it still seems surreal, but this last saturday took an unexpected turn. the plans for the day included dog beach with stella and my sister's family. we could smell fire in the morning, but went to the beach anyways (quite an adventure on its own if i do say so myself). when we got back from the beach, i immediately hurried to my car as we saw the plumes of smoke filling the air near the freeways. i drove home wanting to get out of the smoke smell and floating ash.
little did i know that as i drove over the hill to my house, the fire was actually in my neighborhood. i watered down the yards and the side of the house with what little water pressure we had. i made a few phone calls, then stared blankly at my things wondering what would come of it all if fire struck. it is an eerie feeling.
once my roommate came home, we walked to the corner and watched the many planes and helicopters fly overhead with water and such. sirens from passing fire trucks were a welcome relief. we saw engines from napa, fremont, alhambra, huntington beach, and monterey park all racing down birch street.
my roommate and i packed our cars of all we considered to be precious, then anxiously waited and watched the fire come down the hill. after a few hours, many phone calls, and one long walk to the grocery store, we knew that by God's grace our house would be spared.
not all families were as lucky. it is a devastating sight to see the smoldering ash and remains of what was. i pray for those people. as i washed the dishes left in the sink and dusted off all of the furniture, i did so with a thankful heart. i can't complain that at least there are dishes in my cupboard. at least the furniture is still in tact and needing to be cleaned. and at least the roof over my head is untouched. God is good.
