On Sept. 7, 2010, American Humane’s team of emergency first responders helped Boulder County Animal Control rescue pets from homes threatened by a wildfire that roared through Fourmile Canyon near Boulder, Colo.

The fire, which claimed approximately 7,000 acres and burned more than 160 homes, forced approximately 3,500 people to evacuate the scene.

Unfortunately, some pet owners were not home at the time the evacuation was ordered; as a result, they were unable to evacuate their pets. Others could not locate their pets in the very few minutes that they had to evacuate before the fire advanced toward their homes.

Our emergency first responders rushed to the scene and worked alongside Boulder County Animal control officers to make visits at the request of pet owners to homes in evacuated areas to rescue stranded pets.

Additional members of our team arrived with a rescue truck and transport trailer to provide additional assistance. They worked tirelessly to care for the animals rescued by our volunteers and the animal control officers, provided water and crates for the pets’ safety, and called pet owners to let them know that their animals were safe.

Once the mission was complete, rescue teams transported all of the rescued animals to the Boulder Humane Society for sheltering and pick-up by their owners.