How this Fresno County cat sanctuary is preparing for the Garnet Fire

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A wildlife sanctuary is preparing to evacuate as the Garnet Fire continues to burn in Fresno County.

Dale Anderson is the founder and executive director of Project Survival’s Cat Haven in Dunlap. He says they have plans to evacuate if the fire were to expand further south, jumping the Kings River. 

“It’s our duty to make sure that we do what we can to save the animals,” Anderson noted.

Anderson says protecting their animals from wildfires involves moving crates out to enclosures, ensuring veterinarians are equipped with medication, and communicating with other agencies that could house their big cats.  

“We start calling around different facilities around the state and trying to see what availability people have at that point. If you have to move 38 animals, you can’t just put them in a dog kennel,” he said. 

Their staff also undergoes drills to prepare for anything that might go wrong.

“We had the Lightning Complex Fire that was a different location. It was to the west of us, moving in our direction. It took out Bear Mountain, the cell towers up there. We lost all cell coverage. We didn’t have power for 78 hours.

“How many of those things do you think of ahead of time? Some of that stuff we do, but sometimes you just don’t until you run through drills or you have stuff happen, then you modify your situation to be able to make it work,” Anderson said.

They are most concerned about the sanctuary’s proximity to the Kings River and the upcoming weather.  

“I hope we don’t have any fires with the lightning these next couple days. That’s the main thing,” Anderson said.

Anyone living nearby with trucks or trailers can be added to the “help if called list” for the sanctuary. If you’d like to support, you can send them a message or call 559-338-3216.