On August 31, 2020, the Trinity Alps Pack Mules were preparing to hit the trail in Northern California’s Six Rivers National Forest when the wind kicked up, spreading a nearby spot fire toward camp. The team, which was scheduled to resupply firefighters battling the Red Salmon Complex, shifted gears. To ensure the safety of equines and packers alike, they quickly broke down their gear and relocated. But within hours, they were back on the trail en route to the fire line.

The Forest Service and other agencies have been managing wildfires on federal lands for more than 100 years. For most of that time, horses and especially mules have played an essential role, ferrying everything from food to fuel (for saws) into the wilderness. And while the need for stock animals in these roles is on the rise, their use is declining, notes Guy Zoellner, wilderness trails supervisor for the Spotted Bear Ranger District in the Flathead National Forest.

According to the Pack Stock Center of Excellence, in the early 1900s, the U.S. Forest Service’s Southwest Region alone had roughly 2,000 stock animals and more than 100 packers. Today, that number has dwindled to roughly 120 animals, although the designated wilderness land has more than quadrupled.

Not only is there more land, there’s more fire. In recent decades, wildfires in the U.S. have been growing, not necessarily in number, but in size. In the two-decade span from 2000 to 2020, fire seasons torched an average of 7.1 million acres annually, more than double the typical 3.3 million acres that burned in the 1990s.

If 2020 is any indication, that trend is unlikely to reverse itself any time soon. It was a record year, with 10.3 million acres affected.

A number of wilderness areas throughout the U.S. continue using equines in fire suppression, mitigation, prevention, and even rehabilitation.

Why Equines Work

In a world in which advanced technology has become ubiquitous, reliance on equines fighting fires may come as a surprise. Surely, trucks or ATVs would be a faster way to deliver supplies? And anybody living near a recent wildfire likely knows that aircraft are frequently made available. The decision—and yes, on many levels, it is a decision—to use animals in fighting wildfires is multifaceted, but it has two key components: wilderness and circumstance.

“The thing about federal wilderness is the emphasis on primitive tools and primitive modes of transport,” explains Randy Rasmussen, Backcountry Horsemen of America’s director for public lands and recreation. Indeed, the 1964 Wilderness Act prohibits all things mechanized, from bicycles to chainsaws. Although there are provisions that allow exceptions in the case of wildfire, most agencies hesitate to apply for them unless safety is at stake.

Using mules and horses to support fire crews isn’t always just about preserving the character and intent of the wilderness. Often, it’s also the most practical choice. Mules, famously surefooted and sensible, can traverse terrain that would be impassable for most motorized vehicles.

In the steep, rugged mountains where the Red Salmon Complex fire burned, they made sense. What’s more, when heavy smoke (as often seen in California) or weather conditions hinder flight of planes and helicopters, the equines can still manage. In addition, using the mules frees up helicopters to do other jobs, such as transporting crew or dropping water on the flames.

Ins and Outs of Equines Fighting Fires

Regardless of the wilderness area they serve, most stock teams consist primarily of mules and a handful of horses. The mules are typically, although not always, used only for packing, while packers may ride horses to lead and bring up the back of the string.

When doing fire-related work, at least one person from an official fire crew typically travels with the equines and packers to ensure their safety. Despite the fact that wildfires typically operate under a federal management structure that allows resources to seamlessly go where they’re needed most, the work done by the equines is heavily location dependent.

It’s key to understand that much wildland firefighting is defensive in nature. Teams spend a lot of time digging fire lines—spaces free of grass, brush or other burnable fuel—and protecting structures with a fire-resistant wrap or cutting down nearby trees to create a “defensible space.”

That’s not to say that the teams never confront flames—they light fires that could burn back toward the wildfire, stamp out embers, and directly apply water, dirt or retardant to hotspots—but it is highly unlikely that the equines ever would. Their jobs on active fires range from defensive to strictly supportive in nature.

The most obvious job for equines fighting fires is to bring supplies to firefighters camped in the wilderness. This might be as simple as food and fuel. But it could also be pumps or wrap to protect a historic structure.

This is the work that the Trinity Alps Pack Mules were engaged in when their work was delayed. And it is impressive. Each mule typically carries between 120 and 200 pounds; with approximately seven to nine mules on a string, hiring a helicopter to transport the equivalent would cost thousands of dollars.

Digging Trail Lines

In the Flathead National Forest, Zoellner and his team occasionally use their trail plow to help with fire-related efforts, from clearing a line around a prescribed fire to protecting a structure.

“It drops the manpower to make this stuff super easy, and speeds it up,” says Zoellner. “We still have crews out there pulling out brush, but the mules smoke the people when it comes to digging trail.”

In Montana’s Glacier National Park, stock teams only support an active wildfire every three to five years, largely because they rarely see large fires. However, equines fighting fires do support four staffed fire lookouts throughout the summer, hauling supplies in and trash out every two weeks.

“These lookouts have been on these mountains since the 1930s, so we’re keeping up those traditions in historic places as part of our fire program,” explains the park’s Fire Management Officer Jeremy Harker. “We’re still using the old methods and the ways that we supply them. We could fly with a helicopter, but it’s expensive and it doesn’t fit the tradition or the wilderness portion of the business.”

