At the height of the Thomas Fire last month, volunteers with the Santa Barbara Equine Evacuation and Assistance Team at Earl Warren Showgrounds were caring for more than 600 evacuated animals, many from the Montecito area. On January 12, a few days after mudslides swept through the community, these same volunteers — who have been working nearly nonstop since early December — have approximately 60 animals in their care.
“When the fire died down, many owners and residents returned to their homes [with] their animals,” said volunteer Barbara Essex. “Unfortunately, many chose to either ignore these latest evacuation orders or simply didn’t have time to get their animals out.”
Now — faced with mandatory evacuations and safety exclusions zones — many of these same animal owners face unique challenges. Some have not been able to get back to their properties to tend to their animals. Others have been isolated in the disaster area with dwindling supplies of feed and water.