Carr Fire of Redding, California

Photo Courtesy of Kailyn Alonzo, 7/28/2018

During the four long summer months, it's natural for temperatures in Northern California to soar into the triple digits.👿July 23rd, 2018, was no different, however, as a vehicle puttered along Highway 299 at 1:15 pm, it blew a tire igniting the most destructive fire in Shasta County’s history. The vehicle was near the Judge Francis Carr Powerhouse in Whiskeytown, California, 32 miles west of Redding, California. What happened within minutes ironically became known worldwide as the Carr Fire.

It wasn't long before I received word from Janice Thomas-J's Blossoms and Emily Faye Traylor, my in-the-know next door neighbors, that evacuation of our close-knit neighborhood was imminent.😲I'm grateful for living in between Janice and Emily, whose husbands are first responders for major disasters in Redding.👨‍🚒 In the wise words of Grant Butterfield, "Sandwiched by first responders. Nice!"

In only a few minutes, the Carr Fire was "plume dominated," a type of fire that spreads itself. The fire also created towering pyrocumulus clouds, which collapse at night, creating strong downdrafts, described as a tornado. The fire was also fueled by hot, dry weather and dry vegetation. High winds drove embers beyond the fire lines igniting roofs and trees. The normally blue sky was replaced with an eerie orange and red canvas.

Ashes began landing on my pristine yards making my heart race. I knew it wasn't long before Janice and Emily would send texts telling me to pack a suitcase and load up my most prized possessions. Robotically, I gathered my grown son’s childhood belongings, along with eight large plastic bins of photographs. I stayed the night at Lynna Gott's comfortable home, visiting with John Gott and their lovable dogs. By the grace of good fortune, I received word the residents in our neighborhood were able to return home the following day.

My Home Safe and Sound

The Carr Fire continued its ferocious activity by jumping the 700-yard-wide Sacramento River, which none of the first responders expected. In its aftermath, 40,000 Redding community residents were displaced. According to Cal Fire, 126,000 acres burned for 197 square miles. More than 366 fire engines with 4,151 firefighters assisted local firefighters from 68 fire crews, along with 17 helicopters, 119 bulldozers and military personnel, too. Thousands of animals' lives were disrupted, 1,060 homes were destroyed and sadly, six people died.

🦊🐷🐿️🌳🏘️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦😭

Precious Cat Rescued and Treated at Haven Humane Society

A great-grandmother and her two young great-grandchildren died, trapped in their trailer.👵👧🧑The young boy and his sister were discovered under a wet blanket with their great-grandmother’s body lying across them. She did everything humanly possible to save her tiny tots.💜

My ultra-sensitive heart imagined this final scene. In an attempt to soothe the children’s fragile nerves, their great-grandmother calmly told them to imagine a few of their favorite things. In my mind’s eye, she said they would soon bake homemade chocolate chip cookies and watch their favorite movies, complete with a big bowl of buttered popcorn.🍪They could even stay up late, too!😀😃

She told the kids it wouldn’t be long before Halloween would be here and gave them ideas for their next costumes.🎃She also gave hints as to what would be in Santa's bag because, of course, Santa Clause knew they were perfect children.🎅🎄She also told them how much money they could expect from the Tooth Fairy, all about the treasure hunt for their next Easter Sunday and the beautifully wrapped presents they would receive for their birthdays!🎁

As this Great-GrandMother lay her exhausted body across her trembling Great-GrandChildren, she protected them from what she instinctively knew, "Grammy loves you both so very much and it won't be long before we're home, at last, I promise." As she wrapped her loving arms around them, these three angelic souls were gently lifted from the Carr Fire of Redding, California.😇😇😇