This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/11/us/california-fires-evacuations.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| ‘Thank God We Left’: Californians Describe Escaping Wildfires | ‘Thank God We Left’: Californians Describe Escaping Wildfires |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Wildfires in California continue to rage, having killed at least 21 people, sent hundreds to the hospital, and damaged or destroyed thousands of buildings. The fires, which started Sunday night, span the length of the state. | Wildfires in California continue to rage, having killed at least 21 people, sent hundreds to the hospital, and damaged or destroyed thousands of buildings. The fires, which started Sunday night, span the length of the state. |
| We asked people who evacuated to share their experiences by leaving us voice mail messages. Many shared emotional stories of getting out of their homes in minutes with only the clothes on their backs, and others praised their neighbors and fellow residents for help and support. | We asked people who evacuated to share their experiences by leaving us voice mail messages. Many shared emotional stories of getting out of their homes in minutes with only the clothes on their backs, and others praised their neighbors and fellow residents for help and support. |
| Here are some of those stories, which have been edited for length and clarity. | Here are some of those stories, which have been edited for length and clarity. |
| _____ | _____ |
| Vivek Jayaraman of Santa Rosa called us Monday afternoon. His family evacuated their home moments before it was destroyed. | Vivek Jayaraman of Santa Rosa called us Monday afternoon. His family evacuated their home moments before it was destroyed. |
| My family and I were forced to evacuate from our home in Santa Rosa, Calif., early on Monday morning at 2 a.m. In fact, I was out of town for work in San Diego and my wife and our two young children safely evacuated our home about an hour before it burned to the ground. Our neighborhood, in what’s called the Fountaingrove area of Santa Rosa, sustained an incredible amount of damage. Probably 90 percent of the homes were completely destroyed. | My family and I were forced to evacuate from our home in Santa Rosa, Calif., early on Monday morning at 2 a.m. In fact, I was out of town for work in San Diego and my wife and our two young children safely evacuated our home about an hour before it burned to the ground. Our neighborhood, in what’s called the Fountaingrove area of Santa Rosa, sustained an incredible amount of damage. Probably 90 percent of the homes were completely destroyed. |
| But they were able to get out safely with the clothes on their back, and now we begin the process of rebuilding. But I think the fires are still burning, the evacuation areas are still cordoned off, and I think once the physical and financial damage is assessed, the magnitude of this disaster’s really going to come into focus. | But they were able to get out safely with the clothes on their back, and now we begin the process of rebuilding. But I think the fires are still burning, the evacuation areas are still cordoned off, and I think once the physical and financial damage is assessed, the magnitude of this disaster’s really going to come into focus. |
| When he and his wife, Aruna, returned to their home, nothing was left. | When he and his wife, Aruna, returned to their home, nothing was left. |
| _____ | _____ |
| Cathy Record Beaulac called us Tuesday morning. She fled her Santa Rosa home with her husband and daughter and evacuated to Sebastopol. | Cathy Record Beaulac called us Tuesday morning. She fled her Santa Rosa home with her husband and daughter and evacuated to Sebastopol. |
| My husband and I walked outside and we heard this, like, I don’t know how to describe it other than this sort of low roar. And cars were driving by and they were just laying on their horns. And so then we got back and started to move, and I turned around and looked and the fire was two houses up. | My husband and I walked outside and we heard this, like, I don’t know how to describe it other than this sort of low roar. And cars were driving by and they were just laying on their horns. And so then we got back and started to move, and I turned around and looked and the fire was two houses up. |
| So then it was just getting everybody in the car, the dogs, and we just left. We haven’t been back because the roads are still closed. I think, I doubt we’ll get back today, what, today’s Tuesday. So possibly Wednesday, but you know where we lived in the area, we have friends in Fountaingrove and Coffey Park, and there’s also this neighborhood, Mark West Estates, and my daughter has six to seven friends who've lost their houses. And we’re waiting. We’re safe. We are all alive so we feel lucky. | So then it was just getting everybody in the car, the dogs, and we just left. We haven’t been back because the roads are still closed. I think, I doubt we’ll get back today, what, today’s Tuesday. So possibly Wednesday, but you know where we lived in the area, we have friends in Fountaingrove and Coffey Park, and there’s also this neighborhood, Mark West Estates, and my daughter has six to seven friends who've lost their houses. And we’re waiting. We’re safe. We are all alive so we feel lucky. |
| _____ | _____ |
| Dustin Ballard called us Monday morning. He lives in Terra Linda, a community in San Rafael, about 35 miles from Santa Rosa. Mr. Ballard, an emergency physician at the San Rafael Kaiser Permanente San Medical Center, recalled his experience responding to the fires. | |
| My experience was on the receiving end of the evacuation of the San Rafael Kaiser hospital in the emergency department by some very brave and reactive individuals who grabbed up all the patients from the emergency department, as flames were flickering through the parking structure across the street from them; drove them down by private car to the emergency department in San Rafael Kaiser in Terra Linda; and then scooped up the 70 or so inpatients and did the same. And then on our end, there were an entire surge of staff, from nurses to techs to doctors, from all over the hospital, all specialties arriving to organize these patients and get them put into beds upstairs or safely sent home. | |
| It was a remarkable but also heartbreaking situation as we met with patients who were scared about their families or their loved ones or their homes. | It was a remarkable but also heartbreaking situation as we met with patients who were scared about their families or their loved ones or their homes. |
| Doctors that were working not knowing if and when they’d be able to get back to their homes up north. So truly, a remarkable situation that I just wanted to share because it was inspiring to see medical professionals and people coming together, everyone remaining calm and doing the best for people who had been suddenly struck by a very terrible circumstance. | Doctors that were working not knowing if and when they’d be able to get back to their homes up north. So truly, a remarkable situation that I just wanted to share because it was inspiring to see medical professionals and people coming together, everyone remaining calm and doing the best for people who had been suddenly struck by a very terrible circumstance. |
| _____ | _____ |
| Maren McCloud called us early Tuesday. She and her family left their home in Santa Rosa after their neighbor woke them up. | Maren McCloud called us early Tuesday. She and her family left their home in Santa Rosa after their neighbor woke them up. |
| Actually, our phones were off and our neighbor was relentless in trying to wake us up, which is why I wanted to share this story. So she was knocking and ringing our doorbell and, you know, because of her we got out with our two young children. And I just thought that was important to share because we feel so fortunate that we have them and we evacuated around 3 a.m. to Forestville, and then came down to Berkeley later today to stay with family and we’re still here because we haven’t been given the go-ahead to go back yet. | Actually, our phones were off and our neighbor was relentless in trying to wake us up, which is why I wanted to share this story. So she was knocking and ringing our doorbell and, you know, because of her we got out with our two young children. And I just thought that was important to share because we feel so fortunate that we have them and we evacuated around 3 a.m. to Forestville, and then came down to Berkeley later today to stay with family and we’re still here because we haven’t been given the go-ahead to go back yet. |
| Our house, we last heard, was safe, but the whole neighborhood right next to ours is gone. Our area is not safe to return back to yet in case the wind picks up and the fire is reignited. | Our house, we last heard, was safe, but the whole neighborhood right next to ours is gone. Our area is not safe to return back to yet in case the wind picks up and the fire is reignited. |