A suspected arsonist has been busy at The Holler.
Multiple fires have recently broken out in our extremely fire prone region that have been effectively fought and extinguished by our incredible fire fighters. We live in Southern California in a climate-change worsened rural fire zone under constant threat of fire.
A highly unusual hurricane is forecasted to bring significant rain to the region this weekend which will be a blessing if it arrives.
We flew from The Holler fires to West Maui two weeks ago with the whole family in tow including the four year old twins who are in love with the ocean. (Click to enlarge).
The fires came with hurricane winds on the second day.
Power, all forms of communication, and food quickly perished and were not replaceable. We were informed by our condo hosts that water may be turned off.
Information was word of mouth. We knew there were three fires on Maui and one on Hawaii. We knew they were very serious. We knew they were close. We saw and smelled the smoke, but we didn’t yet know the extent of the carnage and the heartbreak. It was an extremely confusing time. No clarity about where to go or what to do. There was no access to the internet/iphone or information to make decisions.
We were in condos for three days during the fires that were supplied with no flashlights, candles or emergency supplies. We stood, with hundreds of other souls (mostly tourists), in line for food much of which was packaged and distributed by volunteer organizations, including, but not limited to, a church group in Tennessee. Thank you Volunteer Organizations! You make an incredible difference.
Thousands of tourists clogged the airport trying to follow the governor’s edict to leave Maui. Many were evacuated to a convention center in Oahu.
We left West Maui on the fourth day of the fires which required us to drive by the historic and beautiful town of Lahaina. I took no photos. Lahaina is a mass fatality zone. Photos would have been invasive and disrespectful.
We relocated to another part of the island until flying home yesterday. I include here some photos of beautiful Kihei Maui which escaped the flames, but not the pain.
(Click to enlarge). Maui is strong but she needs our help. It truly does make a significant difference. We experienced this first hand when we received desperately needed food and flashlights. If you are able, here are some organizations that need help, or chose an organization that you know and trust:
https://www.mauinuistrong.info/support
Love and solidarity to the suffering people of Maui~
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Thank you for reminding me that Maui needs help. I meant to donate a little bit (I believe every thing helps) and forgot. I am doing it right now.
It was hard to ‘like’ this post.
Every little thing does make a huge difference! I was so grateful for peanut butter and apple juice. Thank you for caring & sharing დ
Is there anything you need? Are you safe? How can I help? My email address is on my blog. Don’t hesitate, please. As you know, we were on the receiving end once, I owe the world.
I am so touched by your kindness and your philosophy. We are safe and home. Maui however is still in a world of hurt. The death toll I fear will steadily rise.
How heartbreaking. I’m glad you were all okay and made it home safely.
Thank you Diana დ
Glad you and your family are safe… We’re experiencing fires in Oregon as well – heavy smoke and ashes the last few days. Thanks for the link.
Yikes. It seems like everywhere is burning! Stay safe Sue დ
Cindy, Glad you are safe and back home. Cute four-year-old. Hope the arsonist is found.
Wally
I share your hopes Wally & thank you დ
Sorry to read about the fires you’ve been experiencing, Cindy. It’s so hard to watch the news these days. Sorry also your vacation was impacted, but I am glad you and your family are safe. I hope the rain from Hilary dampens the fire threat, but with no major flooding. What a year it has been for weather!
Thank you Eliza. A horrible year. And it isn’t over yet. Yellowknife sounds terrifying დ
People deliberately have set fires at The Holler?? What were they thinking?? I’m simply appalled. I’m glad you made it out of Hawaii safely, Cindy, and like everyone else, I’m just stunned at the devastation. Such a beautiful place and how tragic that residents have lost so much. Thanks for the links to the helping organizations!
It is beyond appalling. Arsonists are such cowardly serial killers. So many fires are started by them. So much destruction. Our fires have started by rural roads. A cowardly toss from a moving car დ
How scary and horrific both about the arsonist and also about Maui. 😢 I am so glad you and your family are okay, but my heart hurts for the people of Maui. 💗 I hope they will catch the arsonist soon. Some people are pure evil.
