Malibu is usually as magnificent a place to live as one might imagine. Rolling hills, perfect waves and thermal readings balancing on superb year round.
But every fall, Southern California as a whole gets a visit from mother nature’s dragon breath, the Santa Ana winds. This tempest can skyrocket our temperatures by 20 degrees and bring beach weather when other parts of the country are shoveling snow. It can be genuinely lovely, offering throwbacks to summer surf days, but it’s also terrifying. Terrifying because if any spark finds its way onto the dry California hillsides, it epitomizes the meaning of spreading like wildfire.
On Tuesday morning at 4:30 am I sat up wide awake, my room so thick with the smell of smoke it was as if someone had lit a campfire at the foot of my bed. In Malibu, this is something we dread. With neighborhoods perched on scrubby hills, our backyard is essentially a box of kindling waiting for ignition. Throw in the Santa Anas and this year’s extraordinary plant growth, courtesy of an unusually wet spring, and you have the recipe for disaster.
Between Malibu and Topanga the text threads started. People were waking with the same unease and heading outside to see what was happening.
Only an hour later did news start coming in about the enormous fire in Ventura … a place with one degree of separation for most of us with friends and family. The Thomas Fire was just the beginning.
That day our skies looked apocalyptic. A red sun rose and set over a grey ocean. Ash rained down as if we were in uncomfortable proximity to an erupting volcano.
On Wednesday morning our awakening was to the rumble of Canadian super scoopers descending on the Pacific. The massive fixed wing, amphibious Bombardier LC-415s are on loan from Quebec yearly during our fire season. As their name implies, these mighty birds scoop water and make drops on active fire zones. Today it was the new Skirball Fire that had erupted by the Getty.
Days later we are still on fire. From Santa Barbara to San Diego.
As the flames continue to rage across Southern California the stories emerging from the ashes are as heartbreaking as one might expect. Entire lives left in ruin, animals left behind unable to escape, looters taking advantage of the chaos forcing residents to sleep in evacuated homes with shotguns…and loss. So much loss.
But the flip side of the equation is the human spirit of kindness, bravery and extraordinary actions taken when circumstances dictate a need for nothing less.
If you need your faith in humanity restored just watch this video of a man saving a wild bunny from the #LAFires pic.twitter.com/Ke4hr59Lwk
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) December 7, 2017
A video of a man pulling over to save a rabbit from the flames went viral with people proclaiming that their faith in humanity had been restored. Neighbors, who instead of focusing on their own plight, went door to door in evacuating neighborhoods to make sure everyone heard the warning. Others have brought motorhomes to serve hot coffee and meals to firefighters and evacuees.
People are hand-making breakfast burritos to distribute to volunteers. Children are gathering blankets and supplies for shelters.
Animal rescue groups have put out offers to retrieve any animals left behind, loading goats and turkeys into remodeled ambulance campervans when that’s the only option.
Doors are open to evacuees across the state with keys left under mats in case friends need to arrive at night. We all have an emergency bag packed and a list of our top ten must grab items if things go south. Computers, hard drives, photos, documents…a favorite something sentimental.
There is even concern for the predicament of local wildlife. News and social feeds remind residents to leave out water for creatures escaping the inferno.
Social media is full of messages of gratitude and support for the firefighters. The thousands of men and women who are our first line of defense against the wind-fueled flames.
I guess Mr. Rogers was right when he said. “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
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