aLast week, flames roared through communities on all sides of Los Angeles, sending tens of thousands of residents hurriedly evacuated and trailers being hitched and trucks refueled across Southern California. A network of volunteers were prepared to risk everything to head into the fire zone to rescue pets and livestock in need.
In a rural enclave near the most flammable canyon, numerous animals, including horses, goats, pigs, chickens and even an emu, were at risk as the fast-moving fire approached. Some were left behind during the chaotic evacuation. Some needed large trailers and a gentle hand to soothe the fear caused by howling winds, gray air and strangers desperately trying to get them to safety.
These strangers quickly stood up and responded to the call for help. They rallied through social media pages and an elaborate phone network and worked through the night, driving through burning hillsides and charred wreckage. For some, this isn’t the first time they’ve willingly joined the fray.
Wildfires across California have intensified in recent years, highlighting the need for rapid response for both animals and humans. The work is risky and heartbreaking, but it shows how willing people are to help in times of unspeakable need.
“I’m constantly talking to people I’ve never met,” says Sheparddes Land & Livestock, an Ojai Valley ranch that uses grazing animals to reduce the risk of wildfires in Southern California. said Brittany “Cole” Bush, founder of . It describes the growing wave of action from far and wide that has rallied around this week’s LA emergency.
Last Wednesday, her phone kept ringing after she posted about her trailer and ranching expertise on social media when a new fire broke out in the giant animal. Mr. Bush and one of the shepherds made their way into the night through the precarious winding roads of the evacuation site, which was pitch black due to a power outage. The entire farm had to be evacuated, including a flock of sheep that spent little time around people on the remote hillside they called home.
Sirens blared throughout the area as police rushed past homes warning people of the approaching fire. The frenetic conditions were not suitable for calming frightened sheep into small pens, she said. Once animals are scared, it becomes incredibly difficult for them to entertain the idea of doing what we want them to do, which is get into the trailer quickly. ”
Little by little, they calmly countered the chaos and succeeded in luring the animals away. They quickly rounded up a few more ducks, put them in crates and put them in the back of the truck, and they were on their way.
But it doesn’t always end like this. The fires broke out so quickly in some areas that owners gave up hope of putting their frightened horses in trailers, instead opting to walk them out along rugged trails. A man has gone viral after sharing a video of him escorting a horse and a small donkey through a burning mountain on a motorbike just before his farm was reduced to rubble. Some were tragically left behind.
“We brought in 40 horses the first night, and 32 of them died,” said Santa Monica resident Austin Muth. In recent years, he has established a network to evacuate animals from disaster-stricken areas. “By the time we got there it was too late.”
The horses were trapped in a fence and unable to escape.
“People think they’re doing the right thing in an emergency, but they end up doing exactly the wrong thing,” added Meus team member Elizabeth Brandon. One horse they encountered was alive, but badly burned, with its mane and tail burnt off.
Thankfully, Flicka (now called Flicka) was able to get out and get the veterinary attention she needed.
Muth and Brandon have also helped coordinate the effort, including enlisting the help of solo animal rescuer Brady Heiser. He described the horrifying moment he drove through inflamed trees on the road, trying to convince the animals to trust him when every second counts. But all the while, a caravan of trailers stood ready and showed unwavering support from within the community and beyond.
“As soon as we put the trailer in there, it loaded up and left,” he said. “It was an incredible group of people,” he added, with the team still active and running on smoke during Monday’s dropoff. His trailer helped transport a variety of animals out of danger zones, from mini Highland cows to a giant 175-pound pig named Fancy Pants.
“I’ve never known a pig with a name like this that could fight like this one,” he said, adding that when they tried to load her into the trailer, the scary, stubborn pig I explained how I screamed. All she knew was the enclosure she shared with her friends. It was a dozen chickens that also needed to be preserved. “I feel her pain,” Heiser said. “If I saw three people my size walking towards me with ropes, I would scream too.”
Fancy Pants and thousands of other animals rescued from a fire this week are resting peacefully out of danger. But for many of those who took part in their rescue, there is still much work to be done. Special care should be taken for animals affected by burns or smoke inhalation. Some animals released out of desperation need to be reunited with their owners. And some people may need to return home once the risk is reduced.
Rescuers incur significant costs, both for their own safety and the fuel and feed they spend supporting animals in need. Bush said she and others are looking to the future, even as they prepare for another round of evacuations with another round of strong winds in the forecast.
“This is cleaning,” she said. “Right now, we’re coordinating how we’re going to rehome the animals from the shelter and where to put them if we can’t get them home. That’s the focus, and providing key resources for sheltering, feeding and transporting these animals. There is also.”
The city of Ojai, several hours away from Los Angeles, has its own fire risks, and President Bush is also thinking deeply about how to build resilience and coordination against future fires. She has already begun compiling a list of people in her area who own the land and infrastructure to take in animals, as well as trucks and trailers for evacuation, and has started a fundraising campaign to support those who have adopted animals. There is.
And this week, in a rare moment of stillness, she decided to stop and take stock of the situation. Despite ongoing tragedies, these disasters demonstrated the community’s capacity for good.
“So many beautiful and positive things can come out of this,” she said as she watched the ducks happily adapt to their new surroundings in a wading pool that a neighbor quickly donated.
The night she was rescued, she drove back to her farm as the moon shone brightly and herded the sheep into a pasture near her home. As they began to settle down, a large ram (whose owner says he doesn’t like humans) approached them. Mr. Bush said it was as if he was thanking her for saving his family.
“After every heated conflict, there’s a moment of softness and peace when you manage to get the animals out of harm’s way,” she said.