Thank you Teresa. The stories out of Maui are heartbreaking and now Yellowknife is burning too. “Some say the world will end in fire….” Too sad for words დ
Cindy, I can’t believe you had to experience that! I keep following the news about Maui wildfire and it is devastating! I am glad you and your family are doing well! 🤍
Thank you very much. As we flew out, cadaver dogs and their handlers were flying in from the mainland. So many people are still missing დ
Prayers 😞
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Cindy, I’m relieved to hear you and your family are safe and sound. I suspect a lot of our fires in Canada are the results of arsonists too.
Leslie
Thank you Leslie. Arsonists are such cowards. 20,000 evacuated from Yellowknife… Too terrible for words დ
It must have been so frightening.
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Glad you, Cindy and your family made it to safety, yet in the Holler fires too. It us terrible with so many fires in the world right now.
The volunteers which are helping are amazing. I feel and pray for the people who lost their lively hood and everything.
It must have been very scary out there.
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Thank you Ute. It is heartbreaking and terrifying and it is happening all over the world დ
Such a tragedy in Maui! Glad you and your family came out of there.
Poor Maui. We tourists have loved her to death it seems. Used up all her water დ
Family members have vacationed in Lahaina for the past 12-years, they are devasted for the losses that have taken place.
Yes. I hear you. It is terrible დ
How horrible to be caught up in this with your youngsters, Cindy. So glad you found help. 🤗❤️
Thank you Jo. It was humbling and a valuable learning experience to be in the very long lines waiting for a charitable handout, waiting for food. We did it everyday we were in West Maui and the day I was in line there was no food to be had დ
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Not a post to *like*, if that’s okay.
When had the serious wildfires in the COS region about ten years ago, that brought out the firebugs too. Don’t understand the mentality behind it. Hope you’re able to stay clear of those in your Holler.
The Maui experience, that has to be the ultimate ‘yikes’ experience to be caught in. Part of our family, is from Hawaii, through our dad’s side, as you know. I don’t think we have any relatives living on Maui. It’s both worrisome and disheartening in terms of the official response and their lack of preparedness. Even now, the lack of information is unforgivable and having to depend on distant volunteer groups to distribute relief supplies. I’m not worried at all about the celebrity ‘residents’ like Oprah and Mick Fleetwood; it’s not like they’re living in a tent down on the beach, eating off paper plates with their fingers.
I hope our donation of water and med supplies gets to where it needs to be. We donated through a local MD group there, and through the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army has a large presence throughout the islands, so they’re a good resource. Make sure you mark your donation for Maui relief, and it’ll get there.
Glad you and the family got home safely.
Not liking is more than okay. Thank you for your sensitivity and concern Deborah. There is nothing at all to like about all these horrible fires. And yes, interesting how celebrities so often manage to get their photos taken whilst ‘doing good.’ It is a distraction. I heard they wouldn’t let Oprah into Lahaina. Possibly they don’t need another celebrity photo op. Oprah has such a vast Maui property, with no trespassing signs blocking access to trails and nature. And now Yellowknife and the stunning and remote Yukon is burning too. 20,000 souls evacuated დ
I knew Oprah had property there, but didn’t realize her land holdings was that large to put up signs and block trails. When she showed up with a photog and videography crew to ‘distribute’ relief, I’m glad she was refused entry.
Oprah owns approx. 1000 acres. Zuckerberg approx. 1400 acres. Apparently you can’t buy too much of a good thing, even if it keeps Hawaiian lands out of Hawaiian hands. Paul Ellison owns 98% of Lanai. Billionaires are basically buying a US state as their own personal playground.
