2021 Cache Fire Response Updates
Last updated: 09/02/21, 8:00 a.m. PST
Animals Evaluated and/or Treated in the Field: 0
Animals Treated at Hospital: 5
September 2, 2021
- The UC Davis veterinary hospital received five goats from the Cache Fire near Clear Lake.
August 18, 2021
- The Veterinary Emergency Response Team (VERT) is on standby to deploy once an official state/county request is initiated. VERT will respect the first-responders incident command and wait for the official request for deployment to ensure the safety of all involved.
- The veterinary hospital engaged its Disaster Response Leadership Team and has initiated action to put the hospital on standby. Preparations to accept and treat animal fire victims are in progress. As the community's leading tertiary veterinary care center, the UC Davis veterinary hospital will provide as much resource to our community's veterinarians and animals as possible. While the hospital is prepared to accept patients, the majority of animal care will be focused on treatments in the field, as COVID-related protocols may impact the number of patients accepted.
UC Davis Veterinary Medicine has multiple online resources for animal owners to prepare for and deal with natural disasters:
- Equine Emergency Action Plan
- “Disaster Planning” issue of Horse Report
- Livestock Disaster Preparedness
Emergency response during the COVID-19 pandemic:
UC Davis Veterinary Medicine is preparing to care for animals injured by the Cache Fire. This situation is different than previous years of assisting with wildfires because of the issues caused by the pandemic.
To respond to the fire in a way that best utilizes our resources and to assist the greatest number of injured animals, our veterinary hospital clinicians and staff will prioritize our response to emphasize ambulatory (in the field) and telehealth consultation to maximize our service within our treatment area. Animals judged to need more intensive care or surgical intervention will take priority as hospitalized patients.
We are committed to treating as many animals as we can that are affected by the fires, and we greatly appreciate the community’s support during this extremely stressful and difficult time. Please stay tuned to this page and our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages for updates.