Franklin Fire pets find shelter as blaze burns over 4,000 acres near Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES − As firefighters continue to fight the Franklin Fire off the Malibu coast, animal shelters are caring for some of the pets of those forced to evacuate.
"It's an emergency. They have to evacuate. They don't have a place to go, and so they'll come here to house their animals." Juan Maceda, manager at the Agoura Animal Care Center, told USA TODAY in an interview Wednesday.
Maceda said that, as of Wednesday, the shelter has taken in 15 dogs and one parrot as a result of the fire while larger animals, such as horses and livestock, were directed to the campus of Pierce College in nearby Woodland Hills.
While Malibu is one of the wealthiest enclaves in the nation, the rapid nature of the fire may have caused evacuated residents to seek shelter for their pets.
"They may be out of town, the pet it's left with a baby pet sitter, and they don't have a plan, or they don't have a place to go (that takes pets)," Maceda said.
Some pet owners have returned for their animals, including one dog that was taken back while USA TODAY was at the shelter.
Maceda said that caring for animals impacted by the fire has affected an already crowded shelter.
"Trying to figure out how to make space is a challenge in itself," Maceda said. "Now you're looking into doubling up on kennels or creating a section where you have to put up crates to create some sort of shelter with the tarp on it to keep them away from the elements and providing heat at night."
Maceda noted that the shelter needed items that they accept outside of emergencies – including food and blankets – but that items for larger animals were just as important, as supplies such as hay bales can rot.
Franklin Fire map
Conditions help Franklin Fire firefight
Firefighters have made progress on the blaze as weather conditions turned sharply in their favor.
Red flag warnings in the area lapsed Wednesday though winds continued to cause problems in the effort to contain the over 4,000 acre fire that stood at 20% containment Thursday afternoon, according to CalFire.
"There are some westerly and northwesterly winds also in the forecast, which might not be good for the wildfire," Joe Sirard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Los Angeles, told USA TODAY Thursday. "It will moisten up a tiny bit, but the winds could be problematic in fighting any leftover hotspots."
The NWS said in an afternoon update that dry conditions will persist through Friday, but Saturday could see some light rain.
Officials also said some Malibu residents will be allowed back to their homes as some evacuation orders are expected to be lifted as soon as Thursday evening.
Contributing: Julia Gomez, N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Terry Collins, Jeanine Santucci
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pets find shelter as Franklin Fire continues to burn in Malibu
