Penticton  

Photo: Colton Davies

Horses on a property on Garnet Valley Road on Sept. 5.

Animals that have been sheltered by the Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team during the Finlay Creek wildfire are almost all home.

Donna Wackerbauer, regional coordinator for CDART, said all animals in their care have returned home except for animals from one property in Garnet Valley, which will be returned Thursday night.

All evacuation alerts in the Meadow Valley and Garnet Valley areas of Summerland have been rescinded as of Wednesday.

During the height of the alerts and orders that were in place, CDART helped foster about 80 animals. Some property owners in the area made their own arrangements for sheltering their livestock.

"A lot of the animals that we had were challenges, because they have not been trailered before," Wackerbauer said. "It takes a lot more time to get them out of harm's way."

Wackerbauer, who has helped coordinate sheltering efforts in locations across the province this summer, was almost put on an evacuation alert as she lives on Garnet Valley Road, while she was helping move animals out of the area.

"It's a huge relief to have life start to return back to normal," she said.

Wackerbauer said she's been pleased with the donations made to help farmers shelter additional livestock, which included a donation of 106 hay bales. 

Leftover resources are currently at Wackerbauer's property. 

Farmers impacted by wildfire in need of hay in the area can contact Wackerbauer at 250-494-9609. She said the resources will otherwise be shipped to the CDART team set up in Cranbrook, if the need arises.