While people were able to drive themselves away from the oncoming Elephant Hill fire, cattle were not.

Across the Cariboo-Chilcotin this summer, ranchers have stayed behind, working against the clock to find their cattle before, during and after wildfires sweep through their range land.

For the past two weeks, rancher Gus Horn has been on the range working with fellow rancher and friend Ron Eden, to move EdenB次元官网网址檚 cattle away from the oncoming fire.

HeB次元官网网址檚 seen corrals and fences burned because of slow moving fire and spoken to many whoB次元官网网址檝e been in the way when fire has moved quickly. In the words of one equipment operator: B次元官网网址渃ows exploded like popcorn,B次元官网网址� Horn said.

B次元官网网址淲hat IB次元官网网址檝e seen burn is there is nothing that wonB次元官网网址檛 burn.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淐learcuts that are five or ten years old will burn; theyB次元官网网址檒l burn slower because thereB次元官网网址檚 less fuel. Fresh clearcuts that were done last winter; they burned really hot because there is so much dry matter and little green,B次元官网网址� Horn said.

B次元官网网址淔or the most part, willows and aspen slows it right down. IB次元官网网址檝e seen wetland meadows that are fine and IB次元官网网址檝e seen wetland meadows that are burnt from one side to the other because there is so much old dry matter that is there.B次元官网网址�

The ranchers were part of a group spread over EdenB次元官网网址檚 range, which stretches directly in the fireB次元官网网址檚 path from Jack Frost Lake to North Bonaparte Road south of Green Lake. All were working to move cattle before the fire reached them, or failing that, once the fire had passed through.

The ranchers were allowed past the checkpoints thanks to help from the BC CattlemenB次元官网网址檚 Association.

B次元官网网址淭he BC CattlemenB次元官网网址檚 Association has done an amazing job of negotiation and navigating bureaucracy with government to be sure that weB次元官网网址檝e got permits to go in there,B次元官网网址� Horn said.

The ranchers rode through fire-hit territory on horses, looking through meadows or at water holes for the cattle.

B次元官网网址淵ou just go out here day after day. You look for tracks. WeB次元官网网址檝e gotten great tips from the people that weB次元官网网址檝e spoken with and given our phone number to,B次元官网网址� Horn said.

B次元官网网址淓ven if you get five [or] two head at a time, and if youB次元官网网址檙e lucky on a good day youB次元官网网址檒l get 12 head,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淲e counted into the corrals yesterday and we were maybe like two or three head short, so the importance of being allowed out there because you donB次元官网网址檛 know when things are going to blow up worse than they are.B次元官网网址�

The horsemen round the cattle to corrals, both already in place or temporary ones where they try to get them loaded onto a truck and out of the fire zone as soon as possible.

B次元官网网址淚t adds up. You think youB次元官网网址檝e spend all day and you only got five head B次元官网网址� well, it was better than none. If you get five head for ten days youB次元官网网址檝e got 50 head. A life is a life.B次元官网网址�

For his part, Horn says he has yet to encounter any animals hurt by the fire, because it moved slowly enough for the animals to move out of the way where heB次元官网网址檚 been looking, but says others have found dead or injured cows elsewhere.

Generally, he says the animals, once found, are easy to move, preferring to move homeward in smaller groups.

The group has also tried to stay aware of their own safety.

For the most part, the officials and people the group has encountered on the local level have been helpful, pointing them in the direction of animals, or sharing their own stories from the front lines.

B次元官网网址淭o a person, everybody that weB次元官网网址檝e met, with one exception, has been as gracious as youB次元官网网址檇 expect them to be under the circumstances,B次元官网网址� Horn said.

Help from the local range office has been available and accommodating, keeping the ranchers in the loop, and the importance of being allowed into the fire zone has been instrumental in protecting the animals.

When theyB次元官网网址檝e encountered resistance to their presence, Horn called it wasted time.

Still, he has questions from what heB次元官网网址檚 seen.

B次元官网网址淭here should be a transparent review of what the wildfire policies are,B次元官网网址� he says.

While most of the contract crews heB次元官网网址檚 met on the fire line have been local, he also says that local knowledge should be prioritized when it comes to fighting fires.

B次元官网网址淚 think there needs to be a clear understanding for communities anywhere what wildfire management really means and how and when resources are spent and allocated and where.B次元官网网址�

He also points to forest management before any of the fires even started, questioning whether forestry management practices have been effective in preventing fires from getting this big.

HeB次元官网网址檚 watched flames B次元官网网址� that he said could have been easily stopped B次元官网网址� take out EdenB次元官网网址檚 corrals or vital fencing that separates range land.

B次元官网网址淧eople are going to be cleaning up this mess until Christmas,B次元官网网址� he says.