Stock teams’ day-to-day routine also looks different depending on the type of wilderness they’re protecting. In Flathead, Zoellner’s approximately two dozen animals spend the summer in the wilds. When they’re not working, most roam free in a 3-mile radius around the main backcountry work center, then pack out for shorter stints in the wilderness, even overnighting at the firecamps.

Others, like the Trinity Alps team or those working in Glacier, are hauled to trailheads and typically complete their supply trips in a single day.

Need for Expansion

Despite the incredible utility of equines for fighting wildfires, and the rising need for them, they remain an understaffed and underused resource. A big part of the challenge is a lack of experienced and willing handlers.

“It’s really hard to find folks who want to manage public lands in the wilderness setting who also have the skillset to safely and productively manage horses and mules back there,” says Zoellner.

To begin overcoming this challenge, the California-based Pack Stock Center of Excellence supports backcountry fire programs via training and education. In some areas, “fire-use modules” are emerging, in which small, skilled stock crews are dispatched to where they’re needed most. For now, these programs are still limited in size and area covered.

Zoellner stresses that growing and supporting stock programs is crucial to protecting and maintaining wilderness areas.

“As the Forest Service starts to address this work, we’re going to have to build those resources.”

The post Equines Fighting Fires Help Save Lives appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

It’s always a good reminder to have a plan and be ready in case of a natural disaster or other emergency. Wildfires, floods, and hurricanes are among the most destructive disasters. If you have to evacuate your home, it’s essential to know what options you have for your animals. We hope these horse emergency planning tips help you make your plan.

Create your horse emergency plan ahead of time when there is no imminent disaster and review it regularly so you won’t have to figure out logistics in the chaos of an emergency.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) offers these tips for horse emergency disaster preparedness.

◆ Know where to go. You’ll need to have a few options for locations that are close enough to trailer to but far enough away that they aren’t likely to be affected by the same evacuation orders. These could includes fairgrounds or a friend or family’s property. Keep a list saved at the barn, in your car, and on your phone.
◆ If you don’t travel with your horse often, practice trailer loading at home regularly so that if you need to evacuate in an emergency, your horse will be more likely to load calmly and quickly.
◆ Know your evacuation routes and practice them ahead of time if they take you to unfamiliar roads.
◆ Network with your neighbors or other boarders at your barn. Discuss how you can pool resources, such as truck and trailer space, to get all of your horses and the necessary supplies to a safe location.
◆ Prepare an emergency kit for your horses. You’ll need a travel first-aid kit,
extra lead ropes and halters, water buckets, and enough hay and grain to get through a few days longer than you think an evacuation might last.
◆ Don’t forget planning for all your pets. Not all evacuation shelters for people allow cats and dogs.

ASPCA Disaster Response Manager Tim Perciful gives expert advice about why
you shouldn’t turn your horse loose in an emergency and the benefits of microchipping.

If evacuation of horses isn’t possible, what’s the next best option?

◆ It’s crucial to heed the warning upon any advance notice for hurricane or wildfire evacuations and try to move your horses away from danger prior to
the emergency.
◆ If you have good defensible space in a wildfire and can have a fire break, then it may be best to have your horses shelter in place. one of the challenges
to this is that wildfires can send embers over long distances, and they could still ignite a barn, pasture, fencing, et cetera.
◆ If you’re inland and on high ground, then it may be best to shelter your horses in place during a hurricane.
◆ Try to identify an evacuation barn in advance that will be available in an
emergency.
◆ One of the safest places for your animals is in an emergency animal shelter where they are out of harm’s way, have access to care, and you can check on them regularly. It may take a couple of trips to move them, so it’s important to do so prior to a mandatory evacuation notice.

Are there situations where it’s better to turn your horses loose?

◆ During a hurricane, it’s not generally advised to turn your horses loose. You should work with officials on the best thing to do for any animals that are going to be immediately impacted by a disaster. Letting your horses loose during a hurricane may keep them away from danger, but it may also make it difficult for you to be reunited with your horse unless you have proper documentation.
◆ Releasing horses that are going to be immediately impacted by a wildfire
is not usually advised. You should contact emergency personnel to see if there are any other options. Evacuating your horses as soon as possible in a disaster is crucial, and will help get your horses and your family in a safe place as soon as possible.
◆ There are times when people have to evacuate and leave their animals behind. however, it may take animal rescuers a few days to get to your animals. If you are considering this, think about food, water, medications, and the animal’s overall safety.

If you are bringing your horses to an evacuation center, what are some important things to know?

◆ Proof of vaccinations and health records are important to bring with your horse. keep your veterinary records, photos of your horse and his ID information in a Ziploc bag and ready to go at all times.
◆ Be sure your horse’s vaccinations and coggins are up to date at all times. If disaster strikes and your horse needs to be evacuated or comingled with other horses, it may restrict your ability to move him if your horse is not up to date.

This article on horse emergency planning tips originally appeared in the September 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Horse Emergency Planning Tips appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.