The Cranston Fire – 3 Years Ago Today – Living Free Animal Sanctuary

Three years ago on July 25, 2018, the Cranston Fire raged through the San Jacinto Mountains, burning more than 13,000 acres. 7,000 residents from Idyllwild, Mountain Center, Garner Valley and Pine Cove were evacuated. The fire destroyed several homes and other structures, but fortunately no human lives were lost. Later, the loss of foliage coupled with torrential rains caused two of the three highways leading to the mountain communities to wash out. The repair and reinforcement of culverts and roadbeds continued for years.

Living Free Animal Sanctuary, also home to War Horse Creek, sits at the center of the Cranston Fire map and was eventually surrounded by flames on all four sides, forcing the evacuation of staff, volunteers and the 200 animals in our care. The fire jumped Highway 74 from the west and burned about 40 acres of wildland before the Hotshots were able to stop it at our gate. We were displaced for almost two weeks as firefighters fought to bring the blaze under control. Due to effective abatement and fire preparation, the dedication and skill of the firefighters, and what can only be attributed to providence, the infrastructure survived intact.

It started as a beautiful day, though very hot and dry. The Santa Ana winds were blowing, creating an ideal situation for a wildfire to catch and grow. Around noon, the fire first appeared as a massive smoke plume rising to our west. Initially, we were ordered to shelter in place, keeping the roads clear for emergency vehicles.

That afternoon we made preparations to evacuate and watched the fire build in area and intensity. Later that day, the wind shifted, turning the fire to the east, putting the sanctuary, our animals and team members, directly in its path. Experienced firefighters tell us that fire behavior has changed in recent years, becoming more aggressive and unpredictable, and the Cranston Fire was no exception.

About 4:30 PM we were given the order to evacuate. Helicopters were dropping water close to our property line to the north, and a high wall of flame was advancing across the highway from the west. We had prepared, and with a lot of help from the community, we were able to load our 200 cats, dogs, horses, burros and sheep and get them off the property and headed toward safety in about an hour. As the last of us drove out the gate just before 6 PM, embers were blowing across the highway onto the “Front Forty” section of our property. The Hot Shots were pulling in, helicopters were coming up the highway from Lake Hemet with water bags hanging beneath them, and the heat was tremendous. At that point, we had no idea if we would ever see our sanctuary again.

We focused our efforts on getting the animals to safety in different shelters across the valley. “People poured in through our gate to help,” says Living Free Director of Administration Tangie Miller.

Shared Randall Harris, “It was a team effort. The wild land management that Rudy Nunez, Tony White, and Ray Barmore do all year cleared dead tinder and dead trees and knocked down the fire ladders, so the firefighters had a defensible space. And they defended it. Helicopter pilots made pinpoint water drops, bulldozers cut fire break, and it was as if they moved the fire right around us. When you see how close it came and where they stopped it—it was like a work of art.”

While we suffered damages totaling near $50,000, our sanctuary survived and so did our team and each and every animal that calls Living Free home.

The generosity of this day overwhelmed us. Three years later, are hearts are still warm with gratitude knowing that we were able to protect precious lives with the help of our team and supporters.

We wanted to give continued thanks to the following people, rescues and businesses opened their doors to house Living Free’s animals and their caregivers.

Loving All Animals took 31 small dogs and two litters of moms with puppies.
Patty Perez sheltered all the Living Free dogs and sheep the night of evacuation, and continued to care for the sheep for the duration of the evacuation.
Lake Riverside Community Center in Anza sheltered 118 cats and the entire community stepped up to ensure the team had everything they needed. Cattery Supervisor Matt Worthington found homes for 12 cats while they were sheltered there. A silver lining moment!
Anza Lions Club Gymkhana Center sheltered 9 of Living Free’s 11 equines while they were evacuated, including Hawkeye and Trapper, two ungentled mustangs the organization recently adopted from the Bureau of Land Management.
Humane Society of the Desert took 29 large dogs. This organization had the foresight to build a row of kennels specifically for disaster relief, and that was a big advantage for Living Free, to have the animals together with their caregivers.
Two mustangs were relocated to a boarding facility in Garner Valley.
Wags & Walks, a Los Angeles-based rescue, took a litter of 7 puppies and their mother who had arrived the day before.

Other organizations that assisted by donating and collecting donations were: