PLEASURE PASOFINO
10-23-2007, 09:05 PM
California Horse Owners Evacuating in Face of Fire
by: Erin Ryder, TheHorse.com News EditorOctober 22 2007, Article # 10654 ARTICLE TOOLShttp://www.thehorse.com/images/print_17x14.gifPrint (http://www.thehorse.com/PrintArticle.aspx?ID=10654) http://www.thehorse.com/images/email_18x14.gifEmail (http://www.thehorse.com/SendArticle.aspx?ID=10654)http://www.thehorse.com/images/reprints2.gifRepublish (http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=1577#reprints) http://www.thehorse.com/images/chain_link.gifLink (http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=1577#sharing) http://www.thehorse.com/images/feed-icon16x16.pngRSS (http://www.thehorse.com/RSS/)
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Strong Santa Ana winds and a landscape already parched by drought have combined to help nearly a dozen fires spread across Southern California since the weekend. Many horse owners have evacuated, applying the lessons learned after a string of similar fires ravaged the area in 2003 and left dozens of horses dead and hundreds abandoned. According to the National Interagency Fire Center (http://www.nifc.gov/), more than 90,000 acres have burned from San Diego County up to Santa Barbara County. The Santa Ana winds, which are fanning these fires, are expected to continue blowing through Tuesday.
According to Larry Catt, DVM, senior partner of Large Animal Veterinary Associates in El Cajon, Calif., horse owners in the San Diego area are better prepared to deal with fire than they were four years ago.
"At this point they've had to evacuate 250,000 people and there's over 100,000 acres that have burned," Catt said. "I think the big difference is that this fire is moving slow enough that it gave people the opportunity to get out before it turned into such a disaster. There's no question--people are much more hypersensitive to the situation, given what they went through four years ago." Major wildfires currently active in California:
Buckweed Fire: 27,500 acres in northeastern Los Angeles County, south of Agua Dulce. 20 percent contained. Approximately 15,000 people and 5,500 homes evacuated. Twenty-five structures and two bridges destroyed. Three people injured. Nine hundred homes without power.
Canyon Fire: 2,400 acres in coastal community of Malibu. Out of control. About 200 homes evacuated. Five homes destroyed, as well as two commercial buildings, including a church. Ten homes damaged. No injuries reported.
Harris Fire: 20,000 acres about 70 miles southeast of San Diego, north of the border town of Tecate. Five percent contained. Unknown number of homes destroyed. One civilian killed, 15 people injured, including four firefighters.
Witch Fire: 10,000 acres in northern San Diego County between Ramona and Santa Ysabel. Five percent contained. Unknown number of homes destroyed. No reports of injuries.
Orange County Fire: 8,800 acres in Orange County east of Irvine. Thirty percent contained. No homes destroyed. Four minor injuries to firefighters.
Ranch Fire: 29,000 acres near Piru in Ventura County. Ten percent contained. About 200 people evacuated. One home destroyed and no injuries reported. Sedgewick Fire: 710 acres near Los Olivos in Santa Barbara County. Fifty percent contained. No evacuations. No homes destroyed and no reports of injuries.--The Associated Press
In 2003, an estimated 50 horses, 20 cows, and 10 goats were killed by fire in San Diego County, according to Terry Paik, DVM, of El Cajon, who worked with California officials to determine the extent of area animal losses. He further estimated that about 400 horses were treated by veterinarians for burns and/or smoke inhalation. Some 250 horses left unclaimed at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club were listed as strays.
Read more about the 2003 fires at www.TheHorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=5763 (http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=5763) and www.TheHorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=4742 (http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=4742).
Veterans of that fire are keeping a close eye as the current situation develops.
We essentially shut our practice down today as far as calls, and just made all the doctors available so we could triage and be prepared for emergencies, but it's been pretty quiet," Catt said.
Catt said that remaining up-to-date on the latest information on area fires is key to keeping horses and other animals safe.
"A lot of the horses have been moved two or three times," Catt said, because of the fires' spread. "That's kind of what we dealt with last time--you think you get into a safe location and then, several hours later, you have to load them up and move them again. People just have to be aware of where the fire's at, stay in communication, be patient, and listen to what people are recommending as far as safe areas."
Further north, Pierce College Equestrian Center in Woodland Hills, Calif., about 20 miles from Malibu, is a designated evacuation point for horses and other livestock. Worker Carolyn Seitz reported about 120 horses have been relocated to the Center from Malibu (western Los Angeles County) and Orange County. She said there's room for about 70 more.
"There's a whole crew of volunteers and they're just bringing them in," noted Seitz.
For more information about equine evacuation in the Los Angeles area, call the L.A. County Department of Animal Care and Control Response Team, 818/991-8065. </I>From the front lines: Want to share your stories and photographs of the fires' impact on area horses and farms? Send them to News Editor Erin Ryder at eryder@TheHorse.com (eryder@TheHorse.com).
