When I am totally involved in a project, I can't hear what people say to me, I forget to eat, I forget what day it is and I keep odd hours. I am utterly absorbed and oblivious to the world. And it was this level of absorption that lead me to entirely miss what was happening in California until the day before yesterday. So yeah, I'm feeling super guilty about this. Savannah, I wish I'd known sooner. Anybody out there lurking in California, that's my explanation. Stay safe. Hug your family.
A news report intruded during a documentary I was watching and it was like getting hit with cold water. Everything went by the ways. I pulled up every report and video I could find. I got ahold of Ms. Savannah. I was, and am, horrified.
What's going on isn't ordinary. It's almost apocalyptic.
The only fire I've ever been in the middle of happened years ago when we were riding through Eastern Washington in August. We had gone way inland toward the east, and there had been lightning storms in the night, so as the morning wore on, soon all the hills around us were showing areas of fire. You could see it get bigger and creep down slopes and across fields like a black stain. Sometimes it would just go out. Sometimes you'd be looking at a patch of grass and suddenly it would just go up without warning. A fire would spring up on one side of the highway and leap to the other, like it was chasing us. The way it moves over the land doesn't make sense, and it moves terrifyingly fast. We'd come out from under the smoke and ride for five miles, blue sky, yellow fields, no wind, and suddenly there'd be a blast of furnace hot wind at your back, and long orange claws would come reaching across the grass on either side of the highway, the sky would turn smoky orange, and suddenly embers are falling, they're landing on you, they're landing in the road ahead. The fire that we'd been trying to outrun all morning long jumped in front of us, and we were doing well over 70mph at the time. All we could do was speed up and hope that someone or something wasn't blocking the road. That's just a little bit of what a wildfire is like in dry country.
What I'm describing wasn't even a match lit against what's going on in Los Angeles.
I can't believe what I'm seeing come out of California. Most of those houses have not just burned, they've been incinerated. This is a huge firestorm with 100mph gusts pushing it. Houses and trees are vaporizing. And the worst thing, the most heartless and disgusting thing in all of this horror is how the insurance companies are cancelling policies.
I'll just leave this here. Yes I will.
Speaking of disgusting things, Paris Hilton went online (aka used a natural disaster to put herself in the public eye) saying that she was 'Heartbroken beyond words' that her beachfront house had been destroyed - which I assume has no more importance to her financially than losing a fake eyelash in the toilet. The very last people who need to be involved in this discourse are the wealthy. You lost your car collection? You lost your mansion? You had choices. Lots of choices. Way more than the thousands of families living around you did. Have the grace to shut up.
Here's a good overview of the situation on the ground from the Guardian US:
There are links to relief efforts included in the article. I don't know how well The Guardian vets things like that; I would do my research, but if you want to help, it's a good place to start.
Sweetpea! xoxo YOU have nothing to apologize about! I could feel your concern and care when I read your comment on my blog. All y'all around the world have reached out with concern and love not only for me and mine, but for my hometown! I will never forget it. xoxo
ReplyDeleteSee? This is what you mean to people.
DeleteYeah, It's a shame that the media focuses on the rich people losing homes like it's some kind of novelty when there a lot of lifelong and muti-generation Californians losing their homes! I have friends that are from California or have recently moved back so I'm watching FB pages (my only "social" other than blogging) to see if they need anything. It can be overwhelming when you're in an emergency and everyone is texting to ask if you're alright.
ReplyDeleteMy dad and I nearly died in a wildfire when I was 16 and part of me relives the trauma every time a tragedy like this happens.
Holy CRAP. The thing we went through when we were riding was frankly minor. It was exciting. It was dangerous enough to be a cool story to tell and nothing more.
DeleteI agree sweet cheeks. It does look like the end of the world out there. It's terrible when things like this happen to anyone, but I really feel more sorry for the ones that will not be able to rebuild and the lower classes. At least the wealthier ones and the tv stars, and that cunt Paris Hilton have the money. It's a drop in the bucket for them. I worry for California. I told Savy between the droughts, the fires, the landslides and heavens forbid an earthquake hits....I fear that state is going to be doomed. I would be so stressed out living there.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, then there is Lugi...... he is right again. All those people getting their insurance dropped right before the fires. Those rat bastards. I think he and I need to collude together....
OK you get steppin' right now yesterday. Put on your swanky drip and make your bad way through the bullshit, release Luigi, and MARCH ON ROME
DeleteInsurers are complete c@£ts. They do that to areas that flood in the UK.
ReplyDeleteSx
Holy shit. I had no idea that was even a thing in the UK. I thought all that stuff was socialized. *experiences shivers of ignorance*
DeleteThank you. Reading your experience of a wild fire puts the horrific news into vivid perspective. My heart and thoughts are with savannah and everyone in California except for Paris Hilton she can buy a new F;ing beach house
ReplyDeleteMy wildfire was bullshit compared with what's happening in LA. You have a beautiful soul. XOO
DeletePeople who live in "bush areas" here are being reminded to check that their properties have "sufficient" protection. Jeeze! When a fireball hits NOTHING is sufficient protection.
ReplyDelete