Volunteers help keep animals safe as wildfire burns near Crooked River Ranch
Published 2:33 pm Wednesday, June 18, 2025
REDMOND — Holly Watkins didn’t get much sleep on Monday night.
The Crooked River Ranch resident spent a restless few hours camping at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds after fleeing the Alder Springs Fire. Although she was safe, her home was still in the path of the fire and, more importantly, her horses and goats were still there.
“It was awful,” said Watkins, whose home off Geneva Way was in the evacuation zone. “You hope because it’s nighttime the winds have calmed down and (the firefighters) will be successful at keeping the fire at bay.”
The 3,442 acre Alder Springs Fire started in juniper and grassland west of Crooked River Ranch on Monday, prompting Level 3 (Go Now) evacuations for much of the community. Containment was still 0% as of Wednesday and several areas still under evacuation orders, although no structures have burned.
Gut-wrenching decision
For Watkins, there was worry and guilt about leaving her horses and goats behind. She described the decision as “gut-wrenching” but getting the three senior horses (aged 25, 26 and 34) in trailers was not practical on short notice and under the circumstances. Power and water had been shut off.
“Loading horses that don’t load a lot — that have arthritis, in the dark, under terms of duress — it could have been disastrous,” said Watkins.
Watkins contacted a neighbor who declined to evacuate. She gave instructions that if the fire approached he could open the livestock gate on her property — “so they would have a fighting chance,” she said.
As she departed Crooked River Ranch, the fire continued its approach, less than 500 yards from their neighborhood.
“The smoke was thick by that time. The ash was rolling, the plumes were huge. It was concerning,” said Watkins.
After an almost sleepless night in Redmond, Watkins and her husband Cris headed back to their Crooked River Ranch home to find it still standing and their horses safe.
Marrty and Fred Bewley communicate about the Alder Springs fire after being evacuated with their five horses and four dogs from Crooked River Ranch to the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center in Redmond. 06/17/25 (Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin)
Animal evacuation center
With the fire still burning nearby there was little time to spare. They loaded up the horses into trailers and returned to the fairgrounds to a barn that had been transformed into an animal evacuation center.
“This is such an amazing resource to people. They have just been tremendously kind and helpful,” said Watkins.”
Marty Bewely, another Crooked River Ranch resident, was also at the fairgrounds with her five horses and four dogs. Like the Watkins’s, she fled her home on Monday and managed to get her animals out the same day.
The Pet Evacuation Team, a nonprofit based in Bend, got her animals settled into pens in the barn. Shavings were placed on the floor, hay and food was provided, and water delivered.
“They have been a godsend to us because I was so ill prepared,” said Bewley, tears welling in her eyes. “These people have been amazing, because I am worn out. I am just absolutely worn out. And they just took over and took good care of the horses.”
She says she’ll stay as long as it takes to ensure her animal’s safety.
“I am just waiting until they say we can go back,” said Bewley.
A pair of donkeys are housed at the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center in Redmond after being evacuated from Crooked River Ranch where the Alder Springs fire is actively burning. 06/17/25 (Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin)
Menagerie of animals
The Beef Barn was still near capacity on Wednesday morning. Chickens, horses, goats, ponies, alpacas, dogs and a lone bunny were a few of the animals whiling away their time inside pens, having breakfast and watching the odd passer-by. Cats are kept in a separate, air-conditioned trailer.
Volunteers with the Pet Evacuation Team were busy cleaning up, caring for the livestock and walking dogs.
Vikki Sheerer, the former regional coordinator and current, was busy filling out paperwork on Wednesday morning. Each animal that is checked in is photographed as part of the detailed record keeping process employed by the Pet Evacuation Team.
Sheerer said Monday was busy and a little chaotic as Crooked River Ranch residents arrived with their animals but wanted to leave quickly to go back for more.
“People were very emotional. There was crying, there was yelling. There were people wanting to drop their animals off and wanting to get another load — they didn’t want to fill out the paperwork. But we insisted. Emotions are high during these times,” she said.
Sheerer left around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday and by that time the scene had calmed down.
“We closed the doors and turned off the lights,” she said.
A group of cats was rescued from a Crooked River Ranch home and kept at an emergency facility at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center.
A good news story
There have been a few hiccups. The mini ponies weren’t used to the hard floor and were clomping around a lot. A stallion had an emotional breakdown and had to be moved. But overall things have gone as smoothly as possible, said Sheerer.
She shared one good news story. An elderly woman who had to evacuate quickly on Monday with no time to collect her four cats.
“She was so worried and her house was full of smoke,” said Sheerer. “So three of our volunteers went there and were allowed to go into the lady’s house, capture the cats and bring them out.”
On Wednesday, the cats were still at the barn, each one piled on top of the other.
Reporter: 541-617-7818, mkohn@bendbulletin.com
The Pet Evacuation Team is still accepting donations for its work at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds. Read more at petevacuationteam.com.
About Michael Kohn
Michael Kohn has been public lands and environment reporter with The Bulletin since 2019. He enjoys hiking in the hills and forests near Bend with his family and exploring the state of Oregon.
He can be reached at: 541-617-7818, michael.kohn@bendbulletin.com
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