It's an old hypothetical question: "If your house were on fire, what would you save first?" For many people, after any human beings they live with, the answer is, "my pets."

People in the path of the recent California wildfires had to answer this question for real, in some cases with only seconds to spare. Now that the fires have settled down, many stories have been told about the impact of the blazes themselves and the evacuations they forced for those in their path - both human and animal.

BlogHer Contributing Editor Grace Davis wrote this post with a long list of resources and information to help those in the areas affected by the fire, primarily in San Diego County. She advised:

Again, stay safe, y'all! Don't be a hero, get out with your family, pets and important papers! Oh, and your laptops, so we can get your blog posts.

San Diego's situation is complicated in that it is home to not only the usual cast of domestic animals that live in the home, but thousands of farm animals, horses and a literal Zoo full of animals not easy to move on short notice.

Jennifer Viegas of Discovery News wrote this story about the animals in the area, indicating that a bird and a horse died at the zoo, and other animals are under close watch for evidence of injury from smoke inhalation.

Equisearch.com says that thousands of dollars in donations are being sent from equestrian organizations to the area, which is home to an estimated 300,000 horses.

Pierce College in Woodland Hills was another site for large animal evacuations. Check the home page for an oddly unlinkable story on the media coverage.

MuttShack, an animal rescue organization founded by Amanda St. John, has been very active in Southern California, as it was in the Gulf Coast during Hurricane Katrina. K9Coach

Christie Keith at PetHobbyist.com wrote some useful posts about pet rescue efforts during the worst of the fires, including horses and a post about the best way to keep snakes safe in an emergency. Links on her blog include this one to an article about the use of racetracks as refuges for horses.

Kelly Garbato of EasyVegan.info wrote some great posts of her own, and linked to animal relief organization Kinship Circle, that has mobilized in support of the Louisiana Pet Evacuation Bill following Hurricane Katrina, and supports relief efforts worldwide. The October 27 Kinship Circle wildfire update page has some touching and powerful photos of animals quite close to the fires.

Wayne Pacelle, President of the Humane Society of the United States, wrote a few blog posts giving updates on relief efforts in the area. A slideshow of the Humane Society's pet rescue efforts during the fires is in the multimedia section of the organization's website.

The prolific Gina Spadafori of Pet Connection wrote a very informative post about how to make sure your pet is identifiable in an emergency.

My own personal thing is to recommend putting “Reward!” on the ID tag. A person finding your pet doesn’t need to know his name, but knowing there’s a reward might get your pet back more quickly — or maybe at all. I also don’t put an address, instead choosing to put as many phone numbers as I can fit on the tag: Home, cell, neighbor, brother. After all, if you’re forced out of your home by a disaster, having only your home number on your pet’s ID tag won’t help much.

So check those tags! If they’re not current or legible, get new ones, now. You can even order online, from any number of companies. Just. Do. It.

By the way, in addition to the consistent and useful information she provides for pet people everywhere, Spadafori will also be blogging a "year of living greenly"on OurGreenCommunity.org.

Best Friends Kennels Cause for Paws program provides animal resuscitation masks for firefighters in several states.

Friends around the country reached out to the animals in California.
The Dog House in Detroit listed destinations for donations in the region, via
AnimalChaplains.com

Johann the Dog (and his "Mum") in Indiana linked to his extensive "Pet Emergency" site on Squidoo. Here are their top three tips:

* Get a rescue alert sticker for the front window of your home! In the event of a disaster or emergency it will let rescuers know there are pets in the home and how many.
* Find a safe place for your pets if you have to leave or evacuate. Whether it's a friend's or family's home, or a temporary shelter or veterinarian, find a place your pet can stay safely until you can reunite with you.
* Put together an emergency preparedness kit and first aid kit for your pets. Add food, water, supplies, dishes, vet records and vaccinations, leashes and collars, cleaning supplies, litter, pet carrier, photos and id's of your pet, toys, blankets and anything you feel your pet will need. Keep it in a box or container, labels and ready to go.

For those owners and pets who were not so lucky, Carlotta at Cool Dog Hall of Fame offers links to the San Diego Humane Society's pet loss services.

In times of emergency and disaster, animals are clearly at a disadvantage. All reports indicate that the concerted community effort in San Diego County and surrounding areas made a positive difference for many animals large, small, wild and domesticated that saved lives. Undoubtedly the clean-up continues, and the long-range impact on rescue and sheltering organizations remains to be seen.

JTClough of Dog Training of San Diego says she:

sincerely hopes for the continued safety of families including their dogs and other pets and sends a huge thanks to all those who have volunteered to help those in need during this San Diego Firestorm 2007 disaster.

Laurie White blogs at LaurieWrites