Shelters Work Together to Save Animals From Wine Country Fires
By Gillian Edevane ••
A 400-acre African animal preserve is safe from harm at the Safari West.
What to Know
Thousands of animals have been evacuated from the North Bay fire zones
Volunteers are needed to house displaced animals
Shelters from across the Bay Are area coordinating efforts
As thousands escape the destructive fires engulfing much of Northern California’s wine country, animal rescue groups throughout the Bay Area are hustling to clear space in shelters and find temporary homes for lost pets.
Milo Foundation, a long-running animal rescue group with headquarters in Point Richmond, was forced to evacuate about 200 animals from its sanctuary in Willits. Shelter staff are asking people who live in safe locations to open their homes to shelter dogs and cats as a result.
“We’re trying to clear as much space as possible,” said Jasmine Salazar, the assistant kennel manager. “We’ve been getting calls from people, asking if we can take in other pets too. We know they’re going to be coming in, so we’re trying to be prepared.”
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Robyn and Daniel Pellegrini search for belongings in the ashes of their home, which was destroyed by fire in the Coffey Park area of Santa Rosa, Calif., Oct. 10, 2017. An onslaught of wildfires across a wide swath of Northern California broke out almost simultaneously then grew exponentially, swallowing up properties from wineries to trailer parks and tearing through both tiny rural towns and urban subdivisions.
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SANTA ROSA, CA - OCTOBER 15: Ed Curzon and his daughter Margaret use sifting trays donated by the Boy Scouts of America to search through the remains of his home for items of emotional importance in the Coffey Park neighborhood on Oct. 15, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. Ed, his wife Karen, and their pets escaped unscathed with few belongings, but lost their home of over 20 years. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA - OCTOBER 15: Margaret Curzon looks out at the destruction caused by the Tubbs fire while holding items of emotional importance salvaged from her childhood home in the Coffey Park neighborhood on October 15, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA -OCTOBER 15: California National Guard troops search burned homes near Mark West Springs Road and Old Redwood Highway on October 15, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. At least 40 people are confirmed dead, dozens are still missing, and at least 5,700 buildings have been destroyed since wildfires broke out a week ago. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA - OCTOBER 15: Signs supporting first responders and EMS personnel are seen on a crosswalk over Highway 101 on Oct. 15, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA - OCTOBER 15: Signs supporting first responders and EMS personnel are seen on a crosswalk over Highway 101 on Oct. 15, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA - OCTOBER 15: A handmade sign is seen on the fence surrounding a makeshift campground for first responders at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds on Oct. 15, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA -OCTOBER 15: Volunteer forensic anthropologist Alexis Boutinn from Sonoma State University, investigates bones found by California National Guardsmen among fire-devastated homes near Mark West Springs Road and Old Redwood Highway on October 15, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. The bones are believed to be non-human. At least 40 people are confirmed dead, dozens are still missing, and at least 5,700 buildings have been destroyed since wildfires broke out a week ago. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA -OCTOBER 15: California National Guardsmen find bones at a fire-devastated home near Mark West Springs Road and Old Redwood Highway on October 15, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. After further investigation the bones were thought to be non-human. At least 40 people are confirmed dead, dozens are still missing, and at least 5,700 buildings have been destroyed since wildfires broke out a week ago. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA -OCTOBER 14: The ruins of houses destroyed by the Tubbs Fire are seen near Fountaingrove Parkway on October 14, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. At least 40 people are confirmed dead with hundreds still missing. Officials expect the death toll to rise, and now estimate that 5,700 structures have been destroyed. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA -OCTOBER 14: The ruins of houses destroyed by the Tubbs Fire are seen near Fountaingrove Parkway on October 14, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. At least 40 people are confirmed dead with hundreds still missing. Officials expect the death toll to rise, and now estimate that 5,700 structures have been destroyed. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA -OCTOBER 14: A flag is draped on a burned truck in the fire-devastated Coffey Park neighborhood on October 14, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. At least 32 people are confirmed dead with hundreds still missing. Officials expect the death toll to rise, and now estimate that 5,700 structures have been destroyed. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA -OCTOBER 14: The ruins of houses destroyed by the Tubbs Fire are seen near Fountaingrove Parkway on October 14, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. At least 40 people are confirmed dead with hundreds still missing. Officials expect the death toll to rise, and now estimate that 5,700 structures have been destroyed. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
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NAPA, CA - OCTOBER 13: Heather Tiffee (R) wipes her eyes as she looks through the remains of her parents' home after it was destroyed by the Atlas Fire on October 13, 2017 in Napa, California. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northern California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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SONOMA, CA - OCTOBER 12: A sign thanking firefighters is posted on Highway 12 on October 12, 2017 in Sonoma, California. Twenty four people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northen California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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SONOMA, CA - OCTOBER 13: A sign is posted outside Cline Cellars on October 13, 2017 in Sonoma, California. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northern California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA - OCTOBER 11: An aerial view of homes that were destroyed by the Tubbs Fire on October 11, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. Twenty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,000 homes and businesses in several Northen California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA - OCTOBER 11: An aerial view of homes that were destroyed by the Tubbs Fire on October 11, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. Twenty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,000 homes and businesses in several Northen California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA - OCTOBER 11: An aerial view of homes that were destroyed by the Tubbs Fire on October 11, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. Twenty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,000 homes and businesses in several Northen California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA - OCTOBER 11: A view of hundreds of homes in the Coffey Park neighborhood that were destroyed by the Tubbs Fire on October 11, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. At least 21 people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,000 homes and businesses in several Northen California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA - OCTOBER 11: An aerial view of mobile homes that were destroyed by the Tubbs Fire at the Journey's End Mobile Home Park on October 11, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. At least 21 