A Safe Haven Near Cache Creek
As wildfires continue to tear through parts of British Columbia, forcing entire communities to evacuate on short notice, one ranch has become an unlikely refuge for the animals left behind in the chaos. Double Seven Ranch, located near Cache Creek, has opened its gates to nearly 30 horses whose owners had no time — and no safe place — to take them when evacuation orders came down.
Jessica Heikes, who manages the ranch, says the decision to help wasn't even up for debate. When wildfires threaten a region, livestock and horses are often the hardest animals to evacuate quickly, since they require trailers, extra hands, and somewhere for them to actually go. For many families scrambling to get themselves and their pets to safety, horses can end up stranded unless someone nearby is willing to take them in.
Why Ranches Like This Matter During Wildfire Season
Wildfire evacuations across Canada have become an increasingly common summer reality, and the strain they put on rural communities goes well beyond the human toll. Farms and ranches often hold not just a family's livelihood but animals that can't simply be loaded into a car and driven away. That's where neighbours like Heikes come in — informal networks of ranchers and horse owners who open their land to displaced animals until it's safe for evacuees to return home.
For evacuees, knowing their horses are being cared for can make an enormously stressful situation slightly more bearable. Horses are sensitive to change and stress, and a chaotic, last-minute evacuation can be traumatic for the animals themselves. Having a stable, quiet space to wait things out — with people experienced in handling horses — makes a real difference in how well the animals cope.
A Broader Pattern Across the Province
This kind of grassroots mutual aid has become a hallmark of wildfire response in B.C. in recent years, as fire seasons stretch longer and burn hotter. Ranches, community pastures, and even individual property owners frequently mobilize to take in livestock, poultry, and pets when shelters and hotels can't accommodate animals. It's an unofficial but vital part of the emergency response system, filling gaps that government evacuation orders and shelters often can't address.
As the fires near Cache Creek continue to be monitored, Double Seven Ranch says it will keep sheltering the horses for as long as needed, giving evacuated families one less thing to worry about while they wait for word on when — or if — it's safe to go home.
Canadians across wildfire-affected regions are being reminded to have evacuation plans in place not just for themselves, but for livestock and large animals, given how quickly conditions can change during peak fire season.
Source: CBC Top Stories
