A tabby cat found with serious injures in a wildfire ravaged street in Paradise, northern California has died, animal activists have said.
A picture of the cat, nicknamed Billiegirl on social media after the road where she was found on Sunday, was shared all over the world as a miracle rescue, but unfortunately the animal did not survive its injuries.
An organisation of animal lovers known as California Wildfire Pets which has been trying to reunite lost animals with their owners disclosed the news on Facebook.
They had earlier posted: ‘Are you missing an orange tabby kitty from the area of Billie Rd in Paradise?’ with a picture of the cat in the hope its family could be found.
Billiegirl the cat became one of thousands of animals who have perished in the deadly wildfires ravaging the state of California. Others have managed to escape or have been rescued, but the blazes have had a devastating impact on wildlife.
Heartbreaking images from animal clinics or during rescue efforts show a cat in a makeshift incubator, a bunny rabbit whose ears were burned off by the flames, and emergency workers desperately ferrying animals from the edge of the fires to safety.
Rest in peace: The badly burned cat was pictured cowering in agony before animal rescuers could take it to a veterinary center, after it was discovered near a residential block in Paradise, California on Sunday
Rescued: A cat is treated for burns and smoke inhalation due to the Woolsey Fire in Woodland Hills, southern California
Heartbreaking: A rabbit suffering from burns struggles to find safety, as the Woolsey Fire continues to burn near Malibu in California
The Camp Fire devastating Northern California, and the Woolsey Fire, which is currently raging near Malibu in the south, have forced residents to flee their homes, and have left many unable to also save their beloved pets.
As the confirmed human death toll of the Camp Fire reached 42 on Tuesday morning, with the flames having levelled more than 7,100 homes and other buildings, it now ranks as the deadliest and most destructive wildfire on record in California.
It is not known how many animals – wild or pets – have been killed or injured in the wildfires, which have been raging since Thursday, but it is thought to be at least several thousand.
Urgent evacuation orders have seen many animals abandoned, including horses and other farm animals, with residents potentially underestimating how damaging the fire would become.
A dog is treated for severe burns on its paws from the Woolsey Fire. Volunteer veterinarians with Veterinary Angels and The Little Angels Project, created a mash tent at Pierce College to treat animals injured or displaced by the fires
Cathy Fallon pets her dog Shiloh outside their burned-down home in Paradise, California
A cat is treated by workers at the Little Animals Project in LA after they were found with burns in the Woolsey fire
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Equine veterinarian Jesse Jellison carries an injured goose to a waiting transport during the Camp Fire in Paradise
A badly burned bunny was rescued from the fires and treated for its wounds
Dr. Maritxu Ravenscroft with Veterinary Angels and The Little Angels Project, looks over treatment notes for animals displaced by the fire
As well as pets, Northern California area is home to a myriad of wild animals, including several types of deer, black bears, bobcats, elks and cougars, and the Butte County area where Camp Fire burns hosts several wildlife sanctuaries.
Other common forest creatures are coyotes, raccoons, squirrels, skunks and foxes as well as a number of birds and snakes.
Volunteers and professionals have bandied together to try to rescue as many as possible, helped by donations from animal lovers – including Hollywood actress Sandra Bullock.
The Oceans 8 actress has donated $100,000 donation to The Humane Society of Ventura County, which announced the generous boost on their Facebook page.
‘Our efforts for rescuing and caring for evacuated animals from the Hill and Woolsey fires had caught her [Ms Bullock’s] attention and her team reached out to the shelter to show their support,’ the organization, which operates in southern California, wrote
Members of the UC Davis Veterinary Emergency Response Team, Ashley Nola, left, and Catherine McFarren, right, tend to burns on a dog that was brought in to the Butte County Fair Grounds where large animals are being sheltered during the Camp Fire
Disaster: Many large animals have been taken to the Butte County Fair as nearby communities are ordered to evacuate
Horses are evacuated by members of the Humane Society of Ventura County from an area affected by a wildfire in Malibu, California
A horse is seen as members of the Humane Society of Ventura County evacuate animals from an area affected by a wildfire in Malibu
A donkey rests on a roadside as the Camp Fire burns in Big Bend, California
‘Sandra Bullock and her family have reached out to other nonprofit organizations both during this incident and in the past.
‘However, this time she wanted to contribute to those on the frontline rescuing animals in peril and hope others will choose to do the same.’
‘The HSVC pledges to care for these animals for as long as is needed or until their owners feel comfortable in safely reuniting their families.’
A makeshift animal clinic has been set up in the Butte County Fair Grounds, 30 miles south of Paradise, at the weekend, where emergency service veterinarians tended to dogs with burned paws and fur.
Goats and horses have also found temporary shelter at the Fair Grounds as the Camp Fire continues to burn through the region, fueled by high winds in Butte County.
In Big Bend, Fire Captain Steve Millosovich carried a cage full of cats that were found abandoned in the road after the Camp Fire.
Stanley the giraffe, one of several exotic animals at Saddlerock Ranch, is shrouded in smoke in the aftermath of the Woosley Fire. The animals on the ranch survived, but several buildings on the property we destroyed or damaged by the fire
