[*Laurie*]

The brother of a friend of mine - he's a firefighter - just posted on Facebook some photographs he took yesterday. He didn't post a trigger warning on the full set of pics - of course, most people wouldn't think to do that on Facebook, so I certainly don't blame him. I don't know how the firefighters are doing this, I truly do not know.

The fire pictured is one of many around the state; this one is closest to where I live. There were many pics and honestly, I wish I wouldn't have seen all of them, because some were extremely disturbing. I chose three to share that show the fury of the wildfire, but hopefully aren't as horrifying. I don't know. I'm so shaken up right now, and overwhelmed.Please forgive me if these are inappropriate, or are on the wrong board.


Please do not look at these if you feel triggered by fire/destruction.

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(The man on the deck is a firefighter.)

[seeker33]

This is absolutely heartbreaking. Such a devastation! How do you feel now Laurie?

[*Laurie*]

Thanks for asking, seeker. I very much appreciate your concern.
Honestly, I feel hyper-sensitive/paranoid...I feel like some IRL people are deliberately attacking me in order to push me away. Sooo, I'm feeling very defensive. Angry. My common sense tells me that I'm reacting to an overload of stress. And the IRL people around me probably are, too. The best thing I can do right now is severely limit my contact with IRL people, because things are not good.

[LiteraryLark]

I just can't wait to get out of California...

[Calla lily12]

Laurie I'm sorry you're witnessing this horror. Are you safe from the fire? Stay safe and here are hugs if you want them.

[seeker33]

That must be extremely difficult for you. Yes, I can imagine that the stress affects everyone and people are more irritated than usual. I think your decision to detach from it all is right. You need to keep yourself as calm as possible.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by Calla lily12

Laurie I'm sorry you're witnessing this horror. Are you safe from the fire? Stay safe and here are hugs if you want them.

Thank you so much, Cl.
Normally, I would say that although my town is close to the actual fires, it's safe - not actually going to catch on fire. Now - no. At this point I will say that my town is potentially in danger of fire. I am very concerned about my cats and how I would handle getting them into my car should I need to at short notice. So I'm making plans on that. What a summer ...sigh.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by LiteraryLark

I just can't wait to get out of California...

I love this state. That said, this situation is close to being intolerable. I can definitely understand why you're looking forward to getting out.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by seeker33

That must be extremely difficult for you. Yes, I can imagine that the stress affects everyone and people are more irritated than usual. I think your decision to detach from it all is right. You need to keep yourself as calm as possible.

Thank you so much for your support, seeker. I'm proud of myself 'cause I did a pretty good job of keeping myself stable yesterday, and limiting my contact with people.

[seeker33]

That's good! Have you come up with a plan for your cats? How many have you got?

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by seeker33

That's good! Have you come up with a plan for your cats? How many have you got?

I have 4. I will not leave them, no matter what the cost to myself. I would be able to get them into my car (in carriers) along with their bag of food, but have no clue as to where I would go (where I could go with my cats). I will not leave them in a shelter because they would be terrified. Fortunately, although my car is old, it's a large SUV. I guess I would drive until I reached a store where I could buy litter box items and bowls for their food and water. I'd put it all inside of my car. Then drive somewhere and just park until I figured out the next step - perhaps begging relatives for the $ to stay in a motel. OR actually go to a relative and just say, "Here we are, you have to take us in."
It would be extremely challenging, but somehow my cats and I would survive.

[seeker33]

That sounds like a smart plan. I think that's the best you could do. But I hope the situation will improve soon. Fire and hot weather are so frightening and exhausting.
We only have 36 degrees Celsius today and I have to work in a place without AC and I'm almost dieing lol
I can't imagine how you must feel.

[eskielover]

The heat in the So. CA. Antelope valley the last 2 weeks I was there....first week was 110+ F & the 2nd week 100+ F. No fires locally but there was smoke on the horizon at sunset.

It was interesting because I flew home early Saturday & flew into Louisville Ky. There was a total haze in the air & I know it wasn't just the humidity. I am sure there were smoke particulates in the air this many states away that were even more obvious flying through it. Higher altitudes were clear & blue but not at the lower altitudes.

I think I heard that the smoke made it to the great lakes....so wouldn't surprise me it has made it to Ky also.

[Wild Coyote]

I hope you and your cats continue safe.
Must be stressful.

WC

[*Laurie*]

Thank you each for your support and experiences. The major fires are still burning, but are more well-contained now. The air remains smoky, but not nearly as heavy as it's been for 6 weeks. I actually was able to take a walk today and could breathe normally.

The temperature is going to drop some this week, a desperately-needed break that will hopefully discourage new fires. Will be very hot again, but not until next week-end.

[LiteraryLark]

Hi Laurie. My cats were able to flee to shelter. I had no choice in the matter to not be able to save them. I was evacuating and was screaming on the top of my lungs "RUN, EVY, RUN! Please God, dont take Evy! RUN, EVY!" The Lord answered my prayers and knowing what I know now Evy and Salem hid in the protection of the sewers while Coffee Park went up in smoke. If I had any time you are damn right I would risk my life to save them. But I had minutes, not hours to prepare.

What I know now is that there are kind people in this world who will foster your cats until you find a living situation. I had three foster moms until one could keep Evy for the long term, and Salem had two foster moms until he found a forever home with my Moms coworker. The facebook community is wonderful.

But be warned, in the firestorm your cats will flee to safety. Cats are very smart. Do not risk your life to catch your cats if it becomes a matter of life and death. It is very hard to say this because I understand the pain, but you are more important.

