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Volunteers Rescue Livestock From Raging Wildfire in Washington State

August 15, 2012, 10:14 pm
By JENNIFER PRESTON

The Kittitas County Fairgrounds in central Washington State was being prepared for the arrival of hundreds of horses for the annual 4-H Horse Show this weekend when it suddenly became a crisis center for livestock caught in a wildfire that has consumed more than 28,000 acres since Monday.

Hundreds of goats, horses, cows, sheep and other livestock have been brought to the fairgrounds. At least 70 homes have been destroyed in the area and more than 500 people have been evacuated from what is being called the Taylor Bridge Fire. The fire is burning near the city of Cle Elum in Kittitas County, about 80 miles southeast of Seattle, and is one of more than 50 wildfires now burning across the Western United S tates.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources posted a photo on Twitter showing an aerial view of the fire, which was only 10 percent contained on Wednesday.

There have been no reported injuries but authorities are concerned that livestock and wild animals may have died in the fire, despite efforts by volunteers who brought horse trailers and trucks on rural roads to rescue stray animals. The rescued animals were brought to the fairground, where more volunteers had arrived to help care for them. Smaller animals were brought to nearby veterinarians.

Meg Coyle, a reporter/anchor with King/5 News in Seattle, reported from the fairgrounds on Wednesday and shared multiple photos of animals on her Twitter stream.

To help owners of the livestock find their animals, a Facebook group called the Taylor Bridge Fire Animal Recovery page has been started.

The Seattle Times is reporting that 800 firefighters are now on the ground battling the fire, which was only 10 percent contained on Wednesday. Officials believe the fire originated on Monday afternoon at a construction site by the Taylor Bridge near Cle Elum.