Earlier this month, Travis Ochs faced a heartbreaking situation.
As the massive CalWood wildfire bore down on Ochs’ Colorado home, he was given no choice but to leave behind nearly everything dear to him — included among them, his beloved donkey named Ennis.
Ochs had tried his best to move Ennis, along with several horses, into a trailer bring them to safety. But as the flames approached, he was forced to leave without Ennis and one horse named Adam. A ranger who’d rushed out to assist Ochs insisted he make that devastating decision.
“It was horrifying,” Ochs told the Daily Camera.
Ochs may have thought he’d never see Ennis and Adam again — but he was wrong.
After a sleepless night thinking about Ennis and Adam, Ochs got the news he’d been hoping for.
Firefighters at his property found the donkey and horse alive. Together, they’d persevered through the fire, which ultimately destroyed several structures on Ochs’ land.
Ochs was allowed to return — leading to this joyful, picture-perfect reunion with Ennis:
Fortunately, Ennis and Adam had made it through with little more than singed hair. And though Ochs did lose material possessions to the blaze, their survival is what matters most.
“I’m just thankful we were all able to get out of there alive,” Ochs said. “There were a couple times I didn’t think that was going to happen. It was a happy ending to an otherwise dark and scary day.”