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Twin Peaks wild horses & burros in danger: another large and fast moving wildfire

Posted by on August 6, 2015

Twin Peaks wild horses & burros in danger: another large and fast moving wildfire

 

Twin Peaks HMA Rush Fire on Rye Patch Road August 18, 2012 (Photo by BLM)

After the Twin Peaks HMA Rush Fire in 2012, this HMA is again under siege by another large wildfire.

by Grandma Gregg

Another large and out of control wildfire is raging in the Twin Peaks HMA (NE California).  Many wild horses live in this Dodge Reservoir part of the HMA.  The fire has so-far consumed over 11,000 acres just since Monday afternoon.  The fire was caused by a BLM contractor.  The area has many fences and cross-fences and cattle guards. Most wild animals can go over or under a fence or go underground or fly away during a fire.  The wild horses and burros cannot.

If the BLM doesn’t open all the gates and drop a few fences in the path of the fire so the wild horses and burros can escape … many wild horses and burros will die.  Every minute counts.

Nobody wants to hear this but a few days after the recent Twin Peaks Rush fire, I saw with my own eyes, a stallion and two mares with black ash up to their knees and with fences nearby and the mares had heavy milk bags (full udders) and there were NO FOALS anywhere around.  There is no doubt in my mind that their foals were killed in the fire so although none of us can even imagine (without tears in our eyes) the terror and suffering of those foals and their mothers, it is because many were trapped by the livestock fences.  That is a major cause of wild ones dying from these fires – trapped by the livestock fences – and BLM would not admit that a single wild horse or burro died in that almost 400,000 acre fire.  So sorry to have to tell this story  … but some of us need to know the truth.  Tears in my eyes and pain in my heart for our wild ones out there this very minute – their fate is in jeopardy and in the hands of BLM.

Please contact BLM and ask them to be sure that ALL the gates in the path of the fire are OPENED and fences CUT so that the wild horses and burros have at least a CHANCE of escape from this wildfire.  BLM needs to know we care.  Please contact Jeff Fontana, (530) 252-5332 or jfontana@blm.gov and BLM Northern California District Manager Nancy Haug email nhaug@blm.gov
Please and thank you.

8 comments on “Twin Peaks wild horses & burros in danger: another large and fast moving wildfire”

  1. Sent an email to each address above and shared on twitter. This breaks my puny little heart.
    #KeepWildHorsesWild

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  2. Thank you Grandma Gregg, calls and emails sent. I will pray for their safety. But what kind of a stupid ass does anything in this heat that could remotely turn this brush into a raging fire!

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  3. Fire update…NO mention of Wild Horse & Burro habitat and the fact that they MAY BE TRAPPED
    http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4445/

    11,400 Acres
    The Dodge Fire, previously named R-1, is burning brush, grass and juniper in a remote area of northeast Lassen County, Calif. It is threatening habitat for greater sage-grouse.

    There are no threats to communities or critical infrastructure
    The fire is expected to continue moving to the south, southeast and northeast.

    The fire has burned general management habitat for greater sage-grouse. Crews are working to keep the fire out of nearby priority habitat. The area supports livestock grazing, wildlife and wild horse and burro herds. Private ranch lands are near the fire

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  4. I emailed to Jim and Nancy:
    From: “Fontana, Joseph” Date: Thursday, August 6, 2015 at 11:09 AMThanks for your message. We have shared with the team managing this fire and with our district manager. Jeff Jeff Fontana Public Affairs Officer BLM Northern California District 530.252.5332 (office) 530.260.0189 (cell) jfontana@blm.gov On Thu, Aug 6, 2015 at 7:25 AM, Denise Brown wrote: ACTION ALERT IMMEDIATE RESPONSE NEEDED: Dear Jeff: Please open ALL the gates in the path of the fire and CUT fences so that the wild horses and burros have a CHANCE of escape from Twin Peaks Rush wildfire. It is in the BLM’s hands to save the wild ones and give them a chance to survive these fires. Thanks you so much From a concerned citizen for my wild horses and burros. And from many other concerned New Hampshire citizens. I hope to visit as a tourist some day and want to see the wild horses and burros. Denise Brown  Portsmouth NH

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