Dozens of pets rescued from Park Fire by Nevada County volunteers

(FOX40.COM) — As areas of the Park Fire burn scar become safe for people to reenter, animal rescue teams have begun working to locate pets that were trapped in the area of the fire.

On Sunday, more than two dozen people from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Humane Emergency Aimal Rescue Team (HEART) answered a call for mutual aid from the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.

The group split into nine teams that scoured the area of the burn scar looking for animals over two days and responded to over 100 calls for service, according to HEART.

HEART manager Stefanie Geckler’s team located 21 animals with varying degrees of injuries.

“While some faired surprisingly well, others were burned badly or were in apparent respiratory distress,” Geckler said.

Most of the animals were reunited with their families, sheltered and received veterinarian care. One dog did die from respiratory issues, according to HEART.

“She was met by her family and while she ultimately passed away from the internal injuries she sustained, we are fortunate that her family was able to say goodbye and be with her at the end,” Geckler said.

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