Some wildlife probably escaped

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Some animals died, but most animals left the burn area.

‘Almost all animals are hard wired to find where there is a safe place is to go,’ said Marty O’Toole, fire education and prevention specialist for the National Park Service. ‘By and large, birds are going to fly away, mammals are going to run away and reptiles are going to bury themselves.’

The animals may make their way down to people’s homes in the next day or two, but will probably head back to the park once the fire is out and the firefighters are gone. Once there is rain, there will be new and tender plant shoots for the animals to eat.

-Anna Gorman