Lanai was essentially an all-private island largely owned by Dole. I only know this through my grandma. They used the land for pineapple and cane production. They may have had a general partnership group at some point. When the first resort opened there in the 1970s(?), it was a very exclusive one. Somewhere neither of us could afford to stay a night. Ni’ihua is private in a sense; it is all Hawaiian homeland. You need to be pure Hawaiian to live there, which is fine by me. It’s their land anyway. The one with the stories is my dad …
Check out: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/a-look-at-hawaiis-truly-remote-islands-niihau-and-kahoolawe/ Lanai was our favorite island. So quiet and full of dolphins to swim with. We would take advantage of stay four nights get fifth night free offers.
Kahoolawe … my dad did some training there when he was in the Navy, the first time around.
Had to add you back to the follower list. They had decided to remove you from the list. Explains the Automattic in WP.
Our lives would be so boring without the WP gremlins!!! 😉 😉
On the hurricane front, how much rain, how much wind in The Holler???
Pretty intense wind gusts just started. Raining hard now, but nothing extreme. The deserts I think are getting hit harder Lots of flash flooding, but these are on alluvial flood plains. We did get a 5.1 eathquake too, so we are now in a huriquake! Smiling……
When you say “Fire”, you mean it.
Who would do that…I mean be an arsonist?
I guess not all brains are wired equally. Then there are experiences in lives that effect the wiring.
Thank goodness the fires got put out! I hope the arsonist gets caught.
It is a zemblanity that you were in Maui at that time, Cindy.
I’m happy you & yours are okay, and got to go home.
Yet, traumatic sadness for those whose home it was.
We humans have made a mess of the planet.
Northern Canada continues to burn.
Now, it’s the Yukon.
Towns are being evacuated there. Homes and towns burned to the ground.
Yellowknife, the capital city is being evacuated.
One day a major population city might have to evacuate. It seems to be coming.
I have been hearing and reading about Yellowknife and the stunning Yukon. It is hard to get my head around the scope of Canada’s fires this summer and the destruction of such pristine wilderness. Canada has always seemed so water rich and verdant. So painful to imagine the destruction. The planet is shouting at us and we are not hearing. You’re right, major cities will likely burn. Will we hear the planet’s message then? დ
Yellowknife is in Northwest Territories, not Yukon. The Yukon isn’t in any fire trouble at the moment, fortunately. Cheers.
Thank you for the clarification. I mixed them up.
It’s crazy!
Now Kelowna B.C. is burning. Part has already burned down.
Ontario has 250,00+ fresh water lakes, 1/5 of the planet’s fresh water. Still, we are on fire.
Fire doesn’t care.
When it floods, water doesn’t care.
I just saw an update on Kelowna & Yellowknife. It pointed at Winnipeg as the next worry, in the middle of a tinder zone. OMG 1 million live there!
It’s like that circular song “Where Have All The Flowers Gone”… ends up where it started…nowhere.
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I just can’t get over Canada’s fires. All summer long. Starting with Quebec where we are supposed to be in September. Everytime I have visited Canada throughout my life, and I have visited so often, I was so jealous of all the water, all the stunning verdant nature unmolested. It is just heartbreaking, so strange, so serious, so devastating. All the traumatized people. All the wild creatures. And now a Cat 4 fast moving Hurricane Hilary wider than Gulf of Mexico, with 145 mph sustained winds, is predicted to deadfall in Southern California, probably San Diego, this weekend. This has never happened. Tonight I photographed the monsoonal clouds that always hover over our local mountains in August, never moving west towards us, being sucked over the mountains in a huge wall towards us. I think the negative pressure of the massive hurricane is pulling them together to meet.
Be safe from Hilary, Cindy!
Canada might burn down, but we will have drinking water. (blithely said)
I’m no scientist, but since the 70’s my generation protested the plastics throw away revolution, gas guzzling, carbon emissions, warned of over population and predicted climate disasters.
Here we are. Just goes to show we are a smart , but lazy do nothing until it’s too late creature….. by and large.
We are living through what we knew would happen.
We won’t change, so we will have to adapt.
I’ll be looking for those clouds on your blog. Again, be safe Cindy! ❦❦
I just don’t even know what to say at this point. The news defies me wrapping my head around. Just love to everyone in Canada, and more love after that. Love to you Resa & stay safe my dear friend. So, so imcomprehensibly sad. You’re right. We had time and we failed to act and this living nightmare is the result.
