This spring, New Mexico was hit hard by wildfires. The fire had scorched more than 45,000 acres, started on April 22, and is now mostly contained; its origins remain unknown. The fire is known as Calf Canyon–Hermit’s Peak broke out and turned into a historic disaster. By early June, those fires had covered nearly 320,000 acres, containing a mix of population centers and wilderness areas. This fire is still not tamed, and as of June 8, it had destroyed 880 residences and other structures.
Stories of those who lost everything to flames, of the difficulties survivors were facing – people seek financial compensation for what they lost.
But there was uplifting information about the immeasurable contributions made by firefighters, volunteers, and concerned citizens from all over the country. Amazing tales from a particular part of the fires’ overall narrative: pet and wildlife rescue. Below are the notable ones that have happy endings.
Emerald’s Big Adventure
This little guy is an adopted stray male whose owner, Tina Heffner, named him Emerald because of his beautiful green eyes. Heffner lives on 13 acres in the small community of Encinal, New Mexico, in the heart of an area hit hard by the Calf Canyon–Hermit’s Peak Fire.
Over the next few weeks, Heffner and her family relocated three times, camping for a while at a state park southeast of the fire zone, and staying for a week at an Airbnb in Las Vegas. For a few days after the family first left, neighbors were able to go to Heffner’s house and leave out water and cat food, but eventually, all of the residents were told to leave.
When Heffner was finally able to return home on May 18, she was extremely relieved to find that the houses hadn’t burned, though it was close—flames marched right past the back door of the home she shares with her mom. There was extensive damage to the land, with many trees reduced to black sticks.
As for the cats: Smokey showed up immediately, but there was no sign of Emerald. Then, about four days later, the little wanderer came home, still wearing his spiffy pet collar but covered with what Heffner calls “filmy oily stuff” flecked with ash. She gave him a bath, and before long he seemed to feel fine—thinner, to be sure, but breathing well, eating, and drinking water. Heffner says he’s more comfortable around people than he used to be; life in the hot zone apparently gave him a new appreciation.
Miss Mora and the Four Deities of Flame
On May 1, a fire crew working near Mora saw a large dog with a dark coat come running out of an actively burning area. After picking the animal up and doing a quick inspection—it looked like a Lab–pit bull mix, there were no burns or signs of respiratory damage, it was a female, and she was friendly—they put her in the back of their vehicle and tried to figure out what to do next.
Every dog at Glorieta had to be attached to an owner, and a Red Cross volunteer named Queila Costello agreed to take temporary custody of the dog, who was given the name Mora. Soon, Costello started thinking about adoption, something she discussed on the phone with her husband, who is currently working overseas.
Costello and Baruth figured Mora probably had an owner, so they posted information and photos online and waited. Two weeks went by with no bites, so Costello went through with the adoption.
Where’s Elwood?
On May 18, Jim Sorenson, a fly-fisherman from Corrales, New Mexico, drove north to the Jemez Mountains to enjoy one last day on the water before the Santa Fe National Forest closed on the 19th. The closure was directly linked to the dry conditions that helped fuel the Cerro Pelado blaze.
Along for the ride was a very good dog, Elwood, a six-year-old neutered male who Sorenson describes as “a red heeler or an Australian cattle dog mix.” Their destination: the Rio Guadalupe, a pretty mountain stream that flows through national forest land just north of an unincorporated community called Canon. Sorenson and Elwood were about five miles away from the wildfire’s western front.
After walking in from the truck, the guys followed their usual routine, which involved Man fishing while Dog romped on the bank. At some point, in a stretch where the river was lined by dense brush, Sorenson noticed that Elwood was no longer showing up to eagerly peep at him through the plants, so he got out of the water and searched high and low for five hours. No luck. When darkness came, he drove back to Corrales, despondent and unsure about what to do next.
On Thursday, Sorenson contacted Jemez Valley Animal Amigos, a rescue group in the town of Jemez Springs. It got the word out; its staff also suggested that he go back and leave articles of clothing he’d worn, a proven method for reeling in a missing pooch.
The next morning brought great news. Three local firefighters were patrolling and spotted Elwood sitting on the blanket, looking like a stressed-out version of the RCA Victor dog hearing his master’s voice. They scooped him up, phoned Sorenson, and arranged a handoff in a village called San Ysidro. Elwood was limping from a small cut on one paw, but he was otherwise fine. Needless to say, Sorenson is glad to have him back, and he’s left with warm memories of how others stepped up to help them both.
Source: Outside
