We had to evacuate when a wildfire threatened our home
Published May 18, 2021 · 3:32 · 116,139 views
About This Video
Three and a half minutes. A wildfire that threatens your home is not like a hurricane back east. It is a different disaster experience. Wildfires are a surprise, too fast for the news. This fire is four months early. Van spotted it on the way to a playground. If we have to leave, he thought, I am packing just the hard drives this time.
The helplessness and fear diminish with each new fire season, giving way to preparedness, execution, and respect. Respect for the fire. Respect for the folks who put it out. The firefighters did not act like authorities. They acted like fellow members of a community, like friendly neighbors. One explained the status, the techniques, the hundreds more firefighters over the ridge on foot. Another snapped a photo of our family for our holiday card. The next day all evacuation orders were lifted. No philosophy, no framework. Just the raw footage of leaving and the relief of return.
Transcript
a wildfire that threatens your home is not like a hurricane back east it's a different disaster
experience wildfires are a surprise too fast for the news this spirited man has lived in many different places but never until now in a place
that comes with a disaster survival guide when you move in
every year he's caught off guard this fire this fire is four months early he
spotted it on the way to a playground if we've got to leave he thought i'm
packing just the hard drives this time maybe the laptop the helplessness and the fear diminishes
with each new fire season gives way to preparedness the plan execution
and respect can you smell the smoke respect for the fire and respect for the folks who put it out who save your home this is a local spot
a trailhead that locals use this spirited man and his family parked in this pullout
because around the corner they saw fire trucks and they don't want to be in the way if you want to help firefighters it seems
the best you can do is get out of the way after one of the trucks pulled out his family drove in to find out
if their home was safe the firefighter's reaction to the arrival of this uninvited family
surprised this spirited man they did not act like authorities though they were
they acted like fellow members of a community like friendly neighbors they treated this family
with respect one firefighter explained the status of the fire
and some of the techniques employed to fight the fire he explained that there were hundreds more firefighters
over the ridge on foot and out of sight and though the firemen did not say it explicitly
he gave the feeling that our homes were safe another firefighter snapped us a photo
for our holiday card and the next day all of the evacuation orders were lifted you