Reduced to Ash

The 2018 summer in Shasta County was a rough one. The Carr Fire started on July 23 and took almost six weeks to reach full containment. By July 26, the blaze was growing so rapidly that it threatened the city center, not just the city limits. I never thought I’d see the day that our local TV station, which is in the middle of town, had to close for immediate evacuation. Hearing the live announcement and seeing the coverage switch from emergency news to dead air before the sun went down for the night was horrifying.

On the third day, the burned area increased by about 22,000 acres; on the fourth, another 20,000; and on the fifth, the total acreage went from 48,000 to almost 84,000, a jump of over 35,000 in 24 hours. The fire continued to spread at a frantic pace with fire whirls that reached up to 18,000 feet high moving in excess of 140 mph, creating tornado-like damage in its wake. Smoke reached as far north as Seattle, Washington. By the time emergency crews reached 100% containment, the Carr Fire had burned almost 230,000 acres, roughly 360 square miles.

There was so much smoke and so many reports of loss that even the receding threat seemed too good to be true. Day after day, we sat glued to our televisions, living on social media and reading every update from Cal Fire. We heard innumerable accounts of families who fled their neighborhoods, sometimes on foot, as a wall of fire pursued them. Weeks of fear and grief took their toll on the entire population. It felt like a nightmare from which no one could awaken.

This catastrophe touched everyone in some way. Two of our agents evacuated their neighborhoods, waiting for the danger to clear. My deceased grandparents’ home was destroyed. Thankfully, none of us were living there at the time; the lead fireman said it happened so quickly that no one on the second floor would have survived. Similar stories could be heard from countless others.

Close to 40,000 people had to evacuate, many of whom had nothing left when they returned. More than 1,000 homes were destroyed. Many people lost electricity, some had contaminated drinking water. Eight people lost their lives, three first responders and five citizens.

You do not get over your first glance at mortality, a feeling of complete helplessness, the realization of what could happen if not for the valiant actions of so many super, but very human, heroes. Evacuation shelters, local business owners, and volunteers kept the community functioning. Many people opened their homes to complete strangers. The generosity and outpouring of love were miraculous reminders of the humanity in all of us, so often forgotten in the turmoil of recent years.

Long after the ashes have settled, clients of our insurance brokerage remind us of the tragedy on a regular basis. Many have called with their own experience of loss. A few are planning to move or have already gone, refusing to take the risk of rebuilding.

As the clean-up process continues, some members of our community are discovering they did not have proper coverage for their property, my family among them. Personal contents were undervalued. Debris removal coverage was minimal, requiring FEMA to step in and facilitate their efforts. Had the area not been officially declared a major disaster, they would have been liable for exorbitant clean-up costs. The property has been flattened and cleaned, but they are faced with the removal of a destroyed inground swimming pool, something FEMA does not do, that may cost upwards of $20,000.

No one wants to pay for insurance, but who can afford to live without it? Testing for hazardous materials alone can cost thousands of dollars. Do not leave yourself vulnerable like my family did. Disasters like these are devastating enough without the additional financial burden. Talk to your insurance agent. If your agent insists that you have nothing to worry about but won’t listen to your concerns, find a new agent. Ask questions until you understand and can say with certainty that you have the protection you need. Then, rest easy that you’ve done everything you can for your loved ones.