More than 70 horses are residing at the Apache County Fairgrounds in St. Johns, Ariz., after being evacuated from locations threatened by a wildfire raging in southeast Arizona.

The so-called Wallow Fire broke out on May 29 in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Greenlee County. Since then 74 horses have been evacuated from the fire’s path, said Laura Oxley, acting public information officer for the Arizona Department of Agriculture. During wildfire situations the department’s main mission is to check and protect animals’ welfare, and to ensure they have adequate feed and water, as well as to evacuate animals if necessary, Oxley said.

All the evacuated horses are being kept at the Apache County Fairgrounds where county personnel are providing care, Oxley said. Other holding locations have been established if further evacuations are necessary, she said.

"To my knowledge at this time (no horses) have been lost or killed," Oxley said