California Burning
The driest conditions in 200 years combined with strong Santa Ana winds have set California on fire. Satellite images show smoke pouring over the Pacific ocean while back on the ground thousands of firefighters battle five major blazes. Almost a million people have been forced to flee their homes. Residential damage has already topped a billion dollars.
CNN has photos of refugee Californians bunked out at Qualcomm Stadium. It’s a sight that is becoming eerily familiar.
I don’t know about you, but when I think of the word “refugee” I picture a dusty road somewhere in Africa. Darfur comes to mind, or Somalia. But more often in recent years the refugees have been much closer to home. “Refugee Americans” seems like it should be a contradiction in terms. But we saw it in New Orleans two years ago, and now here it is again in California.
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For the owners of the 1300 homes destroyed in the fire, it’s time to start again. With no warning, and no do-overs this week will become a dividing point separating life into before the fire and after. I realized as I was looking at these photos that “refugee” is a word I expect to apply to someone else, someone far, far away. But as we’re seeing in these images again today, it only takes a moment for the world to change.
Has there been a dividing point in your life? What would you reach for if it was your house the fires were threatening?
Photo of Santiago Wildfire courtesy of Kevin Labianco. Used with permission under a Creative Commons 2.0 (Attribution) License.
4 Responses to “California Burning”
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I have one cousin who lives in San Diego and one in the LA area who had to be evacuated earlier this year. It definitely had us thinking about what we would save if we had to evacuate at a moment’s notice…probably much the same as everyone else, photos and other sentimental items. We did finally purchase a fireproof safe to store important papers in. I guess you can never be too prepared.
I feel for t6he ones that lost their homes and most of their possesions.You never know when something like that will happen to you.
I guess the first thing I would do is try to get all my pictures that I could get ,my Bible and medicine then my pets.I would get any medicine that I was taking and important papers.Then I would do as I was told ,evacuate.To all the ones who lost their homes to this awful tradgedy you are in our prayers .Take care.
Sheila Wright
It is interesting to think about what I would grab first…..probably pictures since those can’t be replaced and they tell the story of our family’s history…..medicine should be right up there but I bet if it came right down to it, I would forget it! Not Good….I will have to remember that if it every happens!