In the frenzy to evacuate the Mountain Shadows area on Tuesday, Flying W Ranch hands loaded all 25 of their horses and took them to the Penrose Equestrian Center.

But the ranch’s cows were left behind.

Early Thursday morning, when the weather and fire conditions allowed, ranch hands, escorted by police, took two large stock trailers through the charred Mountain Shadows neighborhood to find the cattle. The Flying W Ranch itself burned to the ground.

“I kept thinking ‘We need to stop at the lights’,” said Mike Moses, a ranch hand, as they sped past the empty northwest side. Returning home is “going to be hard for a lot of people. But you got to take your hat off for the firefighters and police.”

“It’s devastating. Really scorched,” said Sara Arsenault, another ranch hand. “It was very eerie.”

They found the cattle together in one herd and amazingly, none of them were killed by the firestorm. One cow’s udder was badly burned, so she likely will not be able to nurse again.

“We tried to evacuate the animals but we didn’t have enough time,” said Arsenault. “It’s amazing to know they’re all OK. We are more than thankful.”

“I feel much better now,” Moses said.

At the equestrian center Thursday, a blue tub was filled with water to let the cows have their first drink in two days.

Founded in 1953 by Russ Wolfe and his late wife, Marian, Flying W Ranch provided the community with chuckwagon dinners and western-style entertainment, while still operating as a cattle ranch. But on Tuesday, the massive firestorm took over the ranch and surrounding area, and burned much of it to the ground. The ranch had just received a large hay order — all destroyed in the fire.

Every one of the 26 cows, 20 calves, and bull was saved. The bull didn’t have a name before the fire, “but he does now: Smokey,” said ranch hand John Hendrix.For now, the cattle are staying at the Penrose Equestrian Center.—Contact Nathan Vail: 636-0187