You take care of yourself too, Cindy! Sending love and hugs!
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Are you okay today? Watched some footage this morning. Thinking of you! დდდ
We are safe and well. I am touched by your concern Resa. Be safe. Be well.
👍 Good to know yo are okay!
Let’s both be safe and well!
Hitting “Like” on a post about such a serious and tragic subject seem glib. But it is meant to thank you for your respectful reporting, your links to helping resources, and to express relief for your safety. May these ever-more-frequent messages from our planet finally be heard and heeded. Thanks, Cindy.
Thank you sincerely Donna for your kind sensitivity. I too hope we stop, and listen to our poor beleagured planet. She is shouting დ
scary and tragic
😌🙏✨
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Arsonists must be the lowest of the low. Pathetic excuses for a human being. I agree with your comment, Cindy, about not taking pictures. For the news reporters, it’s different. They are letting us know what happened and making the world aware so we can help, but as a tourist, I think your instincts were right, to be respectful.
I agree with you. Arsonists are such cowards. I also agree with you about distasteful photography that takes photos of people that are invasive or privacy invading without their permission. I value people’s right to privacy even in public. This is especially true for me when people are experiencing trauma and grieving. Thank you for your sensitivity დ
I remember as a child, standing outside our burning house, in my nightgown, in cold snowy weather late on Christmas Eve, and looking over beyond the firetruck to see one of the kids from my school gawking at me and our house on fire. That’s one of the reasons I can easily appreciate and respect people who politely turn their head away if they can’t do anything to help.
Oh my God. How seriously traumatic. I am truly sorry this happened to you as a child.
That’s life. We learn and move on, but I will never forget that kid who stood and gawked. I know his name to this day but of course I won’t print it here. I sure do feel sorry for those people who are suffering because of the wildfires, especially the Maui ones. We suddenly have a lot of them in BC now too. We need a big dump of rain right now without lightning.
I can’t believe the situation in Canada. Horrific. The last place I would have expected all the blow torch fires burning there this summer. And now a Cat 4 tropical hurricane Hilary predicted to deadfall in semi-desert Southern California, with San Diego in the crosshairs. Unprecendented. Horrific. I pray you get rain. I think we may be in the weird position soon of actually being able to spare you lots.
I sure hope the people of California stay safe. Rain is good, but it needn’t all fall in a short time and come in sideways.
Smiling. Exactly 😉 😉
So very sad. Glad you and your family were able to get home safely. My husband, daughter, brother-in-law, and two sons- in -law were all wildland firefighters or volunteer firefighters for several years. One son-in-law still is. I hate fires and like you dispise arsonists.
Fires are horrendous. Firefighters are incredible. Watching them work here has been awe inspiring. They coordinate their response between Cal Fire, local fire departments, and SDGE. They use helicopters and planes. They operate like a finely tuned miliatary operation and they put the fires out! We are so grateful for them. The local battalion chief asked for my photos. I was so pleased to be able to voice my gratitude. Thank your family members for me დ
Thank you, I will.and pretty awesome they asked for your photos.
Keep safe Cindy!
You too Peter & thank you დ
Thankfully you and your family are safe.
Just to hear the story direct from even one person brings the facts so much closer.
It is shocking to experience and it has a delayed impact დ
Thanks for sharing the good news that you and your family were safely evacuated from the disaster zone. It must’ve been a terrifying experience for the young ones.
Thank you very much Rosaliene. Thankfully the twins didn’t fully appreciate what was going on. They thought we were camping დ
That’s good.
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Oh, Cindy, I am so thankful you and your family are home safe but really don’t know how to comment about the fires in your beloved Holler and the carnage you saw in Hawaii. My heart breaks for the people lost but also the devastation for the wildlife and displaced domestic animals. I can’t watch the news about it.
Your grandson looks exactly how I pictured the twins – they are adorable and of course they will grow up loving the oceans and wonders of the world.Lucky children.
