Nearly 300 animals return home after evacuation orders lifted for Quarry Fire

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Nearly 300 animals were able to return home after all mandatory evacuation orders were lifted for the Quarry Fire on Tuesday .

For the past week, volunteers have been working around the clock to care for animals evacuated to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Jefferson County Horse Council , a nonprofit that has helped in dozens of disasters for more than two decades, was one of the organizations that stepped up to help amid the fire.

"We've had probably the most amount of species, I believe, that we've ever had in one of the evacuations," said Ally Harmon with Jefferson County Horse Council. "A lot of times with these fires, the focus is on the people, the homes. A lot of times, people kind of forget about the outdoor pets. You're scared, you're running, you grab your cat and your dog, and they kind of come with you. But we don't always think about those animals that are outside — the horses, the alpacas, the llamas, the pigs — and it can become a real big struggle to get them loaded on trailers and moved and evacuated."

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Harmon said some animals came from the Stone Canyon Fire near Lyons, but the majority came from the Quarry Fire.

"We have volunteers here 24/7. There are people that actually sleep on the ground to make sure that the animals are being cared for through the night. So we think that most people will be coming today into this evening, possibly tomorrow. But you know, by the end of the week, we're hoping to have all the animals back in their original homes," she said.

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Denver7 was there as Megan Martzke and Ron Montross picked up their animals after they were evacuated last week.

"It was very scary, especially when we first were locked out and didn't know how we were going to get them down here," said Montross. "We had these two donkeys and a goat, and then we have eight more goats... two cows and two llamas."

They said the Quarry Fire was less than a mile away from their home. The two were thankful for all the help from volunteers.

"They were amazing here, all these guys. We were here every day, and they helped us move them from the heat into the shade. And we got them tarps and everything. So they were all awesome here," added Montross.

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The Jefferson County Horse Council relies on community donations to continue helping in times of emergency. If you'd like to help their efforts, you can do so here .

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