Go Bag

Wendall -- every other Thursday

I am writing this on battery power on the morning of January 8th from Los Angeles, much of which is currently on fire. So today’s post will be brief.

 

 

A typical morning view from our balcony

 

On my walk yesterday morning, before the winds started.

 

I’ve lived here since 1986 through the Northridge quake— when the 10 Freeway collapsed— and through droughts and floods and brush fires, but I have never seen anything like this.

 

Current fires in LA County and surrounding.

 

Some of the smoke from the fires as seen from our balcony this morning.

 

Almost all of the westside of the city is under evacuation orders, as are many of the suburbs around Pasadena. Roads and highways all over the city are closed. The sky across from our apartment is almost black. 

 

The smoke a bit later. 

A bit later.

 

 

 

While I'm writing.

Yesterday, I knew there was a high chance we’d lose power because of the wind. Because we live in the “flats,” and not in a brush fire region, I thought we were fairly safe from high fire danger. I was wrong. Last night, the transformer that sits about 20 feet from our apartment building exploded while I was teaching a class on Zoom.

 

The culprits--the transformer and tree that caught fire last night, seen from our balcony.

 

I heard two loud explosions and everything went black. I looked out to see that the transformer and the tree beside it were on fire. The tree was sending embers onto our balcony, our shrubs, and most terrifyingly, our roof via the 50mph winds.

 

It took seven tries to get through to 911, but we were unbelievably lucky to have the Fire Department show up, handle the fire, check our building, and frankly, save our asses. Especially since one of the firefighters said as he left, “The city is falling apart.”

 

First responders in the lot across from our building. We are so grateful for them.

 

We were, and are, incredibly lucky. All I can think of is all of those who’ve suffered so many natural disasters in the last year, from western North Carolina to Florida, India, China, etc. and those fleeing for their lives in war zones across the world. I try to imagine what it must be like to leave with a “go bag,” and come back to nothing. Or never be able even to return.

 

What can anyone possibly put in that bag that will make up for losing everything?

 

None of us are exempt from the chance of disaster. So, here’s hoping all of us will continue to donate to those in need and that people who have lost so much can find the strength to keep going.

 

I love LA. It’s a tough city. At the risk of being stupidly sappy, let’s hope we all keep gratitude and compassion in our go bags, along with our passports and prescriptions.

 

~Wendall