Woman evacuates home threatened by Park Fire with her 12 dogs. ‘Who cares about the rest?’

Elise Fisher, Mathew Miranda
·2 min read

After seeing the first flames of what is now California’s largest fire of 2024, Sherry Alpert departed from her home Wednesday night in Forest Ranch, about 14 miles northeast of Chico.

She left early because her dogs — 12 of them, her “babies” — took priority.

“I just grabbed a little small bag with some clothes in it and then ran out the door with the dogs,” she said of her pack of canines: Honey Bun Bunny, Wild Missy Momma, Raising the Rough Rufus, Boo Boo, Lollipop, Alice to the Moon, Blaze, Momo, Midnight Rider, Valentino and Just Love. They regularly participate in shows.

“Who cares about the rest?”

Sherry Alpert, of Forest Ranch, holds Blaze, one of her 12 dogs. Alpert evacuated Wednesday evening with her 12 dogs at the first sight of the Park Fire, which has burned tens of thousands of acres in Butte County. She said the dogs, her “babies,” took priority.
Sherry Alpert, of Forest Ranch, holds Blaze, one of her 12 dogs. Alpert evacuated Wednesday evening with her 12 dogs at the first sight of the Park Fire, which has burned tens of thousands of acres in Butte County. She said the dogs, her “babies,” took priority.

Alpert escaped with her babies from the Park Fire, a 71,489-acre (111 square-mile) wildfire that ignited Wednesday afternoon near Chico’s Bidwell Park and erupted in size over the following hours.

By early Thursday afternoon, she was one of about 20 people who had arrived at the Neighborhood Church evacuation center in Chico, where the American Red Cross has set up beds, showers and is providing services to those affected by the fire.

The center had served about 60 people as of Thursday afternoon, according to Butte County spokesperson Miranda Bowersox.

“We care for our community, our residents and we’ve been through a lot so we’re here for everybody,” Bowersox said.

Inside the church, families enjoyed lunch, rested on the cots and watched “Aladdin” playing on a projector screen. Volunteers had also stopped by the center to provide food and water, Bowersox said.

‘This is the worst one’

Outside the church, Robert Van Amber sat on a bench smoking a cigarette and recalling his escape from the fire. Van Amber, who lives near Cohasset and Mountain Ranch roads, said he was told to leave his home around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Within minutes, he was out the door with only his inhaler and some medicine. But without a vehicle, the 64-year-old began walking down the road.

That’s when he realized the extent of the fire.

“I’ve been in a couple fires,” Van Amber said. “This is the worst one.”

Van Amber said a sheriff’s deputy eventually saw him walking and gave him a ride to the center.

Since arriving, Van Amber said he’d spent most of the time thinking about his four-year-old pit bull who he had left behind at his home.

Van Amber said he had no means of carrying the dog and no other option if he wanted to escape the danger.

“She’s going to be all right,” he said, before looking out to the smoky sky.

“She’s going to be all right,” he repeated.