Blackened debris and soot-covered marshland defined the Suisun Wildlife Center Thursday, where a massive wildfire the day before had damaged outbuildings and taken the lives of three resident raptors and four gray squirrels being readied for release.
Thanks to the actions of amazing volunteers and firefighters, Executive Director Monique Liguori said, the center’s other animals and the main building were saved.
“We’re hurt but we’re grateful,” she said. “It could have been so much worse.”
The blaze erupted just before 3:30 p.m. in the marshland behind the center, the result of an illegal burn in a grill made up of cinder blocks and metal grates from local bee boxes, according to the Suisun Fire Department. The grill apparently was located in high grass and the burn got out of control due to 100-plus-degree temperatures and 20 mph winds.
The flames qrew quickly, resulting in evacuations along multiple streets, the destruction of three residences, damage to a handful more and the blackening of an estimated 300 acres.
As the conflagration burned into the night, crews from around Solano, Sacramento, San Joaquin County and the Bay Area arrived to lend a hand and law enforcement went door-to-door to rouse residents.
Just three volunteers were at the wildlife center when danger presented itself, and they swiftly worked to evacuate the animals. Many went home with the volunteers, while firefighters opened the outdoor cages and encouraged the creatures to leave.
Kaiu the one-eyed coyote hid in his house, where he was later found safe and sound.
But Griffin and Gwen the Great Horned Owls perished, the flames boring holes into their enclosures. Four gray squirrels also died, their enclosure a pile of rubble behind the owl house.
“I raised them from babies,” Liguori said of the squirrels, who were in the pre-release stage.
Across the way. Milo the tiny screech owl succumbed to smoke inhalation.
The sadness runs deep, the director said, as all the animals are like family.
“We love them,” she emphasized.
Officials are now taking stock of the situation with an eye toward rebuilding. Built between 1986-87, the center was the city’s first new construction in about 20 years.
Liguori thanks the community for checking in, for “the kindness, the generosity, everything.”
Calls of aid have poured in. It’s appreciated, but right now staff and volunteers need some time to deal. Eventually, help will be needed with clean-up and, perhaps, building. Financial donations, though, are sorely needed immediately.
Liguori also gave thanks for the firefighters, police and, of course, center volunteers.
She reminds the community that the center remains closed, and advised that aid for wildlife needs be temporarily directed to the Silverado Veterinary Hospital in Napa (224-7953). The center, right now, is just not equipped to handle more animals, she explained.
Meanwhile, Suisun City Fire Chief Justin Vincent expressed pride in his crew for “remarkable: work. The department is severely understaffed, he said, but has excellent, dedicated people.
“It was just a valiant effort but still so devastating,” he said. “I can’t be more proud of what our committed staff did.”
Mayor Lori Wilson brought water and snacks for first responders, he said, and many City Council members showed up to lend support.
Initial damage estimates are at about $2 million, with the worth of structures saved estimated at more than $25 million.
The investigation is continuing. Video footage is being reviewed, suspects sought, witness interviews conducted and evidence being collected.
Officials are calling the fire a case of reckless arson.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Fire Department at 421-7205 or the Police Department at 421-7373.
To support the center’s rebuild, visit the GoFundMe account set up by the mayor at https://bit.ly/2XBHl2K.
