By Meghna Anand, Y 11
In the past few years, there has been a shocking, almost overwhelming, number of fires in California, USA. This year alone, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the US Forestry Service, there have been 6,190 wildfires so far. 198,815 acres of land have been burned, 22 people have been injured and 3 people have been killed as a result of the fires.
Below is an interview with the grandmother of an LGB student (A.K.A. Monty’s Nonna), who lives in the region and was kind enough to take some time to answer some of our questions.
What is the preparation if the fire comes near?
“Prepare for emergency evacuation. The order can be called by the fire department, by phone, by the news on the TV, the radio, by an internet site, or your neighbors.
To evacuate, take family, pets and important belongings in your car and leave as soon you are told. Do not wait! That makes work difficult for the firemen, given that many of the roads on the hills are not wide enough for a car and a fire truck; the more people wait, the more traffic there will be.”
What is it like to feel the possibility of danger nearby?
“Knowing that you can lose what had taken a lifetime to collect, including memorable or valuable objects, is unnerving, sad, and anxiety inducing.”
How detrimental is this for your surroundings / the Los Angeles region?
“The fires are extremely costly to individuals and the governing bodies. It costs quite a bit to fight the fires: helicopters drop water and fire retardants. It takes up the time of firemen and the police. Power shuts down, causing issues at hospitals, banks and safety systems. Some schools and businesses are closed. Revenues are lost and people — hurt.”
Can you see the fire or smoke?
“I saw the smoke last week, and this morning. One can only gauge the intensity of the fire from the color and density of the clouds. But embers from the smoke are still dangerous when the flames have abated. They can be carried by the wind and start new fires in unrelated areas.
In October 1978 my neighbor across the street, Elaine, had her house burn down from a fire started 5 or so miles away. But my house did not burn due to the unpredictability of the wind’s path. This wind is called The Santa Ana, which blows from the East, and is normally warm. Combined with falling power lines, a simple spark from a car or even a littered cigarette, fires can start far too easily.”
How does this affect your daily life?
“I worry about losing my home and things I care about. I have packed my car with important papers, medicines, makeup, some clothes and shoes, some pictures and photo albums, and a few items of memorabilia. If the fire were to take my house, I may miss work, and I would have to ask a friend to let me stay at their house. I am realizing that this will be a recurring event where I live, in the hills, with dry vegetation and nature all around me.”
How often does this happen, and does it ever affect you or the people around you?
“Due to global warming and heat and wind and dry conditions it has happened more often.”
