As the Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties continues to burn, hundreds of animals have died and countless more have been displaced. From pets to livestock to wildlife, animals are in need of help.
Christine Arevalo of Oceanside, north of San Diego, is helping thousands of animals get to safety in Ventura County, all remotely from her home.
Arevalo is the founder of Burton's Pride Animal Rescue and has a background in incident response management.
She has set up a mobile command post that she uses to coordinate with 200 volunteers helping to get animals out of harm's way.
“We’re working with credentialed personnel who go into fire lines and into the heat of the disaster and help people with animals that are sending me SOS calls,” said Arevalo.
That could mean hauling horses with trailers, finding proper evacuation sites, catching distressed animals and more.
Arevalo is currently working on 2,000 "tickets" for animal rescues. One ticket could include multiple animals, like a group of 80 chickens, for example.
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"Chickens are some of the hardest animals for our crews to rescue," said Arevalo. "They are difficult to catch and tend to run towards danger."
Arevalo has also helped to rescue dogs, cats, tortoises, livestock, coyotes, camels and even a giraffe.
The crews work with Ventura County officials and are made up of mostly volunteers. Efforts are privately funded.
"I am on two-way radios and am hearing these first-hand reports," said Arevalo. "I'm seeing the graphic visuals from the loss and devastation. I've also been providing a lot of emotional support."
To find out how you can donate to the efforts or volunteer, click here.
