Today started out pretty normal. Us humans were busy cleaning all morning, with breaks to walk around the hill with Jamie and check in with the other chimps. We had finished cleaning the playroom and had started cleaning the front rooms. I was over by the playroom door and Jamie was craning her neck and body to see out. We know Jamie pretty well, and we knew something was up, so Anna went outside to see what Jamie might be looking at, and saw a plume of smoke a few hundred yards away.
The chimps have seen smoke from intentional fires on our property (when there’s not a burn ban!) and our neighbor’s property before, and I don’t think they’ve reacted to it, but maybe they knew this was different, having gone through the Taylor Bridge Fire in 2012.
Their alarm was warranted. The fire was close and was moving through the ground cover, burning some of the trees that had been downed in the fire four years ago.
Just like the Taylor Bridge Fire, it traveled up the hill, towards some of the properties that had been rebuilt.
They came through okay, though, thanks to the firefighters.
Thank goodness for firefighters, and thank goodness for volunteers and data collectors! Volunteer Ally and primatology student Jake jumped into action to help. We were asked to evacuate the house that J.B. and I share with our two dogs and two cats. Ally and Jake were lifesavers – helping get harnesses on the dogs and put the reluctant cats in crates, then, with caregiver Anna’s help, driving them to safety at Jake’s house.
In the meantime, J.B. got the emergency sprinkler system, which pumps water from the pond above the house:
We had brought the chimps inside the building and shut all of the windows and doors, so the window in front room four was the spot to watch from. Most of the chimps were very calm. Jody and Foxie were a bit anxious, with Jody sticking close by Burrito most of the afternoon.
In the below two photos, Burrito and Jody were lying next to each other:
Foxie kept a Dora doll close:
We gave them some extra treats today and otherwise followed the routine as much as possible. They are in bed now – Jamie with her boots, Foxie with her dolls, and Negra under a blanket.
Our dogs and cats are back home (thank you Anna, Katelyn, Ally & Jake!).
The fire seems to have sparked again well above the property as I was writing this. The helicopters were on it immediately. There are also still some smoldering spots nearby, but we feel that we and our neighbors are safe with the skilled firefighters working so hard.
We lost power (the electric company probably shut it off due to the fire), but the chimp house’s generator kicked on immediately, not even skipping a beat.
J.B. and I are making our own dinner in the chimp house kitchen, but trying to keep things quiet so we don’t wake any of the chimpanzees as the slumber safe in their nests.
We hope you are all okay. So worried. ?? To the dear CleElum 7 & staff!
Thinking of all of you with love. <3
We love you and your uncommon goodness and dedication!!!
Forgot to say – Great Pics!
Praying for you all and that the fires are all put out.
So glad everyone and everything is safe and sound….love to all.
It was the lead story on KOMO at 6 with the pic of Mr. B and JoJO, FOxie and one of Ellie too. Let’s hope there’s no more flare ups, cooler weather tomorrow on the west side, hopefully that helps you too. Thinking a lot about everyone being safe…
So relieved and happy to know that you are all safe and well.
I hope the “7” know they are safe and the humans will do everything to protect them. I see concern/reserve in their eyes and expressions. It is a holiday weekend and with that will come a holiday celebration fit for chimpanzees. Sleep well my friends, tomorrow is a new day.
Heard news of the fire this evening (in Portland area) on a short radio report and immediately tried to find internet links. Saw the KOMO report with a link from your website. So very glad you are all safe – chimps and humans and the sanctuary site too. Scary to see smoke so close to your compound. Thank you again for the photos that share the story.
Glad no one was hurt and that you didn’t suffer damage to your grounds and building. An added expense is something you sure don’t need. Thanks for letting us know about all of this
So glad things are under control. How frightening for you to have to go through this again albeit on a less severe level than the Taylor Bridge fire. Did the fire go up the hill and burn the newly purchased property? It must be really dry out there! We are so glad the generator worked so well! The chimps are so relaxed because they know their human family will make sure no harm comes to them. You guys are exceptional people! We are so honored to be a part of CSNW! Glad you and your fur children are safe and back home.
