Theres no question it's been an unusual winter.This week, state officials estimated that Colorado could see 1,000-2,000 more fires this year than we typically see.Evergreen and Clear Creek County officials are doing what they ca n to make sure residents are prepared. Saturday, more than a thousand residents in four neighborhoods in northern Evergreen signed up to be a part of a wildfire evacuation drill the first drill for these neighborhoods. WATCH: Denver7's Lauren Lennon talked with officials and residents during the drill Evergreen residents practice evacuating as communities prepare for wildfire seasonThe four neighborhoods included Beaver Brook, Echo Hills, Evergreen West and Raven Ridge.A wildfire evacuation drill is a way to build muscle memory and reduce the freak-out factor for residents of neighborhoods so they know better how to react and then evacuate if their neighborhood is threatened by a wildfire or a chemical leak or any other emergency for that matter, Evergreen Fire Rescue spokesperson Einar Jensen said. Jensen said these four neighborhoods reached out to officials and they have been working together for the past six months so residents could build up their go kits, register for the areas emergency alert system, and put all the skills to good use and simulate an emergency.With the abnormal winter setting up for what will likely be a heightened wildfire season, Jensen said it's especially important to make sure communities are prepared this year.All its going to take is a few more hot, windy, dry days, and those wildfire conditions are going to ripen right up, he said.We all have responsibility to prepare for wildfire and the conditions of our non-winter. Its a perfect time for us to deliver on that for our communities, so that all of us can be safer, Jensen added.Residents emphasized this preparation exercise was a success and much needed.We live in an area called Evergreen West, and our danger is extremely high, Colleen Skates, a Witter Gulch resident and participant of the evacuation drill, said. It's really good to have a plan in place and to be ready and prepared for if we do have to evacuate, she added.From the passenger seat, Jeffrey Skates shared his concerns on the lack of exit routes in their neighborhood.We have really one route out of here, actually two routes, either into Evergreen or up this way, over 103, but a lot of areas only have one egress, he explained.He added that only having these two routes was scary.Thats the only way we get out of there, Skates said. If we have ahead of time ... how to evac and how to get out of where we live ahead of time, it'll be a lot more efficient that way, he said, sharing his appreciation for the coordinated effort for the drill.Another participant echoed his sentiments, adding that in her neighborhood, she also faces the same issue of only having one exit route.If that road was on fire, we have no way out, the participant said.Racquel Woods, another participant Denver7 was able to catch up with, said the drill gives you an idea of the timing and what it's going to be like trying to get out of the neighborhood, especially this route, because it's the only route out. Beaver Brook resident Ben Forbes said he has lived in the area for 25 years and that this was his and his familys first evacuation drill.He added that the drill gave him and his family the confidence they needed in the event of an actual emergency.I feel that if this happens for real, I will know what to do. I'll be able to keep calm and, you know, gather the stuff we need and go without having any major things forgotten or missed, he said.He too voiced the concern of limited exit routes.We have one road. It has two exits, so we can go either, you know, up the hill or down the hill, depending on which direction is closer to the fire. But there is one road, and that is it for, you know, several thousand residents up there, he explained.Forbes described the drill as a positive experience that helped him and his wife set up plans that work best for them if they ever do have to evacuate. Evergreen's fire chief also stressed how important it is to be signed up for emergency alerts.It's vital. This is your, this is your notification of event and of an event that you need to be aware of, said Evergreen Fire Chief Mike Weege.Forbes, who was already signed up for emergency alerts, agreed.There is no reason not to. There's no excuse, Forbes said. Jensen says that only 20% of people in the Evergreen Fire Protection District have signed up for their alerts, Lookout Alert, which he described as disheartening.The time for sticking our head in the sand and saying, Oh I didnt know about it,' thats over. We all must take accountability and take those few steps to register for these systems, he said.Lookout Alert was what was used during Saturdays drill to send residents a pre-evacuation notification around 9:30 a.m,, and then an evacuation warning around 10 a.m.Officials said once they evaluate how useful this drill was and where they can improve, they will carry out the drill with other neighborhoods.Chief Weege said one of the goals of the drill for officials was to identify any choke points and identify where they may need traffic control.If you are not signed up for emergency alerts, here's where you can sign up: ...read more read less