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Sonoma County Man Who Lost 'Everything' in Glass Fire Reunites With Donkey

An animal response team in Sonoma County, California, helped reunite a man who had “lost everything” in the Glass Fire with one of his donkeys on October 3.

The Sonoma Community Animal Response Team (CART) said Dan lost his Santa Rosa home and “everything he had worked for over these past 30 years” to the Glass Fire, which has burned more than 67,000 acres as of October 7.

Dan tried to battle the fire and protect his home, but ended up seeking refuge in a pond while “flames surrounded him.” Dan was burned in several places and went looking for help after spending the night in the pond, Sonoma CART said.

Sonoma CART said he asked the team to check on his four free-roaming donkeys. Volunteers said they couldn’t find the animals, but eventually asked Dan to come with them to call the donkeys by name.

“And then it happened. One small donkey came up out of the burned brush, and greeted them with happiness,” Sonoma CART said on Facebook.

This video shows Dan and Mango the donkey reuniting on a scorched hillside in Sonoma County. Sonoma CART said it’s bringing Mango to a safer location and will continue searching for the other three donkeys.

“There is hope because Mango survived. He lived through the fire that burned the entire area in which he lived – thousands of acres of land – and he survived,” Sonoma CART said.

The Glass Fire was 58 percent contained as of October 7, officials said. Credit: Sonoma CART via Storyful