prepare for.