Such wonderful opportunities.
Get rested and ready for the hurricane season. It’s real.
You are such a lovely friend Sheila. Heartfelt appreciation to you. Thank you sincerely & take good care დ
Glad you’re alright! We have friends living 2 miles from the fire and hosted many of the locals who fled their homes with the shirts on their back.
I’m also in Southern Cal and bracing for a deluge. We’ll see when /if it arrives, how that pans out!
So moving to see people in the USA helping and caring for each other instead of being divided and angry დ
How scary for the family! So glad you got out. Your fire photos are haunting. I am glad you did not take photos of the burned out town. Stay safe with the hurricane coming your way! Hurricane season is heating up!
Thank you! Things just get stranger and stranger. This is the first ever tropical storm watch of Southern California დ
I’m glad you are home and safe. Thank you for the support info. These are indeed scary times. 🙁
They are. Thank you Dani & be safe დ
Cindy, I’m so sorry you and your family went through all of that. I’ve been to Maui and am very sad what has happened there and all the pain the people are going through. Be safe with what’s happening in your home. My daughter and family live in Irvine, CA. so I know what all of you are facing with the fires etc., and how dry everything has been.
Thank you very much Michele. The tragedy in Maui is still unfolding. I am afraid there are going to be a great many deceased. Meanwhile 20K people have been evacuated from Yellowknife. Hurricane Hilary has created the first ever tropical storm watch for Southern California. Our planet is not happy with us! დ
It’s devastating, Cindy. I hope we’re not too late to stem this terrifying tide.
I hope so too. Very much.
xo peace
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A horrible nightmare and to think people do these things on purpose. I’m with you, no photographs, just help. I truly hope they catch the person who did it, but I doubt that will happen. I’m glad you’re all safe and my heart goes out to those who were not. It’s a terrible thing. The destruction of beauty, that’s what too many things are turning to, nowadays. Organizations that provide food and help deserve our support and gratitude.
As usual Gigi, you and I are in perfect accord. I think it might be likely that the fires in Maui may have started with hurricane winds and powerlines but I do not know any of this for certain. So much in Maui is currently uncertain except for the fact that it is a major tragedy involving tragic loss of life დ
How harrowing for you and your family and especially the children with you. I’m sure you and the other adults maintained a sense of calm as much as possible for the sake of the little ones. Watching the tragedy unfold in Lahaina brings back so many memories of times and friends still there. And I hope they catch the arsonist near your beloved Holler. I had an arson fire in my first apartment at University – it was my next door neighbor. I lost almost everything but nobody was hurt in the fires that he set. You never know who hides an inner arsonist. I hope they put the Holler arsonist where he belongs and they throw away the key. Last but not least, I hope Hurricane Hilary brings you just enough rain but not too much that flooding or land erosion is in the cards. Take care Cindy and get as much rest and relaxation as possible under the circumstances.
I am truly lucky to know friends like you. How traumatic about your fire at University. So creepy that is was your neighbor. I know this was an experience that stays with you for life. I am sorry it happened to you. Thank you for your thoughtful concern about me. It is so appreciated. Stay safe & take good care დ
Hi Cindy, my friend. many thanks for your empathetic reply. You’re right that is the kind of experience that does stay with a person in one form or another for a long time. It is mostly just background noise that only awakens in certain situations, thank goodness. Wishing you and your family a similarly peaceful recovery from your very adventuresome Maui trip. And hoping the Hurricane takes it easy on you and the gorgeous birdlife and wildlife in your beloved Holler.
Thank you very much for your concern my friend. Means quite a lot. That ‘background noise’ is trauma, a loss of trust and faith at a young age. Of course it hovers around in the background of your life and arises when you wish it wouldn’t. I am so sorry this happened to you. And thank you for thinking about our birds. I am seriously worried about them. This is a massive storm headed our way. The monsoonal clouds that hover over the mountains east of us every August are being sucked westwards towards us in a big wall. I have never seen anything like this before. I photographed it. I think the negative pressure from the hurricance is pulling the monsoon west. I worry about the winds and our desert birds. The California Quail have been here steadily for the past month which thrills me to no end. I haven’t photographed them because they are so shy. I am waiting for them to get comfortable. The roadrunners hate the slightest rain and shelter in our garages and let us approach closely when it rains. And the winds are going to be so strong. These are not hurricane birds. They can’t fly out to sea. Hopefully it will not be as bad as predicted which does often happen with SoCal weather.
