"GO!GO!GO!GO!GO!" Screamed a man in plain clothes, urgently waving a flashlight to direct traffic. He was standing next to an unmarked police car with red and blue lights flashing from the grill. His car was positioned to block traffic headed southbound on Old Redwood Highway at Airport boulevard. This man, looking as if he just woke up 5 minutes ago, was obviously stressed but remained in control of the situation.
"TURN AROUND NOW!! YOU CANNOT GO THAT WAY! THERE IS A FIRE! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT?!" His voice boomed. I was stuck in a line of cars in our motor-home a block back, watching in astonishment as people... panicked people, wanted to argue with this man, wanting to head south for no other reason than that is the way they wanted to go.
"YOU ARE BLOCKING TRAFFIC! MOVE NOW! YOU CANT GO SOUTH, ONLY NORTH OR WEST!" He screamed again at the car in the middle of the road, all the time waving his flashlight for cars headed north out of the fires path, to go around.
The car in the middle of the road finally listened and reluctantly moved west toward the freeway, still several cars in front of me wanted to turn left and head south into the flames; their hesitation causing continued gridlock on the main road out of the Wikiup neighborhood. I looked into my drivers' side, rear-view mirror to make sure Melanie was still behind me in my truck with the boys. Before my eyes could adjust to the stream of headlights reflecting back at me, I could see large flames leaping up from the trees on top of the hills behind us.
"GO!GO!GO!"
~~~~
After watching most of the cars trying to squeeze into two lanes headed west towards the freeway, I decided that we would turn right and head north, and into the wind. There were only a few of us that went this way, but those that did, quickly realized that this took us out of the path of the fire while providing a view of its rampage that was bearing down on our neighborhood.
We pulled into a park on the next block up and watched the sky explode into an apocalyptic firestorm beyond anything that I could have imagined. We could hear the crackling of flames mixed with explosions every twenty to thirty seconds.
There was about mile wide swath of vineyards between us and our neighborhood and by the look of the flames and the smoke, I was certain that our home and our neighbors homes, were being consumed by fire.
I made two very disturbing observations over the next four hours; first, I realized that people were dying in the flames. There was no way that everyone escaped the fire as most people did not receive any prior warning, and the fire was moving way too fast to keep ahead of.
The second, was the realization that we had not heard or seen one fire-engine. The first fire-engine that we saw was just before 6:00 am. That's when I knew the size and magnitude of this fire was beyond comprehension.
~~~~
Dawn broke with an eerie stillness. Shock, uncertainty, and disbelief intermingled with the smoke that hung heavily in the air. Apollo and Orion had finally fallen asleep after watching the fire and asking questions about it for the first few hours. The motor-home was all but quiet now except for the occasional ruffle of parrot feathers coming from the cages in the back. This was the beginning of our week in exile.
~~~~
I must mention here the incredible outpouring of love and support and offers of help that came in from friends and family all over the world. Even strangers offered to help out in any way that they could. We, my family and our zoo, were some of the lucky ones. We had time to grab our pets. We had time to grab our motor home. We had time to grab a spare change of clothing, although nothing that we grabbed for Apollo really fit him. Our motor home provided shelter. It provided a place for our 7 birds, our dog, our cat, and the 4 of us humans to wait out the fires. We were some of the luck ones.
~~~~
We spent our first two nights in exile, at Eposti Park; the park that we pulled into when we first evacuated. Even though we had many offers of places to stay, I really did not want to impose our flock of screaming, feathered, toothpick makers on anyone that we care about. After the second night in the park and realizing that we were not going to be allowed into our neighborhood anytime soon, I gave in and we parked "Melanie's Ark" in front of a friends house in Windsor, for a night, then followed her to Sebastopol to her cousins house for two nights before returning to Windsor, which allowed for some fresh air and a serene backdrop away from the fires. In all, we spent seven nights and seven days away from home.
For me, the hardest part was being trapped with the birds in the motor home. Having the birds, made it impossible for us to leave them alone for more than a couple hours at a time, as they were crammed into small carriers and needed to get out regularly to eat and drink and stretch. Had we not had the birds, we would have left the area for a camping spot on the coast, or stayed in a hotel far away from the mayhem while we awaited reentry into our neighborhood. We made do with what we had and Melanie and the boys did an amazing job taking care of our ark passengers.
