Thinking of those in need...

Just as there is good in life, so can there be bad. Unfortunately we in the United States have seen some tough times in the past couple of years. The most recent incident occurred out in California in the form of raging wildfires. While there are areas in the state that are prone to such events, this is the worst set of wildfires since the 2003 occurrence which killed 22 people. But enough of the negative. Even in the face of such destruction there is hope.

President Bush was due to survey the damage with Governor Schwarzennegger today to check on the government's response. Thousands of people have volunteered their services, offering shelter, food, and more to those that have been forced to evacuate. Along with those wonderful people are the ones who have come out of the woodwork to help evacuate the other creatures caught in destruction, including the horses. Some agencies, such as the Tijuana Valley Equestrian Association sprang into action immediately after the fires broke out. They risked their own lives to save horses for people who might not have had the method or means to do so. The Humane Society of the United States has also responded in force. With such devoted people hard at work it is possible that the number of lives lost, both human and equine, has been minimized.

With relief on the way, and the dedicated firefighters starting to turn the corner in the battle with the flames, we can turn our attention to other issues. The most important, and one that should be on everyone's mind is fire safety for your barn. While your barn might not be in an area that sees frequent wildfires you should still practice fire safety. Smoke alarms should be installed, along with fire extinguishers in at least two places in the barn. A fire emergency plan should be drawn up and practiced, and all emergency numbers should be posted in a place that is easy to find.

If you have never considered this before then I know a good place to start. Laurie Loveman has created a wonderful website that holds plenty of information about fire safety for your barn. A firefighter herself, she knows the importance of having a plan and knowing that it works. There is an entire page on her website dedicated to fire safety in horse barns. There are articles she has written and posted, and other articles provided by people who wished to contribute. All are worth a good look. Of course she has also been following the tragedy in California, and has kept a breaking news page listed on top of her home page to help keep people informed.

On a lighter note, Laurie is also the author of a series of books called The Firehouse Family novels. This fiction series is set in Woodhill, Ohio and covers the adventures of families and friends as they do battle with arsonists and other sources of fires. If you are interested please check the reviews, or just take a trip to virtual Woodhill and have a look around. The Firehouse Family Book Series is available at Amazon.com, Booksurge.com, and by order through most retail bookstores. If you're an avid reader we would recommend checking these out. If not...well, maybe you should try them anyway. You really don't know what you're missing.

"No ride is ever the last one. No horse is ever the last one you will have. Somehow there will always be other horses, other places to ride them."
~Monica Dickens