Californians get creative with giving in the face of devastating fires
| Los Angeles
Three weeks ago, Nicole Murray had been thinking about presents.
It was just after Black Friday, and she was hoping to come up with some great gift ideas for the people she loved. 鈥淚 wanted to go above and beyond,鈥� she recalls.
Then on Dec. 4, the Thomas fire struck. Ms. Murray found herself rushing out of the Ventura, Calif., home she shared with her boyfriend and his family with nothing but her two dogs and a haphazardly packed suitcase. Later they learned the fire had burned down their house 鈥� along with most of the neighborhood.
In some ways, Murray counts herself lucky: she and her family managed to secure a rental in nearby Oxnard after spending only a few nights at a hotel. But the stress, shock, and loss have taken their toll. Now all she wants for Christmas is some quiet time with loved ones to process everything she鈥檚 been through.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just all exhausted,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e just want to spend time together.鈥�
In just over two weeks the Thomas fire 鈥� now the second largest in state history 鈥� has ripped through more than 270,000 acres, destroying more than 1,000 structures and damaging more than 200 others, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. About 8,000 firefighters remain on the front lines.
As of Tuesday the fire was about 55 percent contained and evacuation orders have been lifted for parts of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, though thousands of residents still either聽can鈥檛 go home or have none to return to.聽Los Angeles and San Diego counties are also still reeling from the scorching they鈥檝e received.
Despite all that, the fires have done what tragedies often do: bring people together. Volunteers have mobilized across Southern California, collecting donations and distributing food, water, and supplies. Some have teamed up with the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Others have taken it upon themselves to help friends and neighbors. The effect is an almost regional display of holiday spirit in the face of the state鈥檚 worst fire season on record.
Even Murray, worn out from weeks of anxiety, can鈥檛 say enough about the kindness she鈥檚 received from colleagues, friends, and complete strangers.
鈥淚 struck up a conversation with a person in line [at the pet store] and she just hugged me and said, 鈥業鈥檓 so sorry for what you鈥檙e going through,鈥� 鈥� Murray says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 been unbelievable emotional support.鈥�
Fresh meals from a survivor
At the San Buenaventura Mission in downtown Ventura, local chef Tim Kilcoyne is helping oversee the production of thousands of fresh meals to be sent out to shelters and first responders. Like Murray, Mr. Kilcoyne had to evacuate with his wife and six-month-old son the night the Thomas fire broke out. His house survived, but his family decided to stay in Oxnard to keep the baby away from the smoke.
Meanwhile, Kilcoyne decided he wanted to do something to help. A friend connected him to renowned chef Jos茅 Andr茅s, whose nonprofit World Central Kitchen with Los Angeles-based L.A. Kitchen to provide free, healthy meals to firefighters and fire victims in Ventura, Oxnard, Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles. Now Kilcoyne is part of a group of about 10 volunteer chefs at the makeshift cookery at San Buenaventura, guiding a daily influx of volunteers as they bag fruit, chop vegetables, and put together sandwiches.
鈥淭his is our ninth day doing this, and I鈥檝e been here every day from about 6 a.m. to anywhere between 9 and 11 at night,鈥� Kilcoyne says. And though he plans to take Christmas Day off 鈥� it鈥檚 his son鈥檚 first, and he doesn鈥檛 want to miss it 鈥� 鈥渨e鈥檙e going to do this as long as we can, as long as the need鈥檚 there,鈥� he says.
Buying water and raising money
Other locals are working at a smaller 鈥� though no less meaningful 鈥� scale. A day after the evacuation orders were lifted, Rhandi LaChonce was back in her Ventura neighborhood, handing out water and face masks that she spent $400 of her own money to buy.
Later she paired up with an author friend to raise funds for individuals and families who hadn鈥檛 been able to find help via nonprofits, the government, or crowdsourcing sites. 鈥淲e found all of the Thomas fire Facebook pages and were like, 鈥榃hoever has no GoFundMe, no insurance or immediate support, contact me,鈥� 鈥� says Ms. LaChonce, a bartender and student.
Since then they鈥檝e collected about $13,000 and distributed nearly $9,000, paying for people鈥檚 meals, cell phone bills, and other immediate needs. And LaChonce says she鈥檚 been struck by the generosity of spirit she鈥檚 seen and experienced through it all.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a few families that have some severe despair. How could you not?鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut the people I鈥檓 working with, their spirits are so high. They lost everything, and a lot of them are still giving time to other families who lost stuff.
鈥淚t makes my heart feel bigger,鈥� she adds.
Somber, but appreciative
Still, holiday cheer won鈥檛 come easily. Firefighters are expected to work through the first week of January, and Cal Fire top brass are planning a site visit to Ventura and Santa Barbara on Christmas Day.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e taking it well, and we have been able to rotate out some of the crews that have been there since the beginning to get some relief,鈥� says agency spokesperson Lynne Tolmachoff of the fire crews. 鈥淏ut we can鈥檛 take the day off.鈥�
Sabryna Aylard, whose family had to evacuate from their home in the Ventura hills, views the holidays with a mixture of feelings: relief that her family is safe; gratitude for the firefighters who helped save their home; guilt that their house survived when so many of their neighbors鈥� didn鈥檛; frustration that they might be stuck spending Christmas at a hotel room while they wait for the air quality in their neighborhood to improve.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a rollercoaster of emotions that we鈥檙e all going through,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to stay positive.鈥�
Murray says she feels the same. But she also marvels at the strength and giving spirit of the community surrounding her. Her first day back at work, she says, she learned her colleagues had set up a rotation to make sure she could take home-cooked meals back to her family every night, 鈥渟o we could have dinner and not have to worry about it.鈥�
鈥淭hey鈥檝e been completely understanding of everything,鈥� Murray adds. 鈥淚f it wasn鈥檛 for the support I鈥檓 seeing from friends and coworkers, I鈥檇 be a complete wreck.鈥�
