The trailers arrived all at once, carrying hundreds of horses fleeing the Eaton and Palisades fires in Los Angeles.
Some horses came alone, others in trailers filled with their animal companions. Many had owners, but others arrived alone, brought in by rescuers or animal control. According to the volunteers, one of the horses carried its owner all the way from Altadena, which would have taken five hours on foot. Pigs, donkeys and miniature horses followed.
Within 24 hours, the Los Angeles Equestrian Center was transformed into a modern-day Noah's Ark. Over the past week, it has sheltered hundreds of animals from the disaster as part of its official role as one of the city's large animal shelters.
The facility, located in the shadow of Griffith Park, has accommodated more than 200 horses, in addition to the nearly 500 horses already living there.
Last Tuesday and Wednesday were “chaos,” said Jenny Nevin, a spokeswoman for the equestrian center. The facility cataloged every horse that arrived, making sure they could be reunited. The animals have been housed at no cost to the owners, thanks to the support of public donations and frequent deliveries of free hay, feed and other supplies.
Sergio Marcial was one of dozens of people who brought animals here after their own facilities were destroyed or threatened.
A week ago, he and his girlfriend Jenny Bacon rushed to help rescue more than 70 animals from the forest Eaton Dam is stableWhile fighting fires so intense that his face mask caught fire and his glasses were shattered and mangled.
His efforts led to him being taken to hospital, where his lungs and throat burned after inhaling the burning air.
One week later, Martial, 29, and Ms Bacon, 30, gave Arthur and Playboy a tour of their new home, two miniature horses he had helped rescue that night. Here, they were safe from the fires, and seemed calm and friendly despite everything they had been exposed to.
“Swallowing is still painful,” Marcial said, pointing to the face mask he has to wear to prevent infection. “I would do it again – no doubt.”
Most of the owners of the protected animals were recognized, and several spent Tuesday afternoon walking their horses around the stables.
Dozens of volunteers cared for other animals residing at the center. Some became local celebrities.
The two donkeys, Maurice and Mika, would often stick their heads out of their stables to attract attention. They fled down the mountain with their owner as the Palisades Fire approached, and were reunited because he wrote his number on their sides.
“They love when you sing to them,” volunteer Lucina Herrera said. “We all adopted them and took care of them.”
But a few animals have yet to be claimed. A miniature horse named Izzy has not found her owner a week after the fires. Volunteers have mass-adopted her so she can find a new permanent home.
Nevin said that a large number of volunteers came to help the animals, which forced employees to keep some of them away. Between 50 and 100 volunteers now assemble the stalls, feed the animals, blow hay and sing to Maurice and Mika when they get antsy.
London Scott, founder of the local Cali Cowboy Club, said watching horse owners reunite with their horses was one of the most valuable experiences for volunteers.
“It's a really beautiful process to go through,” Ms Scott said. “To be able to see that firsthand, and to know that you had a small part in someone having a little bit of peace of mind at a tragic moment in time.”
Here they describe their deep connection to their animals and say the farms that burned are a place of peace in this bustling urban area.
“They are my safe place,” Katherine Armenta, 42, said. “It's like a bond, a connection that I don't have with anything else on this planet.”
Many here don't know what will happen next, as they might take their animals after the ongoing fire chaos around the Los Angeles area is over.
“I couldn't even process any of this. There are 40 horses to take care of,” Ms Bacon said. “When all is said and done, I think we'll all go have a margarita and have a good cry.”
