Equestrians in western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina saw their watchful waiting turn to alarm as wildfire activity that began in the region last week intensified Sunday, March 23. Amid extreme drought conditions and high winds, and with debris from the Hurricane Helene catastrophe six months ago still on the ground throughout the region, small fires and sparks from trees falling on power lines quickly grew into significant threats.

While livestock officials say the exact number of horses and other animals evacuated due to the current fires is not available, Chronicle reporting suggests that at least 100 animals have been moved, with hundreds more prepped to travel if necessary. Large regional facilities, including the Tryon International Equestrian Center, Foothills Equestrian Nature Center and Western North Carolina Agricultural Center in North Carolina, and Riverbend Equestrian Center in South Carolina, among others, stand ready to accept those needing shelter at no charge.

According to the North Carolina Forest Service, the Black Cove Fire Complex in Polk and Henderson counties is presently the highest priority fire in the United States, with more than 500 personnel involved in firefighting efforts over 3,288 acres with 17% containment. Also in Polk County, the Deep Woods and Fish Hook fires are burning on a mix of public and privately owned land covering 3,572 acres collectively.

Additional fires in North Carolina’s Buncombe, Transylvania, Haywood, Swain and Jackson counties are contributing to the evolving situation, with heavy smoke endangering animals throughout the region.

In upstate South Carolina, the Table Rock Fire Complex involves nearly 9,000 acres, while the nearby Persimmon Ridge fire in Greenville County covers over 1,900 acres; both fire areas are 0% contained, according to local news sources.

Grassroots Effort

After playing a round of golf on Sunday, farrier Scott Sullivan of Hendersonville, North Carolina, received a worried message from fellow farrier Jason Tuura: The wildfires that had seemed minor earlier in the weekend were spreading, and animals had to move.

“We needed to evac 10 horses, two pigs, 12 chickens and four turkeys on Big Hungry,” Sullivan said, referring to an area at the Polk and Henderson county lines where mandatory evacuation orders had just been issued.

“You could see the fire across the valley from their house, which of course was very nerve-wracking,” Sullivan recalled. Through an all-hands-on-deck effort that continued through the night, the livestock were safely sheltered, and Sullivan began a week that turned into a “freaking blur” by Thursday evening.

Having grown up in western North Carolina and worked as a farrier in the area for 16 years, Sullivan said, “I’ve been very blessed to have a big reach as far as how many people know who I am.” He put those connections to use on social media to serve as a clearinghouse for information and resources for area horse owners making evacuation plans.

Sullivan collaborated with the Blue Ridge Humane Society of Hendersonville to create a spreadsheet of trailer owners willing to haul animals and facilities and farm owners able to host those needing shelter.

By Thursday, Sullivan said, he had personally hauled 16 horses and been involved with the evacuation of about 10 others. He was talking with the owners of 28 horses within two miles of the Table Rock Fire Complex near the South Carolina State line and, separately, another group of horse owners with over 40 animals in a valley nearby. 

Taking Charge

“The one good thing about where the fire is, is that it’s not where all our horse farms and cattle farms are,” said Patti Lovelace, animal control officer for Polk County in North Carolina, home to the Tryon International Equestrian Center.

“We do have some horses evacuated down here from Henderson County from the Big Hungry area that are at Foothills Equestrian Nature Center,” Lovelace continued, saying 11 horses and five goats made up the total number of evacuees as of Thursday evening. “That’s just because it’s a part of the county where there’s not a lot of horses, thank goodness.”

According to Sarah Madden Taylor of Tryon International Equestrian Center, the facility is hosting the emergency command and logistics center for Polk County and the North Carolina Forest Service, repeating a role it took on during the Hurricane Helene response. 

“Alongside horse shows, which are currently unaffected, Tryon International is providing about 50 acres of land for staging and operations, 30,000 square feet of office space on property for command center and logistics operations, as well as catering about 1,000 meals per day for first responders,” she said. “Agencies are also using our hydrants to fill up with water.”

Tryon International is also available to animals needing to evacuate, Taylor said, but hasn’t yet received any due to other facilities being closer to fire areas.

“The coordination efforts with Polk County, North Carolina Forestry and agencies all over the country have been amazing. The TIEC team will continue to support these groups however we can,” said Doug Grondahl, Tryon International’s chief operating officer.

Further south, at Riverbend Equestrian Center near Greenville, South Carolina, Elizabeth Naik said on Friday that she is hosting 22 horses evacuated from Monroe, South Carolina, near the Table Rock fires. An additional five horses from that facility are sheltering at two private farms.

“I think Hurricane Helene just made people respond very quickly, knowing how badly things could happen or how badly things could turn so quickly.”

Elizabeth Naik, Riverbend Equestrian Center

Naik had gotten the call on Tuesday. When she learned around lunchtime that 27 horses were in danger, she canceled her lessons for the rest of the day. “We didn’t really have a plan, we just said, ‘Let’s get the horses out of there,’” she recalled.

Using three trailers, a team of volunteers made seven trips to bring all the horses to Riverbend and the nearby private farms. Because Naik’s facility, which is owned by Greenville Parks and Recreation, has 50 show stalls on site, plus pasture and paddock areas, she still has capacity for 30 or more horses if needed.

Tense Night

Trainer and three-day eventer Aubrey Eisenman flew home from a trip to Disney World in Florida on Wednesday evening. When she turned her phone on after landing in Asheville, a stream of notifications poured in asking if she was planning to evacuate her farm in Leicester, northwest of the city.

“I just thought the fires were in Polk County, but I was flooded with messages,” Eisenman said. “Then my husband started looking on the news and he was like, ‘Oh dear God, it’s two miles from our farm.’ ”

Their farm lies just over the ridge from the Freedom Farm fire, which has burned 130 acres. The couple and their children drove straight from the airport to the property and monitored conditions there until midnight. At one point, Eisenman hitched her trailer and texted her boarders that she was beginning to move the nine horses in her care. But as the night wore on and she and her husband communicated with firefighters, they decided to remain in place.

“I could see smoke but not the fire, because we’re in a valley and the fire was in the valley, so there was little ridge in between us,” Eisenman said. “I couldn’t see the actual fire even though it was very close. We were definitely the closest—and are the closest—boarding facility to it.”

As of Thursday evening, the Freedom Farm Fire had been 60% contained.

With rain in the forecast for Sunday, local equestrians are hoping for the best as crews continue to battle the blazes. But if conditions deteriorate further, a network of facilities, horse owners and volunteers are standing ready to assist.

Naik, of Riverbend Equestrian Center, said the region’s recent experiences with Hurricane Helene and its aftermath laid the groundwork for the response to the current dangers.

“I think Hurricane Helene just made people respond very quickly, knowing how badly things could happen or how badly things could turn so quickly,” Naik said. “Unfortunately, it was a terrible thing to go through, but it really connected the horse community because, as we know, it’s life or death if horses get into stressful situations. So it’s best to act ahead of time and not wait for things to get worse.”