Hurricane-force winds helped a brush fire become a raging inferno yesterday in northern Boulder County. The local news was entirely devoted to video coverage. Viewers could literally see the flames jump across the road and tear up a ridge. Homes there are in a semi-rural area where there are many barns.
One disturbing scene was of a woman trying to lead a beautiful Arabian horse to be loaded into a trailer for evacuation. The horse would not cooperate. The woman told the reporter that it and several other horses would have to be released to outrun the wildfire.
This decision was not irresponsible. The woman could have been seriously injured trying to force a frightened horse into a situation where it did not want to be. Horses possess an uncanny knack for survival under extreme circumstances. Likely, the horses will be just fine, and eventually be found and returned to their owners.
Do you have a plan in case you are called and told to evacuate your home in ten minutes, as happened to those residents? One resident was shown with her dog in her arms and said, “We’ve got the kids and our animals. The house can be replaced.” What would you take? Do you have a plan?
Perhaps this is the time to formulate an evacuation plan for your family and your animal friends.