Burned Mountain Lion Cub Rescued From Thomas Fire

VENTURA COUNTY, CA -- A mountain lion cub was rescued recently after she was found with her paws burned from the largest wildfire in California history. The cub, which weighs about 40 to 60 pounds, was injured from the Thomas Fire, which stood at 281,620 as of Tuesday morning.

The city of Santa Paula said in a Facebook post that the cub appears to be an orphan.

"If it was not captured today, (it) would've most likely starved and died," the city wrote on Facebook. "It will be taken to Fish and Wildlife’s facility to be treated and moved to a center."

The Thomas Fire, which began in Ventura County before spreading to Santa Barbara County, was 88 percent contained Tuesday. However, fire officials said they did not expect full containment until next month.

The fire erupted on Dec. 4 and destroyed 1,000 structures. It also took the life of a CalFire engineer and a Ventura resident. About 900 firefighters remained on the line to control the blaze.

--Photos courtesy of the city of Santa Paula

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