VENTURA, California — When the A mountain fire broke out in the south CaliforniaIn Ventura County on November 6, residents had just minutes to flee with their lives and property – whatever they could salvage.

But for the equestrian communities threatened by the flames, the situation was much more complicated and help was urgent.

Robyn Fisher was one of many people who responded to the call for help. The R Farms equestrian owner and trainer rushed to the fire area when she learned several horses were in danger and needed to be transported to safety.

Heartbreaking footage shows California wildfires destroying homes

The first stop was a facility where flames were burning across the street.

“It was a lot more disastrous than I expected,” Fisher told FOX Weather. “I didn’t expect it to be as disastrous and smoky and degenerate as it already was. I was pretty nervous…I mean, all you could see was orange smoke around of us.”

She was quickly able to put four horses in her trailer.

“And I thought I was being smart by pulling out of the driveway in the opposite direction. But in reality, it was worse,” she said. “And I passed a firefighter and I stopped and I said, ‘I can’t turn around. What should I do?'”

She said the firefighter told her to stay in the middle of the road and “whatever you do, don’t stop. And if you have any chips in the trailer, make sure your windows are closed.”

California couple recover family diamond after losing home to mountain fire

Her assistant, Tony, guided her through the thick smoke that obscured the exit.

“He took out his phone and called the navigation system in front of us, and he was telling me when to turn, when to go straight and that kind of thing because all I saw was smoke and heat.” , she said. “And I thought I had made a huge mistake and was actually going to burst into flames.”

She said she narrowly escaped the flames – a fate that did not befall another horse rescue team minutes behind her.

“There was another vehicle following me and they loaded four other horses. They actually weren’t as lucky as I was,” she said. “They did the same exit as me and were probably 2 to 3 minutes behind me and their vehicle caught fire, and they actually had to unload the horses and run them down the street in hand.”

Fisher spent the next two days running to facilities in the fire zone and saving as many horses as possible, as cries for help came from social media posts and calls from friends .

More than 100 homes destroyed amid explosive wildfires in Southern California

“Later in the afternoon, I actually went back to the source of the fire. I just had a funny feeling,” she said. “We found a group of horses tied to trees, loose dogs and people who seemed helpless. And we loaded up five more horses and made another trip to the Ventura County Fairgrounds. It was so disastrous .”

Fisher was grateful that first responders in the area understood the need and urgency to save the animals.

“They understand that animals can’t go out on their own,” she said. “So with the van, we had as much access as any soldier, and they would just wave us through. And, you know, it was at our own risk. But they understand that the horses have to come out. ” “.

In all, Fisher said she and her team rescued 40 horses from the forest fire.

In total, the mountain fire destroyed 240 homes and structures and damaged 125 others. Six people were injured, according to CALFire. The fire has burned more than 20,000 acres and was 82% contained as of Thursday evening.

Original article source: Woman Helps Dare Rescue Dozens of Horses Trapped in California Mountain Fire