Everyone deals with disasters in their own way. Some shut down. Others go into shock. Some jump in and help others. A few become hero's. I admit that I am inpatient and that I am not the type to stand around and do nothing in times like these. Feeling trapped and helpless and just waiting around, does not suit my personality at all. After taking my family to safety, All I wanted to do was to head back into the hood and help anyone that my have needed it... and yes, I did also want to see the unfolding carnage up-close and personal.
By the 3rd day post fire, I was losing my mind from boredom and lack of information...or more accurately: misinformation. I have lived through disasters before and I think in some ways, I am not as affected as others by them, by which I mean, the actual disaster doesn't traumatize me. I have great empathy for those that lost their homes and all there possessions, but having to evacuate, thinking that my house burned down the first night, thinking about the inconvenience of having to find a new place to live, to just get by with what we had with us at that moment and having to start over...none of that bothered me at all. The thoughts that ran through my head were: Where can we find a place that will let us take our birds? Will we find a home close enough that the boys can go to the same school? Should we move out of the area completely? I was never bothered by the thought of loosing all of our possessions. I like a clean slate. I realized in those predawn hours that I had everything that mattered to me: My family.
~~~~
I was able to sneak back into our neighborhood early the next morning after the initial onslaught of fire, to retrieve our fire-safe and vital documents, and to grab our jeep that we had left behind. Police had the neighborhood blocked, but due to having very few officers in place because of the scale of the burned out areas, I, along with several others, were able to sneak around the barricades and walk in. I passed several people walking out of the neighborhood as I walked toward our street. They all had a look of shock and disbelief on their faces. Most of them were pulling a suitcase on wheels, no doubt stuffed with clothing and important items or documents, but I was blown away by what a few others found important enough to take from their homes in case the fires came through: a man in his 60's had what must have been a 70" or larger TV on a hand truck wheeling it out of the neighborhood, a lady carried a dining room chair inverted and resting on her head, another guy was pulling a kids wagon loaded with hand tools and car parts. I guess they had their reasons.
A natural disaster always brings out the best in some people but also, the worst kinds of people leap into action to take advantage of the chaos. While disgusted by the latter, I was filled with pride to see the community rally and support one another. So many people volunteering, sharing, and helping. It was good to see that there are still that many people with "goodness" inside of them. It's unfortunate that, it often takes a tragedy to bring people together and remind us that we actual do care for each other.
~~~~
In the aftermath since the fires, things have returned to normal for us: We are back in our home, our boys are back at school, and we are back to normal work schedules. Thousands of others however, are still left to pick up the pieces while deciding to rebuild or cut their losses and move away. It will be a long road with many ups and downs along the way for them. Many people that we know have lost everything, and I honestly don't know what to say to them beyond "I'm sorry". I cringe when I hear others tell them, "At least you escaped with your lives", or "At least you escaped with your family and that's what really matters". I realize that most people wouldn't feel the way I do about losing all of my possessions, but I can only imagine that those sentiments are the last thing most people want to hear. I can only equate it to loosing a loved one suddenly in a tragic accident and people telling you that, "They're in a better place," or "God only calls special people home early," or "I know what you're going through." Any of those would send me off the deep end. I've lost a home in a fire. I've been in a major earthquake where my home sustained 30% of its value in damage. I've lost a sibling when we were both in our teens. I've had to endure similar comments on all occasions. As a result, I have mixed feelings when I see signs that say, "Thank you first responders!" posted in an un-burned neighborhood right next to one that was completely leveled by the fires. I understand the extreme gratitude and elation that people must have felt when they found out that their home was untouched, however, what about the houses right next door that have been reduced to rubble, maybe their beloved pets are missing too...I just wonder how those signs make them feel as they pass them on their way to sift through the ashes.
~~~~
We talk to Apollo and Orion about the fires, about how they felt while we were evacuating, about how they felt while we were away from home. They were and are, completely unaffected by the fires. Melanie and I remained calm throughout the entire process of evacuating, even though the adrenaline was flowing. I think the boys were tuned into our calmness. Apollo told us that the excitement felt like he was getting on a scary roller coaster ride where he didn't know what to expect. Orion said that he wasn't scared but he felt shaky even though he wasn't cold. We explained that they were experiencing the effects of adrenaline. They were interested in the science behind adrenaline more than the fact that we had to flee from a fire. Apollo and Orion told us that the rest of the week was like a camping trip for them and they liked bringing all of their pets with them camping.
