At the peak of the Jones Fire Incident over 15,000 residents were under some sort of evacuation order or warning. Many of those residents are pet owners or have fam and ranch animals. As part of the organized evacuation plan, Nevada County works with the local animal evacuation experts to house animals at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Bill Alexander is a retired veterinarian that is in charge at the animal evacuation dropoff site.

Alexander says the Fairgounds is very accomodating in allowing the group to separate the animals as much as possible. The smaller animals have there own building in the middle of the fairgounds. The Animal Evac group works closely with county animal control officers. Often times it means going back to someones property to retrieve animals that were left behind.

Not only does the group take in animals, they document who the owners are, and any speical needs of the animal may require while being held. The process hep keep animals andowners torgether adn eliminate people taking the wrong animal.

Many people responded to a facebook post and were showing up to help with the animals.

The group also collects and distributes hundreds of pounds of animal food and varieties of hay.