Good morning Cindy. You’re welcome. Yes, I couldn’t help thinking about your birds and critters being faced with such an impactful storm. You have shown us so many photos of them over the years – gorgeous and delicate and occasionally humorous. I hope your Roadrunners will again shelter in the garage and I would so love to see your Quail. Fingers crossed that they have little sheltered areas already. And of course I’m concerned for your Heron(s) – how could I not be? Your description of that wall of monsoonal clouds being pulled towards you sounds ominous – as though you will get big rains from both the monsoons to the East and Hilary from the West. And your description of the negative pressure pulling it towards you is evocative of the way a tsunami sucks the waters from the shore far out to sea! Oh my! Having lived on the Gulf Coast of Florida for the late 70s and early 80s, preparing for hurricanes is still fresh in memory, but in your area? Boarding up windows might be overkill? Stocking shelf stable food, flashligjtd, batteries, candles, matches, etc is probably second nature for you from earthquake preparedness. And as the media keep reporting, SoCal weather hasn’t included a tropical storm for more than 80 years. May this all just be a “fire drill” that has minimal impacts, especially in your beloved Holler. Be well, be safe my friend. Thanks again for your empathy and understanding.
You are so very welcome! Often weather alerts in this region are overkill. We are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. Take good care my friend.
This was a difficult post to “Like” with the tale of the fires in both SoCal and Hawaii. But at least there was some pleasure in between those two tragic situations. And especially that on Maui will have sad lasting effects.. It is going to take a huge effort by many, both monetarily and in terms of physical efforts, to recover and for all too many recovery may be impossible. And aside from that, the loss of life is incredibly sad.
Thank you Steve. I fear the loss of life in Maui is going to be horrendous. It must be so excruciatingly painful to have lost loved ones to fire or be waiting for news of missing family members. It is incredibly sad დ
It seems like the current numbers will be dwarfed once all are accounted for if that ever happens. Many may be lost in the ocean when trying to escape the fire. Just an awful situation.
I saw that a lot of people were upset about no warning sirens but the explanation was that the sirens mean a tsunami is coming and that would have driven folks inland which was just the opposite of what should happen. I don’t know if that is an excuse or real but it does make a little sense.
The whole situation is still utterly confusing to me. I know that over 1000 souls are missing and unaccounted for. Whole families. Just too terrible.
Are the arsonists climate extremists? I can’t understand why anyone would do something like that on purpose. Thank goodness you are all safe.
Adult serial arsonists tend to have personality disorders, often a mix of sociopathy, compulsion and sadism.
I read nearly 100 people died in the Maui tragedy, the thought that was caused by an arsonist is disgusting. I hope they catch the person responsible.
Arson is disgusting and so cowardly. The fires in The Holler were likely caused by an arsonist, but in Maui the fires may have been caused by electrical lines and hurricane winds. I haven’t read that anything is definitive yet though. There are over 1000 people in Maui who are still missing and unaccounted for. This will be a long and very painful process.
Oh, Cindy, I’m so thankful you and your family are safe and back home and I’ll be praying for the police to catch and stop those arsonists. We’re watching the approach of the hurricane, too, as our son’s family is in southern California also. Thanks for those links to organizations to help Maui. Praying for you all!