Several of the boys friends lost homes and all of their possessions in the fire. We have discussed this extensively with the boys and pointed out how fortunate we are to have our home to spend the holidays in. It is a hard thing for them to grasp at their age, but they seem to understand and empathize. Apollo wanted to volunteer at a shelter, although he is too young, and Orion, wants to donate his bike that he has outgrown and give it to another little boy that lost his in the fire.
Going into this holiday season, I have much to be grateful for. At the top of my list, right after family and having a roof over my head, I am most thankful that our week long camping trip with all our pets, didn't turn into a more permanent living situation.
Now, more than two months later, Southern California is on fire and with just a few days left before Christmas, a new batch of families are losing homes or are left to wonder if they will lose their home before the flames are quenched. While they are in the middle of their fight, we have made huge progress in clearing lots. More than 5" of rain have fallen in November and the hills are green with new grass and the promise of a new beginning. Crews are working around the clock and hope and optimism are beginning to replace shock and despair. Lawyers and contractors are spending loads of money on marketing and advertising. The home rental market is experience unrealistic rents as insurance companies are cutting the temporary housing checks. Car dealerships are experiencing an unprecedented volley of car sales as victims are replacing vehicles lost in the fires. There is nothing like a disaster to give an unsustainable boost to the local economy.
It is my wish that amidst all the the growth and rebuilding that we can somehow manage to hold on to our humanity, to be kinder, to be more caring, to remember how we looked out for one another in the face of such devastation, to honor the catchphrases; #sonomastrong and "The love in the air is thicker than the smoke."
From the ashes, we will rise.
"YOU ARE BLOCKING TRAFFIC! MOVE NOW! YOU CANT GO SOUTH, ONLY NORTH OR WEST!" He screamed again at the car in the middle of the road, all the time waving his flashlight for cars headed north out of the fires path, to go around.
The car in the middle of the road finally listened and reluctantly moved west toward the freeway, still several cars in front of me wanted to turn left and head south into the flames; their hesitation causing continued gridlock on the main road out of the Wikiup neighborhood. I looked into my drivers' side, rear-view mirror to make sure Melanie was still behind me in my truck with the boys. Before my eyes could adjust to the stream of headlights reflecting back at me, I could see large flames leaping up from the trees on top of the hills behind us.
"GO!GO!GO!"
~~~~
After watching most of the cars trying to squeeze into two lanes headed west towards the freeway, I decided that we would turn right and head north, and into the wind. There were only a few of us that went this way, but those that did, quickly realized that this took us out of the path of the fire while providing a view of its rampage that was bearing down on our neighborhood.
There was about mile wide swath of vineyards between us and our neighborhood and by the look of the flames and the smoke, I was certain that our home and our neighbors homes, were being consumed by fire.I made two very disturbing observations over the next four hours; first, I realized that people were dying in the flames. There was no way that everyone escaped the fire as most people did not receive any prior warning, and the fire was moving way too fast to keep ahead of.
The second, was the realization that we had not heard or seen one fire-engine. The first fire-engine that we saw was just before 6:00 am. That's when I knew the size and magnitude of this fire was beyond comprehension.
~~~~Dawn broke with an eerie stillness. Shock, uncertainty, and disbelief intermingled with the smoke that hung heavily in the air. Apollo and Orion had finally fallen asleep after watching the fire and asking questions about it for the first few hours. The motor-home was all but quiet now except for the occasional ruffle of parrot feathers coming from the cages in the back. This was the beginning of our week in exile.
~~~~
~~~~
We spent our first two nights in exile, at Eposti Park; the park that we pulled into when we first evacuated. Even though we had many offers of places to stay, I really did not want to impose our flock of screaming, feathered, toothpick makers on anyone that we care about. After the second night in the park and realizing that we were not going to be allowed into our neighborhood anytime soon, I gave in and we parked "Melanie's Ark" in front of a friends house in Windsor, for a night, then followed her to Sebastopol to her cousins house for two nights before returning to Windsor, which allowed for some fresh air and a serene backdrop away from the fires. In all, we spent seven nights and seven days away from home.
For me, the hardest part was being trapped with the birds in the motor home. Having the birds, made it impossible for us to leave them alone for more than a couple hours at a time, as they were crammed into small carriers and needed to get out regularly to eat and drink and stretch. Had we not had the birds, we would have left the area for a camping spot on the coast, or stayed in a hotel far away from the mayhem while we awaited reentry into our neighborhood. We made do with what we had and Melanie and the boys did an amazing job taking care of our ark passengers.
