the mountain behind our neighborhood. We could smell the smoke first and then we could see a cloud of smoke rising from behind the peak. We went to dinner at Jon's parents' house not really thinking much of it.A few hours later, Jon's dad, a sergeant on a nearby city's police department, got called to go assist with traffic control and possible evacuations. Jon went along.
He didn't realize it but he had taken our car keys with him, so his mom drove the kids and me home. When we arrived at home, we could
see flames appearing on the crest of the mountaintop. I called Jon and he said they had just made the decision to evacuate our area so to start packing!Here are the pictures I took from my front porch as we were preparing to leave:
I got 2 changes of clothes for everyone, computers, cameras, photos, Jon's work stuff, cell phones, ipod, toothbrushes. Paige started to worry when I began taking photos off the wall. I kept reassuring her that everything would be alright.
We drove back to my in-laws house, which is about 4 miles away. It was such a weird sight to see EVERYONE out in the streets loading their cars with things. The roads were packs but the police did a great job manging the traffic. It didn't feel panicked at all. Just surreal. The hillside was ablaze! By the time we left, the fire had surged halfway down the hill. I was making peace with the very real possibility that I was saying goodbye to my home and neighborhood for the last time. We spent the night wondering what we would come home to the next day.
We ended up staying evacuated until Tuesday night at about 8:30. This is a photo of the national guard and police keeping us from going up to our house:
This is a photo from my front porch the morning after we returned home:
You can see the trench dug is what prevented the fire from spreading and destroying homes.
This is another from my front porch:
The entire mountain is black.
The helicopters were dipping into the reservoir in an effort to douse the hot spots. It was so windy and dry Monday and Tuesday they were afraid the flames would kick up again.
Here is an aerial photo taken by the press:
You can see our house. On the bottom of the photo right in the middle is a culdesac. There is an empty lot and ours is the house to the left of it.
This is another photo from the AP. The light colored house on the right is next to ours.
Another aerial shot. This is up a block from our house. You can see the fire came close enough to melt the fence but didn't damage the home.
It's funny the things that came to my mind as I was packing. Some of the things that ran through my mind were
1. I just organized my master closet and kitchen pantry. What a waste! It's just going to burn up, whether it's organized or messy!
2. We had just landscaped our yard this summer after 3 years of being at this house. I didn't want my trees to burn! I wondered if the one year warranty covered fire damage?
3. We had borrowed an air mattress from my sister a few weeks prior for our camping trip and I wanted to be sure we got that!
I told the kids that one day they would be driving their kids to dance class and their kids would say, "tell me a story about when you were a kid!" and they would tell about the fire. So, I began to tell the story up to the point where we spent the night at grandma's house. Then Haily said, "but we don't know how it will end." We decided to take turns making up endings to the story. It started out with:
"The firemen got the fire out during the night and we went home in the morning and everything was back to normal."
And it ended up with:
"our house burned to the ground and we got to live in St George for a year while we built a new house with a pool and jetted tubs in all the bathrooms"...and on and on.
At that point I began to think of things that I wouldn't mind offering to the fire. My wardrobe for starters. It would be awesome to start from scratch and create a whole new (paid for) wardrobe! Haily's dresser with the top drawer missing. My washer and dryer (the first and only ones we've owned that we bought just before Paige was born). Meg's crib that we have rigged with bungee cords to keep the railing up, also purchased 9 years ago and used by 4 babies. Our kitchen table. Although it isn't old, it is well worn.
I learned a few things in this experience. First, I'm proud to be a part of a community that is so well prepared for disaster. I feel more at ease knowing that.
Second, I know that if the time ever comes that my family and I do have to leave our home forever, we will be OK. I know there would be emotional moments and that it wouldn't be easy, but I know we would be able to do it. It wouldn't break us.
Third, I learned what a home is. The thought of the house burning seemed survivable. It's just a structure. It's the life that happened in the house that makes it a home. The memories that live in the halls and rooms. The laughter, the tears, the celebrations, the sorrows, the love. The moments of life that are the real value. Those things are the soul of the home. And those things cannot be destroyed!
That being said, I recognized the value of having your own little piece of the world to call your own. I place that you've spent your life creating, building, and setting up. A place that reflects who you are. A place where you can be yourself. A place you have ownership in. As my friend said, I've never been more grateful to come home to a messy house!
What an experience! One I will never forget. And in the end, am grateful to have gone through.