Bless you for your thoughts and prayers Kathy. You are so appreciated. We are watching Hilary closely too. I know it must be so worrisome to have your son and family in the path and you not with him. This is a monster of an unprecedented storm. It’s diameter is bigger than The Gulf of Mexico, Category 4 and moving fast. Hopefully your son has flashlights, non-perishable food, and bottled water. On the positive side, the rain may reduce the awful risk of fire. Praying for everyone in these chaotic times დ
That must have been scary on Maui. I’ve been there a couple of times, sad to see what has happened. Hope they catch that arsonist, people like that need to be taken off the street. We’ve been getting warnings that the hurricane remnants might make it as far as here in Reno, NV. Glad to hear you’re safe and back home.
Thank you very much Andrew. And yes, Hurricane Hilary is now a Monster. Cat 4 with 145mph sustained winds, as big in diameter as The Gulf of Mexico, and moving very fast. Landfall is likely SoCal, and yes Nevada and Arizona are expected to get some impacts as well. Unheard of storm for this region. The world is whacky დ
Cindy I’ve read this twice, and needed to let it sit for a bit. I’m sorry to see evidence of a firebug in the Holler and equally horrified by the death and destruction in Maui. It’s a brutal irony as well that you would leave to escape one set of fires, only to be confronted with another. I hope you’re being kind to yourself. It will take time to process that trauma, yours and the trauma around you while you were there. I haven’t been to Maui in over thirty years but I remember it fondly. I’m sending a virtual hug your way along with hope for a better future. Stay safe. xo
Thank you for understanding. As usual, one copes in the emergent situation, but there is always the aftermath, where what happened slowly hits you. It takes time. And now Cat 4 Hurricane Hilary is coming to call in San Diego. It never rains in Southern California, or has hurricanes დ
It does take time. I’ve been caught off guard more than once over the years, when I’m overcome by something seemingly unrelated (or unexpected). I went to see the AIDS Memorial Quilt many years ago, and though I know one of the men who had died, it was a shock to see his quilt. I sobbed one of those deep, agonizing cries, as I think the entire AIDS crisis seemed to hit home. With a background in theater, I knew many men who succumbed in that first decade.
I hope you are mananging in the now.
Aids was terrifying. So much death. I understand completely why you broke down. So very sad.
xo
What a tragedy at home and heartbreak in Maui. Being a witness to danger and devastation must have been so hard for you all. So glad you were together and survived with the help of good hearted souls. They deserve our support, love and gratitude. 💐🙏🏻💞
Yes. Thank you Val. The goodness makes the biggest difference. So much more powerful than the bad. Take good care my friend დ
What a horrible and tragic event, and to be there firsthand…unbelievable. I live in British Columbia and as I write this, more communities are being evacuated almost every hour. It’s so surreal. I live in an area not yet affected by fire, but we all need to stay vigilant. And now I hear that a hurricane’s heading for California. Stay safe!
It feels surreal, and serious, which is a terrible combination. Canada and Hawaii with catastrophic blow torch fires, a category 4 tropical hurricane wider than The Gulf of Mexico heading for landfall in semi-desert San Diego. It seems like we have really pissed off Mother Nature. Thoughts and prayers for everyone დ
Yep, that’s how I look at it. Mother Nature’s been abused for too long, so she’s now fighting back hard. I hope we learn something meaningful from all this.
Yes. I agree with you and I share your hopes Debra.
I knew what was coming here,Cindy and it’s going to take me a bit to absorb it all. Fire is…. it will take me awhile to come back here and comment fully. Maybe by tomorrow night I can wrap my head around it all. I lived in S. CA for 25 years. I know. I’ve been evacuated from this area in 2001. Till later.
I hear you. I understand. Take your time. I was evacuated in 2007. 1200 homes burned down in that one fire. And there were more fires at the same time. People died. But not nearly as many families and people as have died in Maui დ
Wonderful to hear your family were able to get home safely! My wife and I visited the main island for our anniversary some years ago, and loved our time there, experiencing the culture. It’s a heartbreaking situation, and we’re keeping everyone in our thoughts and prayers!
