Thursday, October 12, 2017 (11:42 am)

Animals safely evacuated to Fairgrounds during Canyon Fire 2

OC Fair & Event Center is a designated large animal rescue facility and we had a plan in case of emergency, but we could not have assisted the animals evacuated from the Canyon Fire 2 area without the help of amazing volunteers, nonprofits and local businesses.

We housed 127 horses, six pigs, six goats, six mini-horses/ponies, three tortoises, two sheep and one steer. We appreciate all who donated feed, stalls and even food to keep our volunteers fortified.

Fair staff quickly moved into action after the Fairgrounds was activated as an evacuation center. Temporary stalls were erected in the Action Sports Arena, show ring and in our livestock area. Key personnel were designated to handle processing the animal intake and to help owners get their animals settled in. During the week, staff members were on hand 24 hours a day to assist with the care of the evacuated animals and to make sure owners’ needs were met.

A huge thank you goes out to Star Milling Company, Kruse Feed & Supply, Inc., Laughing Pony Rescue, Midway City Feed Store, Feed Barn Costa Mesa, Hitching Post, Vons, Stater Bros., Carl’s Jr., L.A. on Cloud9, OC Fairgrounds Equestrian Center, the City of San Juan Capistrano’s Large Animal Response Team and the numerous individual volunteers who donated their time and effort. We had help feeding and watering the evacuated animals, walking horses, cleaning stalls and assisting with intake and check-out processes.

Join us in thanking these groups, businesses and individuals for their time and donations. And best wishes to the animals as they head home.

Read more about the evacuation and the wonderful people who helped:

Daily Pilot: Animals evacuated from O.C. wildfire find a temporary home at the fairgrounds

OC Register: Canyon Fire 2: Fairgrounds or Noah’s Ark? OC Fair becomes safe haven for displaced animals