Wildfires and trauma
After 4 days of fires and winds, evacuations and devastation, my heart tells me it is time to sit and reflect. During these first four days of the most destructive fires in LA County history, I have primarily been functioning on “emergency mode” - What needs to be done? Who has been impacted? Who do I need to contact? What can I do? What can the church do? How do we need to respond? “Emergency mode” is productive, but it can be exhausting and the trauma of the event itself is delayed until there is a “lull” in activity. I think me dealing with the actual trauma will come later. For those who need a recap:
On Tuesday, Southern California experienced Santa Ana winds. I learned that they are hurricane force-winds that reached up to 80 miles per hour. They are winds that change direction - usually we get winds coming off the Pacific Ocean, so the air is filled with moisture, but Santa Anas come from the other way - from the desert - so they are dry… combined with the drought we’ve experienced these past year and it is prime fire conditions . So on Tuesday two major fires started: the fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire in Altadena.
My new home in Pasadena is just out of the mandatory evacuation area of the Eaton Fire (see the blue dot on the map), but due to the high winds and downed power lines, I made the decision to take Po, my dog, and travel to my brother's house in Upland on Tuesday. We’ve been in Upland since.
On Thursday, I visited the house and it is okay. Power is on. No real damage. There is a layer of ash and dirt on everything inside that will need a deep clean. Smells of smoke and air quality is hazardous. Only small branches down in the yard. Overall I am lucky.
But there is an order from the city warning not to drink/use tap water. So, drinking, bathing, washing dishes and clothes, should all be done with bottled water. This has prevented me from returning… I think when the ban is lifted I will feel better about going back.
My new church (I’ve worked there for 10 days now…) North Hollywood First UMC is in between the Eaton Fire and the Palisades fire (see the pink star on the map) and has been safe. The power was out for several days, but it now back on. One of our crepe myrtle trees sustained some damage, but thankfully the building was untouched. Our church members seem to be safe from the fire zones and although there is a collective trauma, all seem okay.
This weekend, the winds have died own and the firefighters will have an opportunity to make some progress on the two major fires impacting us. But on Monday-Wednesday of next week, the Santa Ana winds will return. And so, we are in the middle of the crisis… and we wait.