people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,000 homes and businesses in several Northen California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA - OCTOBER 11: Charred wine barrells sit on racks at Paradise Ridge Winery after being destroyed by the Tubbs Fire on October 11, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. Twenty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,000 homes and businesses in several Northen California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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SANTA ROSA, CA - OCTOBER 11: An aerial view of a sports field that was charred by the Tubbs Fire on October 11, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. At least 21 people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,000 homes and businesses in several Northen California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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NAPA, CA -OCTOBER 11: A construction site American flag hangs partly melted among houses in Soda Canyon that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on October 11, 2017 near Napa, California. In one of the worst wildfires in state history, more than 2,000 homes have burned and at least 21 people were killed as more than 14 wildfires continue to spread with little containment in eight Northern California counties. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
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NAPA, CA - OCTOBER 11: Homes are left completely destroyed by the Tubbs Fire on October 11, 2017 in Napa, California. In one of the worst wildfires in state history, more than 2,000 homes have burned and at least 17 people have been killed as more than 14 wildfires continue to spread with little containment in eight Northern California counties. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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NAPA, CA -OCTOBER 11: People wait in vain to be escorted to pick up possessions from their home inside an evacuation zone on October 11, 2017 in Napa, California. Escorts were called for the rest of the day due to lack of available officers. In one of the worst wildfires in state history, more than 2,000 homes have burned and at least 21 people were killed as more than 14 wildfires continue to spread with little containment in eight Northern California counties. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
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Aerial view on Oct. 11 of the fire devastation from the Napa fire that spread through Sonoma County, Calif.
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NAPA, CA - OCTOBER 11: A house that was destroyed by the Atlas Fire is seen in Soda Canyon on October 11, 2017 near Napa, California. In one of the worst wildfires in state history, more than 2,000 homes have burned and at least 21 people have been killed as more than 14 wildfires continue to spread with little containment in eight Northern California counties. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
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A view of the remains of homes that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Tony Rutanashoodech/NBC Bay Area
Burn scars rest next to a North Bay winery's vineyards on Oct. 10, 2017.
Tony Rutanashoodech/NBC Bay Area
A sample of the damage caused by wildfires in the North Bay on Oct. 10, 2017.
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A view of the remains of a home that was destroyed by the Nuns Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Glen Ellen, Calif.
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A toy car is left scorched in a neighborhood destroyed by fire near Cardinal Newman High School on Oct. 10, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif.
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Brad Turley and Charisse Desmarais look through the remnants of her mother's home in the Silverado Community, which was burned by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
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A view of the remains of the buildings at Stornetta Dairy that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
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A view of the remains of the buildings at Stornetta Dairy that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
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A man retrieves coins from the ruins of his house in a neighborhood destroyed by fire near Cardinal Newman High School on Oct. 10, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif.
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A neighborhood is destroyed by fire in the area of Foxtail Court, on Oct. 10, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif.
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People look for something to salvage in a neighborhood destroyed by fire in the area of Foxtail Court, on Oct. 10, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif.
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The American Red Cross set up an evacuation center at the Crosswalk Community Church for people displaced by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
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A view of the remains of homes that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
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A view of the remains of homes that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
A view of the remains of homes that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
A view of the remains of homes that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
A view of the remains of homes that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
A view of the remains of homes that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
A view of the remains of homes that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
A view of the remains of homes that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
A view of the remains of homes that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
A view of the remains of homes that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
A view of the remains of homes that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
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A view of the remains of homes that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
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A view of the remains of homes that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
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A resident rushes to save his home as an out of control wildfire moves through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Glen Ellen, Calif.
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This LOVE sculpture was one of the few things left standing at the Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa, Calif.
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Michael Pond, left, looks through ashes as his wife Kristine, center, gets a hug from Zack Thurston, their daughter's boyfriend, while they search the remains of their home destroyed by fires in Santa Rosa, Calif., Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.
AP/Marcio Jose Sanchez
A man drives an all-terrain vehicle along a fire-ravaged Soda Canyon Rd., Monday, Oct. 9, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
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Kristine Pond reacts as she searches the remains of her family's home destroyed by fires in Santa Rosa, Calif., Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.
AP
The entrance to the fire-ravaged Signorello Estate winery is seen Monday, Oct. 9, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
AP
The charred remains of the Signorello Estate winery are seen Monday, Oct. 9, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Smoke billows from a neighborhood that was destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire on October 9, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif.
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Burned out cars sit next to a building on fire in a fire-ravaged neighborhood on Oct. 9, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif.
