Writing an article a few weeks before it comes out really makes you wonder what could have transpired in the weeks between when this it written and when you are reading it.  With that in mind, I hope as you read this a gentle, soaking rain is falling, your barn/horse area is mitigated for fire, your defensible space wraps snugly around your home and barn areas and the last fire seen was in April. 

A couple months ago wildfires were at the front of the horse community’s mind – and of course they still are!  The Intermountain Horse Association (IMHA) packed out the Beau Jo’s Pizza’s meeting room with standing room only on April 19^th when they addressed the issue of horses and wildfire evacuations.  Fortunately, our area has one of the best response systems for evacuating large animals in wildfires.  Because of the local fires of 2000 and 2002, the procedures set up to coordinate numerous professional agencies under the authority of Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Animal Control Section have become a model for other Colorado counties and states across the country.

If you wonder what the procedure is for wildfires, each fire protection district has an extensive Community Wildfire Protection Plan or CWPP, usually available on their website.  This plan is always evolving and modified as situations are examined.  When it comes to evacuation during a wildfire, many factors dictate when evacuation is encouraged or becomes mandatory - at the top of the list are fuel availability and wind.  Because the wind and lack of moisture are out of our control, being prepared for fires of course begins with you or your facility removing fuel from the property like dead trees, pine needles, dead vegetation and creating a defensible space around the buildings and corrals. 

The majority of the horse properties in the Colorado Serenity readership lie in Jefferson County, so when it comes to animal evacuation here, Jefferson County Animal Control oversees efforts by agencies like the Jeffco Horse Council and the Horse Evacuation Assistance Team (HEAT).  These organizations take care of the transport, care and housing of evacuated animals.  They are staffed mainly by volunteers who supply their own equipment and go through extensive and specific training.  HEAT is not county specific and many fire protection districts cross over county lines, therefore contact your fire department to learn who services your property.

If the wildfire is too fast or too close and you cannot evacuate your own horses because of a lack of equipment or because you are not allowed in, animal control and/or HEAT will evacuate your animals for you if at all possible.  Call the Sheriff’s dispatch or if you arrive at a road block and cannot go through, let the deputy know where you live and what animals are there; they will contact animal control to rescue your large and small animals.  Giving them your contact information is important because the people evacuating the animals may contact an owner while at their property to get tips on how to better handle them.  From your property the animals are taken to a designated facility like Jefferson County Fairgrounds that has 300-500 stalls available, if not hosting a large event - El Pinal Rodeo Grounds is another possibility. Once on site, Jeffco Horse Council takes over the feeding, care and shelter of the horses.

That said, the chances are good that you will have some early warning and therefore a little time when a wildfire starts in your area.  If you don’t have a plan in place, now is the time to create one!  The two major themes to remember are:  Be PRO-ACTIVE and BE PREPARED. 

If a fire is in the area near your horses, be PRO-ACTIVE and move them before you have to until the danger is gone.  They are one of the harder things to move and having them safe and taken care of leaves you the time to focus on the rest of your family and friends.

Most importantly, BE PREPARED!  Identify a friend on the other side of town who has space and arrange to have a reciprocal agreement with them in the event of a possible evacuation.  Make sure your animals are up to date on their vaccinations in case they have to be housed with other horses.  Consider microchipping your horses – IMHA offered this service this spring.  If you have had a recent brand inspection, the brand inspectors have taken a GPS location which creates a COIN (Colorado Identification Number) for your facility.  Your horse’s microchip number is matched with the COIN and your information is added to the state database.  In an emergency, the state can use this information to know what animals are at what locations, in addition to the owner’s information. 

If you do not have a “land line” home phone or if your horses are at a small facility where people are not always around, you can register any address for a reverse 911 call to your cell phone.  If you work down the hill or a distance from your horses, have someone close to them identified as an emergency contact.  Let people know where your truck keys are or provide your boarding facility with access to your truck and/or trailer.  Have an evacuation kit made up and readily available in your barn.  Leave all of your contact information visible in your barn with descriptions of animals and idiosyncrasies about them.  For example, always load the bay horse first and then everyone else will follow.  Regarding trailer loading, make sure your horse will lead and load in a trailer.   If you don’t normally go anywhere and/or don’t own a trailer, borrow or rent one to practice loading a couple times a year – especially before fire season. 

A few informal area groups have created a “buddy system” by using an internet-based map application to map out each other’s properties.   They determined an evacuation plan, have each other’s contact information, number and kinds of animals, typical daily schedule information (i.e. work in Denver and gone during the weekdays), where to evacuate their animals to and any other pertinent information. 

Additionally, when it comes to your property or facility, know two routes out by road and by horseback.  There are some old trails, roads and paths around that were made as ingress and egress fire roads, jeep trails or access roads used for construction that can connect you to other areas and neighborhoods.  As a last resort, if a fire is coming through your area too fast to evacuate, spray paint your phone number on your horses and set them loose to get away from the fire (without a halter that could get caught on something).  This can be controversial in theory, but may be the only option.

In the mountain communities we have very few natural disasters to be concerned with, but a wildfire is very real when it hits.  Whatever lengths you might go to now in advanced planning, you will be glad you were prepared when the time comes.  See below for a list of resources mentioned above.

EVACUATION KIT LIST: 

Minimally:  Halter, lead rope, vaccination records, pictures of horses, medications, buckets, first aid kit, copies of registration papers, brand inspection card, list of emergency contacts.  Other things to think about:  set aside a supply of hay and grain to last a few days at least, tack and grooming supplies, muck bucket, shovel, fork, bedding, duct tape. Note:  Keep a copy of registration papers, pictures, brand inspections, and microchip information off location or in a fireproof safe with all of your other important documents.

RESOURCES:  www.jeffcoheat.com; www.evergreenfirerescue.com; www.elkcreekfire.com; Jeffco Animal Control 303-271-5070, Jeffco Dispatch 303-277-2011; for the most up-to-date information during a fire - jeffcosheriff1.blogspot.com; FEMA - www.ready.gov/america/getakit/pets.html; to register your cell phone for reverse 911 in Jeffco - www.your911.net – or contact your county to see what reverse 911 service they use .

Copyright 2011 Heather McWilliams.  Thank you to IHA, Dr. Shane Baird and Jefferson County Animal Control for your assistance with this article!  If you have any tips, problems or ideas to share, please email them to me at heather@coloradocorral.com.