ORACLE — As the Cody fire, now spanning over 1,200 acres according to the Coronado National Forest, continues near Oracle, more than 1,100 people have been advised to evacuate.
FULL COVERAGE: UPDATE: Cody Fire at 5% containment, more than 1,200 acres
In this devastating time for many in the area, residents have stepped up to help neighbors in need.
Thursday morning, Jon Simons was walking down the side of American Avenue in Oracle with his friend’s horse, Callie.
His friend and her animals needed to evacuate, but Callie, who is a rescue, wouldn’t get in a horse trailer or allow a saddle to be put on her. But, Simons was going to make sure she made it to safety.
“Best thing to do is walk her along the road and try to get her out to the evacuation area where we can keep her for a day or two,” he said.
He led her for several miles. He explained it's been a very stressful time for a lot of people, but he’s tried to remain positive.
“You gotta just relax and use your head, be on your feet and don’t worry about it too much – there’s only so much you can do about certain things, so concentrate on the things you can actually put your hands on and everything will be all right,” Simons said.
He hasn’t been the only one lending a helping hand, he said there has been a lot of support from people in the area.
“I’ve already had maybe five different people offer me water or a horse trailer just on this little walk alone. That’s always how it is in this area,” Simons explained. “There are a lot of people ready to jump in and see what they can do.”
The strong support system continues into the town of Mammoth. The town has made its community center and all park facilities available to those needing to evacuate.
“They’ll be made available for people who may want to RV…maybe they have a horse trailer – they have livestock, so that they can have a safe place for those animals,” Mammoth Mayor Ernest Bustamante said.
Bustamante said that since fire can be unpredictable, they want to make sure they are doing what they can to be prepared and help out.
“The best thing that we can do right now is to make every resource available that the town has,” he said.
The American Red Cross also has a shelter set up at CDO High School in Oro Valley.
——
Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is thrilled to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Madison by emailing madison.thomas@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