Thank you Warrn. Your thoughtfulness is most appreciated my friend დ
Oh my, so much fire for you. Am so glad your Holler fires were so quickly extinguished. We have a fire alert app for our area in Spain. And a good reaction time by the forest fire service but any fire can be dangerous and unpredictable. I am so saddened by the fires in Maui and you bring it very close too by being there and it must have been terrifying. Will support in whatever way I can. Take care and wishing you and your family some time to recover and to all those so severely affected.
So very kind and sincerely appreciated. Your fire response sounds very similar to ours at The Holler. Rapid, capable and super impressive. You are so right though, fires, especially in drought ridden areas are so dangerpus and unpredictable. Poor Canada. 200+ fires currently burning there. Horrific დ
It is indeed and I hope more will be done for rapid responses as very hot and dry tinderbox summers are not going to go away. Wish we could send some of our rain in the UK.
I hear you. Now there are 885 currently burning fires in Canada. They are praying for rain, as a hurricane with massive amounts of rain approaches the deserts of Southern California. It is just unreal.
What a horror scenario. Good thing you made it out alive, I know of others who didn’t make it. We have been supporting the Red Cross for yI really hope that you will recover soon, at least physically.ears and are now doing it more because we have got to know their enormous commitment.
It is heartbreaking. Thank you very much for supporting The Red Cross who is always there when help is desperately needed დ
I had no idea that you were in Maui during the fires: how awful that must’ve been! I’m glad that you made it home safely, although it’s terrible to think of all the people that lost their lives 😥
On another note, I hope that the fires in the Holler are brought under control soon, if they haven’t been already. It’s a scary reality that we’re living in now.
Thanks so much Josh. Maui’s losses are devastating and so very sad. Thank you for your concern & take care დ
So thankful that you wrote this post. Yes they ned our help and I hope we all will come together. My family and I were just there. I’m so glad you and your family are safe.
Thank you sincerely my friend. I am glad you and your family are safe დ
Thank you for helping us “see” what’s happening where you are, and also in Maui. The loss there is incomprehensible to me. I’m thankful for your safety and hope that you remain safe in the fires there as well as the hurricane that’s coming. Take care, Cindy.
So appreciated Patty. Thank you very much! The loss is Maui is catastrophic and hard to get your mind around. My heart breaks for those with lost loved ones დ
I am glad that you took no photos of poor burnt out Lahaina, that was the right decision. I am glad you and your loved ones were unharmed.
Thank you very much Emma. There are still around 1000 people missing in Maui which is devastating to read დ
Wow! You’re getting hit left and right! Stay safe! My thoughts and prayers are with you.
So very appreciated Dawn. Thank you sincerely and stay safe & well დ
I may be repeating this reply but wanted to tell you we are thinking of you. What a horrible experience you had and even though you are now safe and sound you must be reliving some of all those fearsome memories.
It is so wonderful to hear from you Dor! Thank you very much for your concern. So appreciated. I hope you and yours are doing well. I think you have a son in Carlsbad??? Hopefully he is battening down the hatches. Heading over to your blog now to see if I missed any posts from you. Stay safe & well my friend დ
Please stay safe, my heart goes out to the people of Maui where just a few years ago I spent my honeymoon. It’s like a nightmare.
Thank you Holly. It is a nightmare from which Maui can’t wake up დ
Oh, Cindy, what a story. Thankful that you’re sad and back home although now dealing with this suspected arson. We will see how this hurricane effects SoCal. Hoping the rains put out your fires! Stay safe and thanks for sharing.
PS I’m not thankful that you’re sad, I mean safe! Our thoughts are with the people of Lahaina during this tragic time. 😔
I knew exactly what you meant Jane. Thank you my friend. The sunsets last night and tonight are the most unusual I have ever seen in Southern California and I have lived here all my life. I took photos of course, and now we wait, in the expectant quiet before the storm. Most of the birds have left. They are smart. Stay safe & well my friend დ
Thank you. Getting lots of rain but no wind in Pasadena. Stay safe and cozy! 🙂
Same here. Plus we are now having a huriquake. Did you feel the 5.1?
Wow! 🙏Thank you for sharing your first hand experience 🙏
You are very welcome. Stay safe & well დ