HEMET, Calif. — A group from Arizona is lending a helping hand in California as several wildfires actively burn hundreds of acres of land and threaten homes and livestock in the area.
Sunny Parker from the nonprofit Arizona Foothills 911 has organized a caravan of people to make the five-hour trip to Hemet, where the Fairview Fire has grown to nearly 10,000 acres in two days.
“We have to go help them,” Parker said Wednesday, less than 24 hours after she got the call to go and help out.
“Due to being a weekday and such short notice, we are desperately looking for more people to go with us in two or three horse trailers and with people experienced in handling horses.”
California fire officials said the fire is “burning in all directions, on all flanks” during a press conference Wednesday morning. Containment of the fire is at 5%, with nearly 1,000 people battling the blaze.
As the fire has shown no signs of stopping any time soon, Carret Rescue Rangers, a group of volunteers that operates in Southern California, has been busy relocating animals, including pets, horses, and livestock from the impacted areas.
“I have to say we’ve rescued over 100 animals just in the fire alone,” said volunteer Haley Dean. “It’s just a very fast-moving fire.”
The group put out a call for help on social media that Justin Jones, a California native and Arizona transplant came across.
In 2018, he created a volunteer rescue group that is now called CB Ranch Rescue, which focused on offering aid to people with horses and livestock during natural disasters like wildfires.
“When they have to run and can’t take their animals, sometimes we’re able to give them a little piece of mind and get them for then,” he added.
Jones, who had worked with Parker during another fire evacuation in the past, reached out to her about the needed help. Parker immediately jumped on board.
Now, they are looking for more people to join their caravan to head out Thursday and Friday.
“If you have a truck and trailer and you’re willing to come out and help us, please we can use your help,” Parker said.
Anyone unable to travel is encouraged to donate hay, water buckets, and hay feeders by purchasing them from these feed stores in California:
- Round up Wildomar at (951) 678-9190
- Big Horse Feed and Mercantile at (951) 676-2544
If you are interested in joining the caravan of Arizona volunteers, you can call Arizona Foothill 911 at (480) 204-4443.
“I can’t even begin to explain how heartfelt I am to have them coming out here to help us. They don’t even know us, but they are coming to help,” Dean said.
Wildfires in Arizona
Get the latest information on how to stay safe and protect your home during wildfire season in Arizona.