The new sanctuary property does not appear damaged. The fire came so close to a few houses on the ridge – the firefighters were amazing. We are so happy you are a part of CSNW!
I’m happy all are safe. Thank you to the Fire Dept. for quick response.
To the staff at Cle Elum – thank you for keeping the seven beauties safe & sound as well as yourselves.
I’m also amazed that the 7 were quite calm … Is this unusual?
Prayers & ??
Be Safe!
So glad you’re all safe!
It is very alarming to see smoldering fires so very close to your property. What a day you have had. Amazing how you all pull together no matter what the circumstances, your outstanding volunteers jumping in to the rescue of your personal pets says it all. Thank goodness for the generator, the sprinkler system and your wisdom for having everything right in place for frightening situations like this. The Lovable Seven could remain calm because they trust you with their lives. Thank you firefighters for keeping this special sanctuary safe for ALL!! Best wishes for wet cool conditions this summer and no more fires!
The smoke looked very thick. Judy, Foxie and Burrito were lucky to have each other to huddle with. It sounds like Negra, as usual, was just happy to lay in her pile of blankets. So smart of you to have a sprinkler system over the buildings. I hope the chimps didn’t smell the smoke. Thanks to the firefighters and volunteers for keeping you and the chimps and also the buildings safe. Did you stay with the chimps or just act as usual? I hope the fire didn’t do too much damage to your new area. Glad you’re all safe ????????????????
We pretty much stayed with the chimps but also followed the routine so as not to cause any more concern that things were “off.” And it turns out our new property was not damaged by this fire!
I bet The Seven are saying: Ah shucks, it was just a little fire, we weren’t worried at all. Our caregivers wouldn’t let anything happen to us.
Hello, Diana,
I’m glad to hear that the fire wasn’t near your property and therefore everyone was safe. Since I live in campus housing and they’re constantly “testing” those fecking fire alarms, plus we have regular drills once every quarter, I’d prefer living somewhere else so that I don’t have to keep myself and my three regulars, heavy one stowaway I’m currently fostering, sequestered in the bedroom, me with earplugs in, Honeybump and Playdoh stashed beneath the quilts with me on the bed (they’re the two eldest, both at 11-years), and Lieutenant Castillo (the little one I rescued from wandering around our housing complex, so only about a year old) and Chairman Meow (yes, that’s his real name, and I rescued him from Pet Pardons on FB, so he’s roughly 4 now), holed up in the closet. Since I know the physics and equations behind the “safe” decibels (dBs) that are allowed, and because I only have one apparatus in my living room, I try to put as much distance (sound and wave equations follow the inverse-square law, like gravity and magnetism, light intensity and even simply attractive-repellant charge), which means in order to reduce the sound by half, you must square the amount that your original distance was), and anything that will act as a dielectric to absorb the most forceful impact of those longitudinal sound waves as I can. Thankfully, they try to give those of us with comfort animals at least a week’s notice before the drills and testing, and whilst they swear up and down that the alarm levels are safe, not 1 of us believe they are
Also, this was the first I’d heard of the fire in 2012 that affected you, so I’ll have to go hunt that down.
This has caused my mind to hit on a question I truly don’t think I’ve seen anyone ask.
First, do Chimpanees have extra-sensitivity where high-energy frequencies are concerned, and by you being a private company that has allowed the public certain areas of access, how do the chimps react during a normal fire drill? Do you have to warn them in advance of one and then take to different areas, or is none of that necessary?
Thanks, again!
<3
Sorry for not responding sooner, Rene. Chimpanzee senses are about the same as ours, so, as they don’t have extra-sensitivity. We don’t have fire drills at the chimps house. When necessary, we use food to invite them into the building so we can close off the hill and the greenhouse. Usually this is not difficult.