The Thomas Fire ignited in Ventura County last December, burning approximately 281,893 acres and taking two lives before it was contained in January 2018. At that time, it was the largest wildfire in modern California history.
I was one of the 104,607 residents evacuated by the fire, which was fueled by climate-related drought and Santa Ana winds. It scoured the hillsides above my home, setting things up for deadlier events. I had just settled back in after the evacuation when heavy rains triggered flash flooding and catastrophic mud flows, taking 21 lives.
This chain of disasters hit at a time when I was grieving the recent losses of my husband and my job. I’m thankful to have an amazing support team of friends that held me steady, enabling me to find ways to be grateful for everything that went right, even as things were going incredibly wrong. It was a surreal time. Similar to the landscape of Montecito, I’m forever changed.