Fire evacs find stable ground

Equestrian Center accepting animals; ranch owner reports losing 44 of 50 horses

SAMANTHA BRAVO Editor-in-Chief & NATALIE MIRANDA Reporter

Owners found safety for their horses and large animals in the Pierce College Equestrian Center evacuation zone, escaping danger from the fire that broke out in Sylmar at 4 a.m. on Dec. 5.

A brush fire, dubbed the Creek Fire, prompted mandatory evacuations for people and animals alike.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department released a statement on twitter, letting residents affected by the fire know where they could evacuate their animals. One location they recommended was at Pierce College.

The Equestrian Center is a temporary boarding facility for evacuated animals in mandatory evacuation zones. The Los Angeles County Animal Control officers and emergency response team’s focus was to board large animals such as horses and donkeys.

Animal Control officer Nelson Gonzalez said that the Hansen Dam evacuation location has closed, and residents are being re-routed to Pierce College’s Equestrian Center.

Maximum capacity holds about 120 animals, and there are 62 horses currently boarded at the facility.

Pierce College Senior Agricultural Technician Marci

Sakapjian works at the Equestrian Center and helped owners who brought animals in for evacuation.

“The facility is almost full,”

Sakapjian said. “It happened within an hour. They could take them back to Burbank, but if they’re in crisis, we never send them away.”

Sakapjian said a farm owner lost some of her horses due to the brush fire.

"Out of 50 horses, six made it out,” Sakapjian said. “It was really dry, all the dry causes fire. Luckily for Pierce College, we work with the county and animal control, and we have specific protocols and use specific equipment.”

Sakapjian said some owners don’t want to leave their horses behind, so they are writing their numbers on their horses and letting them go. Sakapjian said they don’t have trailers to bring them down.

Sakapjian said the Equestrian Center is still accepting large or small animals, but they are almost occupied.

[see evacuation on pg. 7]