Posted on 12/06/2017 2:52:43 PM PST by BenLurkin
Amid the charred landscape of Little Tujunga Canyon Road in Sylmar on Wednesday stood the remains of Rancho Padilla and the carcasses of nearly 30 horses who died in the fast-moving Creek fire.
The Padilla family was there Wednesday morning, surveying the smoldering ranch that their father built more than 20 years ago. They somberly counted up the dead horses, whose charred bodies lined dozens of stalls. The family, who lives up the hill from the ranch, had awakened Tuesday to flames. One firetruck came and told them to leave.
“All I could think about was the horses, the horses, the horses. And they were like, ‘Get out, get out, get out,’ ” said Patricia Padilla, whose family owns the ranch. “The structures can get rebuilt, but the lives of the horses can’t. ... That’s my biggest heartbreak.”
The ranch, which boards horses, had more than 60 housed there, said Virginia Padilla, Patricia’s older sister. They put the count of dead horses at 29.
The family was familiar with each owner and would be calling them throughout the day to deliver the grim news and offer condolences.
On Wednesday morning, the smell of fire hung in the air and mixed with the odor of burned carcasses. Blackened horseshoes and traces of blood littered the stalls as a heavy silence blanketed the ranch. The stillness was broken only occasionally by the whinnies of a surviving horse and the crowing of a rooster.
Shelby Hope brought Oscar Martinez, a horse owner, and others up Wednesday morning to see whether the horses had survived and how she could help. She’s been coming to the ranch for about five years, to attend rodeos and spend time with friends.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
People not from California don’t understand the the conditions that make up fires here. They are rather unique.
I saw a horse barn fire—————about 70 years ago———I still remember the horror,all of these tears later..
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They don't know the terrain, geography, they're not familiar with the devil winds that generally come at the end of summers, and in fall when everything is bone dry from summer.
It's probably hard for them to imagine a wind driven wall of fire with flames 40' high being blown like a blast furnace, with thousands of burning embers flying by at 40+ mph. It's going to be a long night in S. CA for some.
I saw video of the burned horses and the Padilla Ranch. The burned horses were in iron pens outside, with chain and a big lock securing the gate of the pen. Unless you could reach the key to every lock really fast, when the police are shouting for you to leave, you could not free those horses. Obviously the Padillas need to re-think how they secure the pens. The poor horses. I cannot imagine how much absolute terror and pain they experienced. Makes me cry.
Ever hear of stringing the horses out behind a truck or car and lead them out?
And dont come around here telling me I dont know WTF I am talking about. I live with cattlemen and cowboys around here. One cowboy would have taken those animals out, or at least given them a chance.
Yep. We have a boat in Ventura and I spend a lot of time there and have many friends there. Daughters friend lost her house. My niece was evacuated from Santa Paula. Gal that lives next door to us in the marina hasn’t been able to get to work. So many stories. You have to know these areas to understand the fires there.
They’re thinking if ya have a nice cleared area around the home, you’re good to go. Unfortunately we know wind driven wild fires can come really fast and it’ll blow raining embers sideways over long distances.
I know from direct experience. One minute the fire is a few miles away you’re getting ready to bail out. The next minute the fire/embers jumped forward and suddenly it’s right down the road and closing quickly.
Yep. That’s why I said they don’t understand California fire conditions.
Most of these fires are started by arcing power lines from high winds. Jeez.
Park service says this about wild land fires. May be different in counties in soCal
Humans and Wildfire
As many as 90 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans. Some human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, negligently discarded cigarettes and intentional acts of arson. The remaining 10 percent are started by lightning or lava.
Mmmm hubby was wild land firefighter for 33 years. Yes there are firebugs but the majority of fires started are accidental. Yep a lot of human accidents but in these types of winds it’s usually arcing power lines.
I thought I heard that people were told to release their horses and get out. Meaning let the horses have a CHANCE to escape. Very very sad.
Me too. Maybe the smoke killed them before the fire.
Hard to believe the minders did not open the stall doors and give them a chance.
We know someone who lost her home in Ventura as well. She recently lost her father too. She is too devastated to come back to work for some time. So sad.
Interesting. LA resident here. And i did not know that.
I meant in general. I spent 25 plus years in the liberal Utopia of Wa state. Their forest management during that time changed from actively working to prevent wildfires to “rewilding” - letting forests self manage and closing roads to prevent human intervention. The latter doesn’t work.
From another article:
Two workers who spoke with Eyewitness News said the smell of smoke woke them up around 4 a.m. They ran to the barns and saw the roofs were on fire.But sure, a cowboy would have gotten all those stalls open with the barn burning around him and strung them all behind his truck and saved them all.The ranch staff said they wanted to open the barn doors so the horses could escape, but the fire had become too intense. Nearly 40 of those horses burned to death, but about six were rescued.
There was a story here a couple weeks ago. A homeless couple were living in a camper. A fire started. Both were out and safe. But their two dogs were trapped inside. The man went in to rescue them. He burned to death. Maybe if he'd been a cowboy those dogs would have survived, though, I guess.
And then there is the fact that those idiots knew GD well that fire was headed their way for some time, maybe a day or two, before it arrived.
Dont piss on me and claim its raining. Those people are ignorant and idiots.
No sane person would sit there and wait for a disaster to fall down around their heads. Its the same for those who ride out storms around FL and the Gulf coast.
The point of my comment was several here suggested or implied in a wind blown wild fire, if brush is cleared from around structures, you’re safe and good to go.
That is simply not true.
The only idiot here is you. You don't know zip. You're not smart enough to understand the devil winds do not blow in perfect straight lines or directions. The winds rotate and change directions quickly. Add in canyons, hills and mountains, and the surface winds will be influenced and follow the lay of the land and then suddenly change direction again.
You clearly have never been in a wind blown wildfire and you ought to shut the hell up on this thread.
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