The footage of the California wildfires las month were

haunting, but many viewers in this part of the country felt safe, as the

fires were occurring thousands of miles away.

One local woman was worried, though. Coweta resident Tammy

Waldrop was concerned about her daughter, Dawn, who is working with horses

near Malibu Canyon and was in the path of the fires last month.

Dawn, 26, was alone on the ranch with five horses, a pony,

and no trailer. The rest of the crew was at a show in the desert. The

company she works for shows hunter/jumpers and Dawn rides and grooms the

horses and takes care of them as well. It is something she is very passionate

about, according to her mother, and when the fires started approaching,

even though they happen every year, Dawn was a little freaked out.

Dawn was on the phone with her mother throughout the ordeal,

but she also called a shipping company to come and take the horses to

safety. At this point no roads were closed and the shipping company felt

that they could get there in time. Unfortunately, roads began to close

and it took the company four hours to arrive at the ranch.

"At one point, the man from the shipping company

told her that he might only be able to get as close as possible and that

she would have to walk each of the horses out individually," said

Tammy. "Luckily, he was able to get on the premises and, according

to Dawn, the horses loaded in faster and easier than ever before."

The property on the ranch was saved, as the owner arrived

before the fires got there and wet down everything. Other barns in the

area were not as lucky and burned down. This was Dawn's first year

in California, but she has been able to experience the wildfires for herself.

Next year, should the same situation occur, she will be better prepared

for the situation. However, there is probably a part of her that will

try to be at a show instead.

Dawn Waldrop lived in both Fayette and Coweta County while

growing up and attended East Coweta High School. Tammy Waldrop lives in

Senoia.