Source: Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary Facebook Page
“Everyone had responded so fast, all of us (total of 4 actually) coming together to try and do something, but all we could do was watch it burn.”
Eye Witness Account by Rick – Sanctuary Ranch Staff
“Early this AM, about 3:45am Ellie and Beans started barking, howling, and racing about the bedroom. I thought they had spied a mouse so I told them to shut up and go back to sleep. 2 minutes later. I see the Aspen racing across the school house pasture with horn blowing. I leaped up and Susan (Watt) was at the door – FIRE! I couldn’t get my jeans and boots on fast enough – it was 3 degrees outside and from the window I could see flames. I leaped into the Aspen with Susan and we raced to the barns/alley way – the windshield was crusted with ice so we had our windows down trying to make our way in the dark without running into a horse/cow/bull – fire dept had been called.
We quickly turned off the outside electrical breakers on the poles in the corrals, made sure no horses were in danger (God bless the wind for blowing in the right direction just this one time). Dave and I carried buckets of water to the big corner posts that hold up the corrals fencing, trying to keep them from burning.
One must realize we live 30 minutes from town, and the first responders showed up – We had just unloaded a huge truck of hay and it was ablaze – let it burn said the fire officials, the horses won’t eat it after it’s been smoked out and water logged.
Everyone had responded so fast, all of us (total of 4 actually) coming together to try and do something, but all we could do was watch it burn. We also lost the medicine shed – this is HUGE – all the meds we need to treat the horses, cows, bulls – GONE!
As the flames turned to red embers, we looked at one another and took relief in the fact we’d not lost one four legged critter, so all was good…”
TO DONATE – http://www.wildmustangs.com/donate
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR KIND SUPPORT!
Photos Melin Kersten
December 15 2016
Categories: Equine Rescue, Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Of all times for this to happen – hopefully everyone isnt tapped out from ISPMB and Christmas! This place does such an amazing job – the way that ISPMB SHOULD have done!
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… and most important all the critters are safe …
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Do they have insurance to cover most of their losses?
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Can someone set up a GO FUND ME page to help before years’ end? They will need to replace that hay ASAP as it is winter in SD, with a big deep freeze in the lineup for this weekend.
Unbelievable no critters or people were hurt.
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From their FB page, buying calendars = buying hay:
If you have not yet ordered your 2017 American or Spanish Calendar your purchase will help support the mustangs and we will be so thankful. The extra 2000 copies of the calendars are arriving and every 200 that are purchased will buy a load of hay for the wild horses. If we have orders for all 2000 we can purchase 10 loads of hay for the mustangs.
Please order your calendars today.
http://www.wildmustangs.com/store-popular
Susan Watt, Sanctuary Director.
https://www.facebook.com/wildmustangs/?fref=ts
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Thanks, Icy. Give us a chance to check with them to see what they need.
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Carol Walker said their hay BARN burned, but not their entire supply of hay – a lot was outside. They need donations for the medicines. You can donate on their website.
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Well -THATS a relief – at least it wasnt all of their hay or their barn! Sent a check this am – hard this time of year – but THIS sanctuary has been & is doing the right thing for the horses. Dont misunderstand – I’ve been donating to Chilly Pepper right along – also to sheriff & ISPMB. Really great that – as Icy said – no critters or people were hurt.
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This is the second group I am wanting to make monthly donations to and though the info on the website indicates there is “a box to check to make it monthly” I do NOT FIND any such box when clicking the yellow “donate” button. Anyone have any advice here? Would really like to make ongoing gifts
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I would write to them directly and they will help you set up an ongoing donation if there is something wonky with the site.
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Thanks, Susan, I’ll ask Carol to let them know.
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My heart goes out to BHS. My husband and I visited in the summer of 1995, and I loved ever minutel I have followed the wonderful growth they have made in their efforts to provide lifetime homes for our 4 legged friends. I really believe that there will come a time that this may be the ONLY realistic home to the mustang so that our children and grandchildren can fall in love as I did. Please help support BHS in any way you can. Thank you.
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Does anyone know how the fire started?
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