As the Southern California wildfire grew to 18,000 acres; with 20% contained on Friday, May 3, Cal Fire said 4,000 homes and 300 commercial properties had been threatened, with 15 residences, 15 outbuildings and five commercial properties damaged.
Horse country affected by So Cal wild fire
Area residents could be seen scrambling to flee the flames, packing cars and loading horses into trailers as authorities issued more mandatory evacuations Friday afternoon May 3, 2013.
© 2013 by Google Maps
As of Saturday morning, firefighters were making significant progress against the massive wildfire in Ventura County, which is now 30% contained, officials said early Saturday.
In Ventura County, authorities said that more than 1,000 firefighters were at work on the Springs fire, which began Thursday near Camarillo. The fire has burned 30,000 acres over the last two days as it ran up canyons and crept within 100 feet of homes in affluent Hidden Valley.
Area residents could be seen scrambling to flee the flames, packing cars and loading horses into trailers as authorities issued more mandatory evacuations Friday afternoon. Sue Martin and Coleman Trainor thought the danger had passed Shelburne Farms on Portrero Road, but then they noticed the winds change.
According to reports, when the neighboring ranch began evacuating animals about 2 p.m., they decided they should start to make plans for the 20 horses stabled on their own property.
Neighbors helping neighbors in evacuation of horses
They worried how they would transport so many animals -- but then the trailers starting rolling in. Complete strangers showed up at the ranch, offering their help.
“This is our third load,” said Lisa Riley, who helped take the horses to a Moorpark equestrian center. “We do this for them because they need the help, and I’m sure they’d do it for us.”
Trainor, who is from Virginia, had never seen a wildfire before. “It’s been really exciting to see the collaboration and assistance from people we don’t even know,” he said. “All of that has helped contribute to a successful evacuation. And now we’ve gotta go.”
At Spirit Equestrian in Moorpark, one of the owners, Marie Knowles, said the facility was more than happy to open its stalls to ranches in need. They had taken about 35 horses in by 4 p.m. Friday, and had room for about 30 more, she said.
"Everyone who owns a horse or runs a facility plans for this kind of emergency," she said, noting her own facility had to evacuate about two years ago.
"When this kind of thing happens, people with trailers just call up facilities and say, 'Do you need help? Can you take some horses?' We all just pull together."