P.S. People do die saving their animals. One woman died in my neighborhood while trying to save her cow. The cow survived, but she is gone.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by LiteraryLark

Hi Laurie. My cats were able to flee to shelter. I had no choice in the matter to not be able to save them. I was evacuating and was screaming on the top of my lungs "RUN, EVY, RUN! Please God, dont take Evy! RUN, EVY!" The Lord answered my prayers and knowing what I know now Evy and Salem hid in the protection of the sewers while Coffee Park went up in smoke. If I had any time you are damn right I would risk my life to save them. But I had minutes, not hours to prepare.

What I know now is that there are kind people in this world who will foster your cats until you find a living situation. I had three foster moms until one could keep Evy for the long term, and Salem had two foster moms until he found a forever home with my Moms coworker. The facebook community is wonderful.

But be warned, in the firestorm your cats will flee to safety. Cats are very smart. Do not risk your life to catch your cats if it becomes a matter of life and death. It is very hard to say this because I understand the pain, but you are more important.

P.S. People do die saving their animals. One woman died in my neighborhood while trying to save her cow. The cow survived, but she is gone.

Thank you so much for sharing this, LL . I am so, so glad your furbabies were returned to you. Animals ARE so smart...they go on universal instinct instead of ego, as people tend to do.

Thing is...my cats are so much more my family than my human family is...I'd just as soon die with them. The only real, true family I had was my sister and she's been dead for 22 months.

[lizardlady]

Laurie, it sounds like things are a bit better for you. I'm glad.

I had some ideas to share regarding your cats and evacuating. How about putting the supplies you might need - litter, food, dishes, etc. in the SUV and leave them there? That way you don't have to take the time to load them if you have to flee. If it looks like the fire is headed your way could you confine the cats (like in the bathroom) so you don't have to chase them to put them in their carriers?

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by lizardlady

Laurie, it sounds like things are a bit better for you. I'm glad.

I had some ideas to share regarding your cats and evacuating. How about putting the supplies you might need - litter, food, dishes, etc. in the SUV and leave them there? That way you don't have to take the time to load them if you have to flee. If it looks like the fire is headed your way could you confine the cats (like in the bathroom) so you don't have to chase them to put them in their carriers?

What GREAT ideas, liz! Seriously...your practical suggestions truly help ease my concern. Thank you very, very much.

[lizardlady]

Originally Posted by *Laurie*

What GREAT ideas, liz! Seriously...your practical suggestions truly help ease my concern. Thank you very, very much.

I'm glad the ideas help. I had to leave two of my cats behind when I evacuated for Hurricane Irma last year. Krissy absolutely freaked out when I put him in the carrier. I was afraid he would hurt himself. Boomer went into hiding and I could not find him. Worrying about them just added to my stress while I was gone.

[amicus_curiae]

Originally Posted by *Laurie*

Thanks for asking, seeker. I very much appreciate your concern.
Honestly, I feel hyper-sensitive/paranoid...I feel like some IRL people are deliberately attacking me in order to push me away. Sooo, I'm feeling very defensive. Angry. My common sense tells me that I'm reacting to an overload of stress. And the IRL people around me probably are, too. The best thing I can do right now is severely limit my contact with IRL people, because things are not good.

Goddogit, you can be so profound even in a single paragraph!

Anger is good. A necessary flame that can beat-back those paranoid feelings. I think, though, that I get a sense of caution — cautiousness — in your message? Caution against real, or perceived, threats?

The fires are surely threatening, causing stress, and attacks warrant — hmm — withdrawal, maybe? Hence the limited contact?

Be safe. Just be safe; whatever you need to do, be and feel safe.

[amicus_curiae]

Originally Posted by LiteraryLark

I just can't wait to get out of California...

I haven’t been back since 2005.

Back home. My last days on the beach.

I miss California.

Possible trigger:

And, damnit, weed is legal now. Oregon, too.
Do you know Coos Bay? I had a friend there long ago.

[amicus_curiae]

Originally Posted by *Laurie*

Thank you so much, Cl.
Normally, I would say that although my town is close to the actual fires, it's safe - not actually going to catch on fire. Now - no. At this point I will say that my town is potentially in danger of fire. I am very concerned about my cats and how I would handle getting them into my car should I need to at short notice. So I'm making plans on that. What a summer ...sigh.

My Last Cat (My Last Duchess)...

...I purchased one of those cardboard cat-carriers so that my caregiver could take him to the vet to have his Manhood removed.

He fought getting into the box and, once in, he destroyed the box in seconds. We captured him in, and tied him in, a bedsheet. That’s how he traveled to and from the vet. I invested in a large, hard-plastic-and-steel pet-carrier.

Please: Don’t tie your cats in bedsheets to get them into your car.

Plan ahead.

Possible trigger:

Damn it — now I’m worried about your cats, too.

And. I just smoked my last cigarette. I can no longer taste them. I’m not going to buy another pack; I keep dropping them and burning holes in my sheets. So, I’ll throw these sheets out as I did with my sheets last week.

Sucks to be me, sucks to be you.

[Purple,Violet,Blue]

Crikey, Laurie. I'm so sorry. This looks awful!

[amicus_curiae]

Originally Posted by *Laurie*

I love this state. That said, this situation is close to being intolerable. I can definitely understand why you're looking forward to getting out.

Personal public question:

Are you a native?

I am so GD PROUD to be a California native.

I love the State, too. I am ever amazed by the residents — the bad with the good. Can’t imagine not living on one coast or the other.

Driving through that Giant Sequoia was one of the highlights of my life.

El Cap.

Going into Tijuana on weekends.

Possible trigger:

Cheap hookers and beer.

I watched as San Diego residents looked to see the smoke.

Possible trigger:

Haven’t heard much on the suspected arsonist of late. I read that he was once confined to a mental institution.

Still...

Be safe. Be happy. It’s a shame and a tragedy (not the fires) but — sometimes — we laugh. We giggle. We’re tickled on our ribs and we double-over in the joy of human touch.