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Flames consume a section of the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country on Oct. 9, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif.
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Burned lawn chairs sit next to the swimming pool at the Journey's End Mobile Home Park on Oct. 9, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif.
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The remains of fire-damaged homes and cars at the Journey's End Mobile Home Park on Oct. 9, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif.
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Burned out wine bottles sit on a rack at the fire-damaged Signarello Estate winery after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
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A Napa Valley public worker sprays water on a building as an out of control wildfire moves through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Yountville, Califo.
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Burned out wine bottles sit on a rack at the fire-damaged Signarello Estate winery after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
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A burned out home sits next to a vineyard after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Sonoma, Calif.
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Burned out wine bottles sit on a rack at the fire-damaged Signarello Estate winery after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Burned out wine bottles sit on a rack at the fire-damaged Signarello Estate winery after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The remains of the fire-damaged Signarello Estate winery after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
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The remains of the fire-damaged Signarello Estate winery after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The remains of the fire-damaged Signarello Estate winery after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Napa, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The remains of fire damaged homes after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Glen Ellen, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The remains of fire damaged homes after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Glen Ellen, Calif.
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Burned cars sit idle after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Glen Ellen, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The remains of fire-damaged homes after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Glen Ellen, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The remains of fire-damaged homes after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Glen Ellen, Calif.
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An image of the Napa fire Oct. 9, 2017.
jacobschmidtphoto from Instagram
An image of the Napa fire Oct. 9, 2017.
jacobschmidtphoto from Instagram
An image of the Napa fire Oct. 9, 2017.
jacobschmidtphoto from Instagram
An image of the Napa fire Oct. 9, 2017.
jacobschmidtphoto from Instagram
An image of the Napa fire Oct. 9, 2017.
jacobschmidtphoto from Instagram
An image of the Napa fire Oct. 9, 2017.
jacobschmidtphoto from Instagram
An image of the Napa fire Oct. 9, 2017.
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The rubble and ash of a home on Sonterra Court in Santa Rosa on Otc. 9, 2017, after a wildfire swept through the area overnight.
Kevin Nious/NBC Bay Area
The rubble and ash of a home on Sonterra Court in Santa Rosa on Oct. 9, 2017, after a wildfire swept through the area overnight.
Kevin Nious/NBC Bay Area
The rubble and ash of a home on Sonterra Court in Santa Rosa on Oct. 9, 2017, after a wildfire swept through the area overnight.
Kevin Nious/NBC Bay Area
The rubble and ash of a home on Sonterra Court in Santa Rosa on Oct. 9, 2017, after a wildfire swept through the area overnight.
Kevin Nious/NBC Bay Area
The rubble and ash of a home on Sonterra Court in Santa Rosa on Oct. 9, 2017, after a wildfire swept through the area overnight.
NBC Bay Area
The rubble and ash of a home on Sonterra Court in Santa Rosa on Oct. 9, 2017, after a wildfire swept through the area overnight.
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The remains of fire damaged homes after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Glen Ellen, Calif.
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A burned out home sits next to a vineyard after an out of control wildfire moved through the area on Oct. 9, 201,7 in Sonoma, Calif.
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Smoke continues to rise from the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country on Oct. 9, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif.
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Smoke billows from a neighborhood that was destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire on Oct. 9, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif.
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Fire consumes a home as an out-of-control wildfire move through the area on Oct. 9, 2017, in Glen Ellen, Calif.
Salazar advised people to go to their website for more information about fostering pets, as phone lines have been consistently busy since Monday morning.
Meanwhile, Humane Society Silicon Valley, Kiska and the Nevada Humane Society picked up evacuated animals from the Petaluma Animal Shelter on Monday, as the flames continued to roar closer to the Hopper Street location. Some of the four-legged evacuees had only recently arrived from Louisiana, where they were rescued from the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey.
The Petaluma shelter posted that it had received a strong show of support from the community, quickly maxing out the needed number of volunteers and receiving dozens of bags of food and other supplies. Shelter staff said they are still in need of foster parents for animals and cash donations to cover veterinary care.
“We're all super tired but inspired by the love of our friends and neighbors who worry if we're OK,” Petaluma shelter staff wrote in a Facebook post. “We love to serve animals and people, and we're here for fire victims. We're one big family - that's how we see it.”
Marin Humane also took in 100 cats and kittens from the evacuated Pets Lifeline in Sonoma, but the organization posted on its Facebook page that it had plenty of volunteers and was stocked up on supplies.
“what we need most right now is financial support to cover the cost of care for the many, many animals we're boarding free of charge for evacuees,” staff wrote in a Facebook post. “People can make donations to support the boarded animals here.”
Meanwhile, Safari West, an animal wildlife preserve in Santa Rosa, was mostly spared by the fire. About 700 animals, including wildebeests, monkeys, zebras, giraffes, and boars, live at the 400-acre sanctuary.
“The preserve remains intact and the animals safe and contained,” Safari West said in a statement. “However, fires continue to burn nearby and the situation is far from stabilized. Please continue to help by keeping the roadways as clear as possible and allowing our firefighters to do their work
