On Thursday, June 23 at approximately 4 p.m. Kern River Valley, California, my hometown, went up in flames. The Erskine Fire raged across 19,000 acres leaving 100+ homes burned to the ground, all within less than 24 hours. As I browsed Facebook Thursday afternoon, the posts came up slowly, I didn’t really understand the effect this fire was having on my community. We are used to fires. Fires are a normality in California, especially in Kern Valley. So hearing about a fire doesn’t usually give us the immediate need for panic. We have our share of destructive fires before; 2010 a wildfire threatened the opposite side of the lake, coming very close to Kernville, Ca. Many people even lost their homes in the fire, but to my knowledge, that was nothing compared to the destruction of this current disaster. As I said, news came slowly at first, but then the reality of it hit me like a ton of bricks. The fire was close, destroying homes, homes of people that I know. It was at my parent’s home moving towards my brother’s house; everyone I know was evacuating, leaving over a thousand homes behind to burn. Within an hour or two, the whole community had to pack up their stuff and find refuge elsewhere. Some people had livestock to move or leave behind, others didn't home in time to save their pets or any possessions. Sitting in my room hundreds of miles away from my people who are in need, I felt so far from them and helpless.
It is truly amazing to me how people can come together in a crisis. Even from across the country, Kern Valley alumni were doing what they could; through prayer, giving updates as they heard from loved ones, anything they could do was being done. Not to mention the firefighters, police officers and local good Samaritans risking their lives and going to the aid of those in need. My own parents were blessed by a few of my Dad’s high school students who came, without being asked, to help evacuate cars and anything else they could do. People got on their dirt bikes and drove around offering assistance to save homes. Reinforcements, of course, have been sent for, but this fire spread so quickly that it was necessary for the community to come together and fight. My family and I are blessed to be a part of such a close-knit community who is like family and can be counted on in times of trouble, even if they moved away years ago.
I know I wasn’t there, I did not experience this event first-hand. I wasn’t there in the overwhelming smoke, driving through the chaos. I didn’t feel the panic of packing anything of value I could reach and then running out the door thinking everything else could be lost. And I wasn’t there when homes became just piles of ashes and knowing nothing could be done. But thanks to Facebook, I saw it, I was informed and I was experiencing it with those I love. The cell tower was burned down, so no one could get in touch with loved ones. But because we do have social media, we were not alone. It became a source of information. Live feeds showed us the fire and the progress it had made, letting us know the fate of some people’s homes. Constant updates and comments gave information about whereabouts of family and friends. I was glued to my phone just reading and watching as the town I love was destroyed. As of Saturday at 12 a.m. there is still 0% containment. Local churches are collecting donations of clothes, money, anything to try and replace what has been lost. Please keep Kern River Valley in your prayers as we don’t know how long this fire will last. But even more so, pray for recovery as a huge portion of our community is now homeless. As the fire continues to burn, there are still so many unknowns and so much more that could be lost. But I have seen what a powerful community brought together can achieve and through recovery from this disaster we will become even stronger; even with some of our community spread across the country.
