| We lost our homes in the wildfires of
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| | them as perfectly fine. We didn't get
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| 2003 in Lake Arrowhead. It was a time
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| | accurate news. The only news that was
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| that we just didn't think we would ever
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| | real was of true videos capturing
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| get over. So to see homes burning once
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| | neighborhoods that burned. We actually
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| again in Lake Arrowhead and San Diego was
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| | saw our homes burning on the television
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| a déjà vu.
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| | news. We knew at that moment that we
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| At the time, it was heart wrenching to
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| | were officially without a home.
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| see everything we had go up in smoke.
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| | It took over a week for the fire to be
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| There was nothing left in the ashes,
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| | extinguished before we were able to
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| absolutely nothing, except for a jar of
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| | return home. When you lose your home to
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| pennies my son was saving but we couldn't
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| | fire, there is something inside of you
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| tell that they were pennies, as they had
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| | that insists you have to see the remains.
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| all melted into one big heap of copper.
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| | When we turned onto our block, we
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| From where all the houses had burned, it
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| | couldn't even tell where one block ended
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| looked like a nuclear war had come
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| | and the next one began. The fire had
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| through. The fire randomly picked and
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| | taken our roads, our cars, and our
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| chose which homes to take. Three hundred
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| | animals. It had eaten everything and
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| homes in our neighborhood had burned to
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| | left nothing. The ashes were still warm
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| the ground yet one house across the
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| | after a week. It was a moonscape.
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| street made it completely unscathed, and
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| | While we were there, a woman approached,
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| a few yards up the road a lone wooden
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| | asking if this had been our home. We
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| playhouse had been spared.
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| | nodded but just couldn't speak. She said
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| We lost everything. Our thirteen year
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| | she owned a rental in Lake Arrowhead and
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| old family cat, Baby Ruth, perished in
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| | wondered if we would like to live there
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| the fire. All of our physical memories
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| | until we figured out what we were going
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| like photos of ancestors, my great
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| | to do. Amazing. An angel (and many
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| grandma's rocking chair, a violin that
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| | more angels) would come to our aid that
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| had been played by my husband's great
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| | day. When we arrived at the rental home,
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| great grandfather; all of it gone. Yet
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| | someone we didn't even know had already
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| in spite of all the destruction, we felt
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| | gone from neighborhood to neighborhood
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| very thankful. Our family was intact.
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| | asking if they would be willing to clean
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| We lived next door to my parents who had
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| | out their garages and give us anything we
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| a cute little mother-in-law house. Our
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| | might need. That evening a huge moving
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| daughter could walk to Grandma's every
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| | van pulled up full of new everything:
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| day with it being only twenty yards away.
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| | clothes, dishes, bedding, beds, more than
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| Our homes were deep in the woods of
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| | we could have ever needed. Phone calls
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| Cedar Glen and even deeper in the stands
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| | came from people with gift cards to
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| of trees that were dying from the bark
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| | grocery stores and clothing stores. It
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| beetle. The unforgiving pest, which had
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| | was truly incredible, the kindness that
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| already ravaged forests from Colorado to
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| | was offered us.
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| Alaska, beetle had been attacking Lake
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| | FEMA was a gem. Right after the fire
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| Arrowhead and its surrounding communities
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| | they met us at a restaurant parking lot
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| for years. The result of its ravenous
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| | to fill out all the paperwork required to
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| consumption was millions of trees
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| | put money in our hands as soon as
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| standing like matchsticks ready to fuel a
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| | possible. We expected maybe a week's
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| fire unlike anyone could have ever
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| | worth of rent, or maybe some grocery
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| imagined.
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| | money, but FEMA set us up with funds for
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| In mid October 2003, Lee and I were
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| | everything we lost and additional living
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| scheduled for a number of lectures in the
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| | money for six months. Again, the
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| Midwest. We decided to take my mom and
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| | kindness and the help was overwhelming.
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| our then four year old daughter with us
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| | It can be hard to look at the bright side
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| to the Colorado dates. Dad and our three
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| | when something like a fire uproots one's
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| teenagers stayed at home.
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| | life, but by concentrating on all the
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| On our way back from Colorado, our
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| | good and kindness offered from strangers,
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| teenage daughter reached us by cell
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| | and by concentrating on what you do have
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| telling us there was a fire up on the
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| | and what you can rebuild, will reduce
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| mountain. She was concerned. From the
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| | some of the sting.
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| tightness in her voice, we knew this was
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| | A house is just a thing, possessions are
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| real. The "Big One" everyone on the
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| | replaceable, and our memories are
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| mountain had feared for so long had
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| | something we brought with us and we can
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| arrived.
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| | keep. The wildfires could never steal
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| Lake Arrowhead and the surrounding
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| | those from us.
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| mountain communities had just two escape
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| | Four years later we have seen firsthand
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| routes, and they were inadequate in the
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| | that even out of the darkest time, or
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| best of circumstances. Lee called some
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| | impossible situation, that good can still
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| colleagues at the newspaper and some
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| | peek through and take the day. We had
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| friends we knew at the fire department.
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| | always wanted to live in Oregon and the
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| They related the seriousness of the
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| | 2003 fire gave us the freedom to do that.
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| situation. There were fires everywhere,
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| | We are so grateful for our lives and
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| and some were threatening Big Bear and
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| | especially grateful for all the people
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| Cedar Glen.
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| | who helped us through such a trying
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| Evacuation was still voluntary, but the
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| | experience.
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| firefighters said it would be wise to get
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| | To those of you who may have lost a home
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| out now. We called our kids and Dad and
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| | in the wildfires in California, life will
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| told them to meet us at the bottom of the
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| | get better. It may be hard to believe or
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| mountain at a local hotel for the night.
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| | understand right now, but in a few years
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| No one expected the houses to burn. We
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| | you will see and appreciate the fact that
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| assumed we'd be back in our house within
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| | you have made it through. You will
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| a few days. We left food out for Baby
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| | appreciate your family all the more and
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| Ruth since she was nowhere to be seen,
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| | will always hold a special place in your
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| and we commenced our waiting out the
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| | heart for the kindness exhibited by all
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| fire.
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| | the volunteers who helped you through
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| One of the problems when there is a fire
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| | this trying time. And one day, when you
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| is that there are rarely accurate news
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| | return to look at the place where your
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| reports. One report will swear that all
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| | house once stood, in addition to the new
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| the local businesses are totally wiped
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| | signs of life and regrowth sprouting from
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| out, and then moments later another
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| | the ground, you will have the memories
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| reporter on another channel will be
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| | that will keep you in good stead. Life
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| standing right in front of them depicting
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| | always regenerates itself.
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