“Anyone who says to you, ‘As long as you’re safe, that’s only stuff you’ve lost,’ doesn’t understand. That stuff is valuable. Most of what we value is in our homes,” he said. “You don’t just lose stuff, you lose mementos, keepsakes, photos and memories that help define your life. It is irreplaceable.”
Gone are the shoes that are perfectly broken in or the favorite sweater that you always looked your best in or cherished family recipes, Rosenthal said. He lost the sports coats that once belonged to his father.
Latest reports state 169 homes have been burned. Residents in some areas were allowed to return today but are encouraged to evacuate again tonight in advance of a forecast for 50 mile-per-hour winds.
I remember when we were under voluntary evacuation for the Hayman Fire. I took the horses to my trainer, as well as some family heirlooms, photos and my old journals. I opened up all the gates, so rescue workers would realize the live stock was gone. While I was at work, I took our cat and two dogs there as well, picking them up on the way home. Every day, when I left, I wondered if I was saying goodbye to the rest of our stuff. Occasionally, we saw local fire fighters surveying the area and consulting their maps.
I can remember watching the firemen put out the fire in my attic knowing that everything I owned except my car was underneath that fire and water. It is a horribly helpless feeling. (As it was, I was very fortunate, thank God.)