By the 3rd day post fire, I was losing my mind from boredom and lack of information...or more accurately: misinformation. I have lived through disasters before and I think in some ways, I am not as affected as others by them, by which I mean, the actual disaster doesn't traumatize me. I have great empathy for those that lost their homes and all there possessions, but having to evacuate, thinking that my house burned down the first night, thinking about the inconvenience of having to find a new place to live, to just get by with what we had with us at that moment and having to start over...none of that bothered me at all. The thoughts that ran through my head were: Where can we find a place that will let us take our birds? Will we find a home close enough that the boys can go to the same school? Should we move out of the area completely? I was never bothered by the thought of loosing all of our possessions. I like a clean slate. I realized in those predawn hours that I had everything that mattered to me: My family.
I was able to sneak back into our neighborhood early the next morning after the initial onslaught of fire, to retrieve our fire-safe and vital documents, and to grab our jeep that we had left behind. Police had the neighborhood blocked, but due to having very few officers in place because of the scale of the burned out areas, I, along with several others, were able to sneak around the barricades and walk in. I passed several people walking out of the neighborhood as I walked toward our street. They all had a look of shock and disbelief on their faces. Most of them were pulling a suitcase on wheels, no doubt stuffed with clothing and important items or documents, but I was blown away by what a few others found important enough to take from their homes in case the fires came through: a man in his 60's had what must have been a 70" or larger TV on a hand truck wheeling it out of the neighborhood, a lady carried a dining room chair inverted and resting on her head, another guy was pulling a kids wagon loaded with hand tools and car parts. I guess they had their reasons.A natural disaster always brings out the best in some people but also, the worst kinds of people leap into action to take advantage of the chaos. While disgusted by the latter, I was filled with pride to see the community rally and support one another. So many people volunteering, sharing, and helping. It was good to see that there are still that many people with "goodness" inside of them. It's unfortunate that, it often takes a tragedy to bring people together and remind us that we actual do care for each other.
~~~~
~~~~
We talk to Apollo and Orion about the fires, about how they felt while we were evacuating, about how they felt while we were away from home. They were and are, completely unaffected by the fires. Melanie and I remained calm throughout the entire process of evacuating, even though the adrenaline was flowing. I think the boys were tuned into our calmness. Apollo told us that the excitement felt like he was getting on a scary roller coaster ride where he didn't know what to expect. Orion said that he wasn't scared but he felt shaky even though he wasn't cold. We explained that they were experiencing the effects of adrenaline. They were interested in the science behind adrenaline more than the fact that we had to flee from a fire. Apollo and Orion told us that the rest of the week was like a camping trip for them and they liked bringing all of their pets with them camping.
Several of the boys friends lost homes and all of their possessions in the fire. We have discussed this extensively with the boys and pointed out how fortunate we are to have our home to spend the holidays in. It is a hard thing for them to grasp at their age, but they seem to understand and empathize. Apollo wanted to volunteer at a shelter, although he is too young, and Orion, wants to donate his bike that he has outgrown and give it to another little boy that lost his in the fire.
Going into this holiday season, I have much to be grateful for. At the top of my list, right after family and having a roof over my head, I am most thankful that our week long camping trip with all our pets, didn't turn into a more permanent living situation.Now, more than two months later, Southern California is on fire and with just a few days left before Christmas, a new batch of families are losing homes or are left to wonder if they will lose their home before the flames are quenched. While they are in the middle of their fight, we have made huge progress in clearing lots. More than 5" of rain have fallen in November and the hills are green with new grass and the promise of a new beginning. Crews are working around the clock and hope and optimism are beginning to replace shock and despair. Lawyers and contractors are spending loads of money on marketing and advertising. The home rental market is experience unrealistic rents as insurance companies are cutting the temporary housing checks. Car dealerships are experiencing an unprecedented volley of car sales as victims are replacing vehicles lost in the fires. There is nothing like a disaster to give an unsustainable boost to the local economy.
It is my wish that amidst all the the growth and rebuilding that we can somehow manage to hold on to our humanity, to be kinder, to be more caring, to remember how we looked out for one another in the face of such devastation, to honor the catchphrases; #sonomastrong and "The love in the air is thicker than the smoke."
From the ashes, we will rise.
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