npr:
Samantha Hull had less than 30 minutes to pack up her life.
As powerful winds drove the Tick Fire through acres of dry brush hills encircling Hull’s family’s farm in Canyon Country, a community within the Los Angeles County city of Santa Clarita, Hull was thinking about how she could get her animals to safety.
Hull, 24, and her partner, Sammi Lanthier, 29, were living on the small farm, affectionately nicknamed “La Granja” (“farm” in Spanish). It sat atop a canyon and was home to about 80 animals, including dogs, birds and livestock. Hull and Lanthier raised a sheep named Gwen by bottle and set up an oasis for their birds over the years.
But on Oct. 24, a devastating wildfire broke out in Southern California, forcing some 50,000 residents to evacuate. Since the Tick Fire started, it has scorched more than 4,600 acres and damaged more than 70 homes and buildings. A week later, the blaze was 94% contained.
When the flames charged up the hills, engulfing their home, Hull and Lanthier were able to rescue only 20 animals, including Gwen and Cupid, their 100-pound pot-bellied pig.
As California Wildfire Neared, A Family Raced To Save Their Animals
Photos: Allison Zaucha