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by: Erin Ryder, TheHorse.com News EditorOctober 22 2007, Article # 10654 ARTICLE TOOLShttp://www.thehorse.com/images/print_17x14.gifPrint (http://www.thehorse.com/PrintArticle.aspx?ID=10654) http://www.thehorse.com/images/email_18x14.gifEmail (http://www.thehorse.com/SendArticle.aspx?ID=10654)http://www.thehorse.com/images/reprints2.gifRepublish (http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=1577#reprints) http://www.thehorse.com/images/chain_link.gifLink (http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=1577#sharing) http://www.thehorse.com/images/feed-icon16x16.pngRSS (http://www.thehorse.com/RSS/)
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Strong Santa Ana winds and a landscape already parched by drought have combined to help nearly a dozen fires spread across Southern California since the weekend. Many horse owners have evacuated, applying the lessons learned after a string of similar fires ravaged the area in 2003 and left dozens of horses dead and hundreds abandoned. According to the National Interagency Fire Center (http://www.nifc.gov/), more than 90,000 acres have burned from San Diego County up to Santa Barbara County. The Santa Ana winds, which are fanning these fires, are expected to continue blowing through Tuesday.
According to Larry Catt, DVM, senior partner of Large Animal Veterinary Associates in El Cajon, Calif., horse owners in the San Diego area are better prepared to deal with fire than they were four years ago.
"At this point they've had to evacuate 250,000 people and there's over 100,000 acres that have burned," Catt said. "I think the big difference is that this fire is moving slow enough that it gave people the opportunity to get out before it turned into such a disaster. There's no question--people are much more hypersensitive to the situation, given what they went through four years ago." Major wildfires currently active in California:
Buckweed Fire: 27,500 acres in northeastern Los Angeles County, south of Agua Dulce. 20 percent contained. Approximately 15,000 people and 5,500 homes evacuated. Twenty-five structures and two bridges destroyed. Three people injured. Nine hundred homes without power.
Canyon Fire: 2,400 acres in coastal community of Malibu. Out of control. About 200 homes evacuated. Five homes destroyed, as well as two commercial buildings, including a church. Ten homes damaged. No injuries reported.
Harris Fire: 20,000 acres about 70 miles southeast of San Diego, north of the border town of Tecate. Five percent contained. Unknown number of homes destroyed. One civilian killed, 15 people injured, including four firefighters.
Witch Fire: 10,000 acres in northern San Diego County between Ramona and Santa Ysabel. Five percent contained. Unknown number of homes destroyed. No reports of injuries.
Orange County Fire: 8,800 acres in Orange County east of Irvine. Thirty percent contained. No homes destroyed. Four minor injuries to firefighters.
Ranch Fire: 29,000 acres near Piru in Ventura County. Ten percent contained. About 200 people evacuated. One home destroyed and no injuries reported. Sedgewick Fire: 710 acres near Los Olivos in Santa Barbara County. Fifty percent contained. No evacuations. No homes destroyed and no reports of injuries.--The Associated Press
In 2003, an estimated 50 horses, 20 cows, and 10 goats were killed by fire in San Diego County, according to Terry Paik, DVM, of El Cajon, who worked with California officials to determine the extent of area animal losses. He further estimated that about 400 horses were treated by veterinarians for burns and/or smoke inhalation. Some 250 horses left unclaimed at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club were listed as strays.
Read more about the 2003 fires at www.TheHorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=5763 (http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=5763) and www.TheHorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=4742 (http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=4742).
Veterans of that fire are keeping a close eye as the current situation develops.
We essentially shut our practice down today as far as calls, and just made all the doctors available so we could triage and be prepared for emergencies, but it's been pretty quiet," Catt said.
Catt said that remaining up-to-date on the latest information on area fires is key to keeping horses and other animals safe.
"A lot of the horses have been moved two or three times," Catt said, because of the fires' spread. "That's kind of what we dealt with last time--you think you get into a safe location and then, several hours later, you have to load them up and move them again. People just have to be aware of where the fire's at, stay in communication, be patient, and listen to what people are recommending as far as safe areas."
Further north, Pierce College Equestrian Center in Woodland Hills, Calif., about 20 miles from Malibu, is a designated evacuation point for horses and other livestock. Worker Carolyn Seitz reported about 120 horses have been relocated to the Center from Malibu (western Los Angeles County) and Orange County. She said there's room for about 70 more.
"There's a whole crew of volunteers and they're just bringing them in," noted Seitz.
For more information about equine evacuation in the Los Angeles area, call the L.A. County Department of Animal Care and Control Response Team, 818/991-8065. </I>From the front lines: Want to share your stories and photographs of the fires' impact on area horses and farms? Send them to News Editor Erin Ryder at eryder@TheHorse.com (eryder@TheHorse.com).
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