Just a few months ago, Varian Equestrian Center served as a safe place for displaced horses during the Gifford Fire. Now, it’s gearing up for an event thanking first responders.
The Gifford Fire prompted evacuation warnings in parts of rural Arroyo Grande over the summer.
KSBY talked with Kacey Collins who said her family would have lost their ranch if it wasn’t for the first responders.
“When we went out there and we got to see everything where it got so close and there's like, there's no way that that wasn't a fight,” Collins said. “When we talked to the firemen that were actually out there, I mean, they are coming in afterwards, they're still stomping everything out. They don’t get to stop until it’s over.”
The flames were also a concern for Caprice Arkell.
“When the fire started, my husband and I were on the East Coast and we started getting calls from our neighbors in Nipomo that ashes were falling on their patio and we were following it, but we didn't think it was that close,” Arkell said.
Understanding the stress people were under, Arkell said she and her husband decided to open their ranch, Varian Equestrian Center, for evacuated animals. In such a rural area, she said it was important to help where she could while first responders battled the fire.
“We're such an agricultural society here,” Arkell said. “Our land, we take such pride in. But on our land, our people and the animals that we love and these people are helping us save them. That means a lot.”
Now months later, Arkell said they want to give back to the first responders. They’re hosting a free community event that will include free pony rides, raffles for first responders, food and custom drinks.
“It was about five weeks ago and we were talking about how much gratitude we had for the fire not getting any closer to our property and to San Luis Obispo proper,” Arkell said. “That's when we thought, why not put on this event at our place?”
Collins said she will always be grateful that her family’s ranch was saved and gratitude for first responders is like second nature to the community.
“I think it should never stop,” Collins said. “Honestly, it should never stop because we always need them at the drop of a hat. We could need them, so they should feel supported at any moment, at any time."
The event will be on Wednesday, October 20, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. It will be free to the public, but an RSVP is encouraged.
