This small, orange kitten was found alive in the charred wake of the McKinney fire in Northern California. He had some burns, and his whiskers were singed off, but with the help of the rescuers who found him and took care of him, he is doing much better now.
The McKinney Fire
The McKinney fire started on Friday, July 29th in Siskiyou County, California. This huge blaze is the largest wildfire in California this year.
The fire raged through the Klamath National forest and the places surrounding it, including nearby residential areas. Thousands of people were evacuated, and hundreds of homes and buildings have been burned down. As of August 6th, it is only 30% contained.
Pets in danger
When faced with a devastating fire, the only thing nearby residents can do is evacuate, leaving their homes and many of their belongings to the mercy of the fire.
But what are their pets supposed to do in this situation?
In an article on their website, the Humane Society says that people should evacuate with their pets because:
“If it isn’t safe for you, it isn’t safe for your pets.”
They advise pet owners to include their animals in their emergency evacuation plans, and they provide a thorough list of ideas to help with this.
But not everyone is prepared, and not everything goes as planned. In disaster situations like the McKinney fire, sometimes pets are left behind or lost.
McFly and His Rescuers
The orange kitten, who tugged at everyone’s hearts with the story of his rescue, is one of these pets. He was found on August 1st in Klamath River, scared and singed.
An article on KRCR-TV gave more information about his story after he was found. According to the article, the kitten was taken in and cared for by SNIP (Siskiyou Spay and Neuter Non-Profit), who named him McFly.
The president of SNIP, Alisa Mcgavaran-Fraser, gave updates on his condition:
“We have the little orange guy with us and he’s doing better. He was burned, not severely, and he’s on medication and treatment.”
According to the article, SNIP is currently taking care of hundreds of pets, including over 170 cats, many of which are from homes that were evacuated because of the fire.
SNIP usually focuses on non-profit spay and neuter services for animals, preventing overpopulation and helping stray animals find homes. But in this time of crisis, they have stepped up to help these pets too. Alisa explained:
“I foresee many more animals coming through our doors, they will be animals that need medical care. It’s just what happens with these fires.”
Anyone can contribute to SNIP. If you would like to help, check out their website for more information about how to contact them or donate.
Thanks to the efforts of his rescuers, McFly is doing much better. We hope that he can find a home again and that other animals like him can receive the help and comfort that they need.