Piru rancher protects stallion, avocados and ranch workers

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Piru:

Tim Cohen, 41, ran toward the red-orange flames swirling toward his 6,000-acre ranch in Piru Tuesday afternoon. Although firefighters had old him to leave, the rancher insisted on staying to try to save his workers’ homes.
He also had 85 thoroughbred horses to protect, -- including High Demand, a black stallion pacing in his corral -- 500 acres of avocados, lemons and other crops.
“I’m here to make sure everybody’s safe. And if they’re not safe, that they get out of here,” Cohen said around noon. He wore a baseball cap, T-shirt and white surgeon’s mask as he helped workers spray the blaze with water from tanker trucks.
Nearby, five fire trucks and 80 fire fighters sprayed the flames with water.
“We have the resources here to handle it as long as the wind doesn’t change,” Cohen said.
For three days, flames from the Ranch fire in Castaic had tried to bull-rush into the canyons surrounding Cohen’s Temecula Ranch. On Tuesday, they finally made it down the canyon.
Strike teams were determined to stop the fire north of Piru Canyon Road, before it reached the ranch. But about 1 p.m., the wind picked up and fanned the flames. Cohen moved High Demand into the stables. He had seen other fires in his 7 years on the ranch. But never this close.
Singed rabbits sprinted from the bushes. Cohen said he still felt safe. Certainly safer than those evacuated down in San Diego.
“Nobody’s hurt. That’s what really matters,” he said as flames drew within 20 yards of some of the ranch houses.
One of the ranch workers, Richard Ramos, asked Cohen if he should wet down the roofs. Cohen said it was a good idea.
The fire drew closer. All around, the hills stood charred and blackened. The ranch seemed just the latest morsel for the fire to consume.
“It’s like being in a hurricane,” Cohen said as flecks of water and ash sprayed his face. “And you can’t stop a hurricane. You can’t stop it with this wind.”
The smoke grew darker, like a fog. Then, just like that, the winds died down. The smoke thinned. Cohen walked toward the stables.
“Too close, too close,” the rancher muttered.
He walked past a hay bale, and as if on cue, an ember landed and caught fire. Cohen trudged out of view, workers ran to the hay and doused the fire with water.

-- Molly Hennessy-Fiske