Santa Rosa animal lover dies in Tubbs Fire trying to save her dogs

The remains of the homes in the Coffey Park neighborhood are seen from the air in Santa Rosa, Calif. on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. The remains of the homes in the Coffey Park neighborhood are seen from the air in Santa Rosa, Calif. on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage / Special To The Chronicle Photo: Elijah Nouvelage / Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 73 Caption Close Santa Rosa animal lover dies in Tubbs Fire trying to save her dogs 1 / 73 Back to Gallery

Valerie Lynn Evans was known for her fierce love of animals. She kept horses, goats, dogs, a mule and a steer at her house on Coffey Lane in Santa Rosa.

“We knew her as the horse lady,” said Tracy Long, who was Mrs. Evans’ neighbor for two decades. Mrs. Evans, 75, would occasionally lead a mule down the street and allow passersby to feed it, she said.

Mrs. Evans died Sunday night or early Monday morning at her home while trying to save her dogs from the approaching Tubbs Fire. Her death was confirmed Thursday by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.

Brian Strehlow, who lived across the street, said, as the flames closed in, he offered to help Mrs. Evans, but she shooed him away.

“She said, ‘We got this,’” Strehlow recalled.

Mrs. Evans lived with her husband, son, and daughter-in-law in a house with a barn and an in-law unit. Neighbors believed the other three family members escaped, but had not been able to reach them since the fire hit.

She had an ample collection of horse books, parts of which survived the fire. Long, whose house also burned, said she occasionally sees stray pages from Mrs. Evans’ library blowing down the street.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan