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The Ranch Events Complex was busy Monday afternoon as people brought animals to a safe spot away from the fire.
LOVELAND, Colo. — Volunteers in Loveland are helping people, and their farm animals, get to a safe place away from the Alexander Mountain Fire burning in the mountains west of the city.
The Ranch Events Complex was busy Monday afternoon as trucks pulling trailers continuously pulled up, bringing animals to a safe spot away from the fire.
Volunteers Morgan Crouse and Stella Rajewski were at the Ranch Events Complex when the fire broke out, the flames quickly spreading to hundreds of acres just miles away.
Rajewski, with Berthoud Highlanders 4H, and Crouse, a former Desperados 4H member, both knew exactly how to help.
“We’ve just been filling water buckets, making sure all the horses are healthy and calm because it can be pretty stressful,” Rajewski said.
“Not our first rodeo on this, unfortunately,” Crouse said.
The Ranch opened up as a shelter for large animals under mandatory evacuation orders Monday afternoon, eventually expanding to take in animals from voluntary evacuation zones.
“Well, obviously if we’re evacuating humans, we have to evacuate their animals, right? And they have to be in a safe, secure location so they can be fed, they can be watered and we can keep them safe,” said Rafael Sanchez, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office representative for safety and security at the site.
Sanchez said in just a few hours, they took in more than 60 animals: horses, swine, donkeys and even alpacas. And they expected more animals were on the way.
“We have dozens and dozens. We’re expecting more only because the roads are probably pretty full. It’s going to take people a while to get from up there to down here,” Sanchez said.
As more animals arrived throughout the afternoon, Crouse and the volunteers moved quickly, knowing their work may help save many a four-legged life.
“It’s a really good feeling knowing that all these horses are safe,” Rajewski said.
“We can help as many as we can and that’s all we can do for right now until they get this fire out,” Crouse said.
The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office and the Ranch said they would have the site open but secured until the fire is over.
As for smaller animals, like dogs and cats, NoCo Humane is able to help take those pets in.
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