{"id":11421,"date":"2020-10-15t13:23:55","date_gmt":"2020-10-15t13:23:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/californias-wildfires-break-records-again\/"},"modified":"2023-03-07t19:39:29","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07t19:39:29","slug":"california-wildfires-2020-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/california-wildfires-2020-records\/","title":{"rendered":"california’s wildfires break records, again"},"content":{"rendered":"
growing up, i have experienced more fire days than snow days. between falling ash and orange, smoke-thick skies, we used to anticipate the inevitable morning call from school with the announcement canceling the school day.<\/p>\n
every year, the santa ana winds bring chapped lips, dry hands, and wildfires. the hot wind fuels the flames, spreading fires up and over mountains, close to towns, and threatening homes and businesses. it was typical that the fire would be out within about a week, leaving scorched, blackened earth behind. it\u2019s not until recently that fires rage on for weeks at a time, causing extended evacuations, widespread structure damage, and threatening the lives of many.<\/p>\n
in the fall of my first year at college in d.c., my hometown saw some of the worst fires to date: the woolsey fire of november 2018. i had recently moved across the country and i was worried for my family. as the fires got closer to our home, i got the call that they would have to evacuate. <\/p>\n
for two weeks, my mother, father, sister, and two dogs were living in the cabin of a small boat that my family keeps. it was two weeks of worry and anxiety. there was a vacuum of information in our area, as no one was there to report on what was happening. we truly did not know if we would have a home to go back to. <\/p>\n
fortunately, firefighters quelled the flames and were able to stabilize the area. my family was able to return home, though they had no running water, electricity, or cell reception, as the infrastructure had been damaged in the fire. our neighbor, however, was not as fortunate, and their home burned, leaving only the chimney behind. even now, almost two years later, that empty lot is a constant reminder of the damage that can be done. <\/p>\n
the week after my family returned home was thanksgiving, when i flew home to smokey skies and a neighborhood that looked extraterrestrial. trees were blackened and barely standing. fences melted and scorched. hills white with ash. <\/p>\n