The campus continues its efforts to assist victims of the Camp Fire in Butte County, with firefighters on the front lines, thousands of pounds of donations delivered to the fire’s victims, and veterinary personnel treating and seeking the owners of injured or displaced animals.
Three campus firefighters started the relief effort last Friday (Nov. 9), one day after the department dispatched four of their colleagues to the fire. With all the supplies that came in through Wednesday (Nov. 14), firefighters delivered five loads in 16-foot box trucks and two loads in the department’s 10-foot trailer, and sent additional loads by SUV and pickup.
Donations poured in from Aggies on campus and as far away as New York, and included clothes, food, bedding, personal hygiene products and more.
Trauernicht praised the generosity of the community (“Nothing short of amazing,” he said on Twitter) and his firefighters.
“I’m always so proud of our UC Davis firefighters,” he said in a message posted to Twitter. “They are the heart and soul of everything we do at the UC Davis Fire Department. Collecting donations for Camp Fire victims is just today’s example.”
Meanwhile, the four campus firefighters, on Engine 234 — Capt. Cess Mercado, engineer Derek Carthy, and firefighters Lindsey Dubs and Mike Cullen — continue to battle the blaze, which as of this morning (Nov. 15) had grown to 140,000 acres and was 40 percent contained, according to CalFire.
DISPLACED ANIMALS
The animals currently on campus receiving treatment from the effects of the Camp Fire are:
- One mini-horse
- Four pigs
- Three goats
- 31 cats
Students and veterinarians — members of the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Emergency Response Team — have been at the Butte County Fairgrounds daily, treating a wide range of animals: horses, donkeys, sheep, chicken, geese, turkeys and more. A few were brought to campus: Pancho, a donkey brought here Sunday, was released to a rescue organization two days later.
A number of animal patients from the fire continue to be treated at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, including a number of cats whose owners are unknown. Thanks to a Facebook album of the displaced cats — which has been shared more than 50,000 times — veterinary officials reunited some animals with owners today (Nov. 15).
The album of unclaimed pets can be viewed here. If you see an animal you believe is yours, contact the hospital by email.