Firefighters rescue calf while tackling US wildfires in Oregon

A firefighter holds the rescued calf
Douglas Forest Protective Association
Ellena Cruse14 September 2020

Firefighters saved a trapped calf while battling wildfires on the US west coast.

At least 35 people have been killed in the blazes which have obliterated some towns and displaced tens of thousands of people since August.

In one incident in Oregon, firefighters spotted a group of five cows and a calf in trouble in the middle of a 495-acre fire.

As the animals tried to flee, about a mile northwest of Glide, the baby cow got stuck on a patch of blueberries.

Oregon Wildfires - In pictures

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The firefighters managed to beat back the flames and rescue the calf from the area.

The Douglas Forest Protective Association posted a picture of the calf on Facebook, adding: "This has definitely been a hectic week with many stories to tell...some good and others not so good. But this morning, we’re focusing on the positive.

"This picture was taken during the initial attack of the French Creek Fire which burned 495 acres about a mile northwest of Glide.

"While our crews were working on the fire, five cows and this calf were in a bad spot with fire advancing their way.

"In the chaos of the moment, this little guy got stuck in a patch of blackberries that were on fire, Luckily, we had an engine crew in the area that were able to keep the flames back while our firefighters went in and pulled the calf out of harm’s way."

They added: "It was one small victory but we'll take it."

Oregon governor Kate Brown said about 500,000 acres typically burn each year, but in the past week alone, flames have swallowed over one million acres, pointing to long-term drought and recent wild weather swings in the state.

“This is truly the bellwether for climate change on the West Coast,” she told CBS’s Face the Nation.

“And this is a wake-up call for all of us that we have got to do everything in our power to tackle climate change.”

At a rally in Nevada, Donald Trump blamed the way the states have run the land, saying “it is about forest management”.

On Monday, he is visiting the region and will meet with governors.

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