California Wildfires and Other Natural Disaster Fires

You're not alone in your feelings. Give your body time.

The second week of January 2025’s headlines are all about the California wildfires. Around Los Angeles, the Santa Ana winds and ideal fire conditions have stirred up multiple fires that have wiped out neighborhoods.

I see you, parents who are looking at your burned house wondering how it can be gone so fast.

I see you, people of all economic statuses, as you can’t believe you lost everything.

I see you, pet owners either grateful to have escaped with your pets or grieving over the loss of a family member.

I see you, wondering how you’re going to get through even a day, smelling smoke on yourself all the time, not knowing who you can trust with your next steps, mind in chaos.

No one plans for this or ever expects it to happen. Your brain might feel like it has stopped working. It probably has. You might be in freeze mode.

My advice to you is to allow your body to regulate when it’s ready to go back to “normal” - or some version of normal. I remember the first few days when I was in shock: I recall driving on the highway and sort of floating through time, thinking oh boy, I shouldn’t really be driving right now. Driving. Something I do every single day on autopilot … but my brain was not capable of autopilot at that time.

Protect your heart as much as you can. Take comfort in others wanting to care for you.

This is not a political issue, though climate change may certainly have an impact on severity and impact of natural disasters like this. If you’re reading this and you haven’t been impacted by a fire, please don’t let political theater distract you from the help people need.

I also think it doesn’t matter how much money you have, because weather discriminates against no one. I absolutely get the desire to say that other people need more than you do, that you’re more fortunate than others. Well, we are all more fortunate in some way than others are in some way.

It’s okay to need something. You need love, and support, if nothing else. You’re going through trauma. It’s also okay to call it that. You have experienced loss. Loss is difficult to navigate, and especially so when it’s unexpected.

Take the time you need, for whatever you need. Allow your feelings to surface and get them out if that helps, if you feel that tight grip on your chest or your cheeks or your jaw.

You don’t have to see the silver lining. You don’t have to continually say to yourself or others that at least you’ll get a brand new house now. It’s okay to be so, so deeply sad about losing things. Memories can feel lost too.

It’s okay to grieve.