out of the ashes what does it take to recover from an emotional and financial catastrophe? ten years after the oakland wildfires, three families look back. - slide projector

(MONEY Magazine)
On the afternoon of June, after a fire broke out in Oakland, California, a teenage girl opened the front door. The day is hot--
The heat is bright and dry, and the air is filled with a sharp taste of pine trees and eucalyptus trees.
But in the house everything is dark, modern and cool.
Kate, the girl who opened the door, shouted at her father Peter.
Then she disappeared.
Waiting by the window in the living room, I quickly took a snapshot of the Spirit: An elegant and airy house on the Oakland Hills.
Peter Scott strode into the room, untied the tie and rolled up his sleeves.
"That's why we came back," he said, gazing at Evergreen forest across the canyon . ".
Peter designed the place for the first time in early 1960 as his mother's home, just after he left the construction School. In the mid-
Peter in his 1980 s moved here with his wife Teresa Ferguson and their two girls.
Ten years ago this month, a wildfire burned the place to ashes.
The October 1991 fire caused devastating damage to Peter and his family.
It also destroyed more than 3,000 houses in Oakland and Berkeley Hills, killing 25 people.
As we all know, the East Bay Mountain Fire is the most destructive urban wildfire in the United States. S.
History, made $1.
Loss of 7 billion, reduce the middle of leafy vegetables
Class community in Ash
In some cases, the gray moonlight and a large number of homeowners opposed insurance companies during the five-year battle.
Even now, ten years later, those who survived the fire are still fighting for the consequences of the fire.
A few months ago, wondering how they have regrouped their lives since their homes and communities were destroyed, I went to Oakland Mountain to hear residents talk about what they had gone through.
For the family I met, October.
1991 is a clear line.
There was life before.
Then there is life.
It can be said that in the 10 years after the fire, their corresponding understanding of and rebound is as much as many of us have gained in their lives.
From a purely pragmatic point of view, they now understand the financial mistakes they make in fragile moments and can tell you what different things they will do if they have another chance.
They can explain some small details. -
Just like the fine print on the home insurance contract they forgot a long time ago ---
Changed their lives forever.
But the fire also made them think about a series of deeper problems.
What is the feeling of losing everything?
What does it take to recover from such an emotional and financial disaster?
Once you have lost your property, what property do you find valuable?
They often discuss the last question.
Because unlike many of us, they have to spend 10 years thinking about the answer to this question.
A Ashes, flying, it's hard to imagine a better place to live and be trapped in wild fires in bio crane and Berkeley Hills.
The house here, many of which were built for richer residents of the Bay Area, offers dazzling views of the San Francisco southwest and wild skyline, the forest-covered slopes of the Northeast.
But the nearby road is narrow, almost unimaginable twist and steep-
A nightmare place to drive a fire truck or drive a car 11
Escape from smoke and flames for an hour.
This fact may be objectionable to new residents, but this is not the case.
Today, there is a new house under construction on almost every street, each with $500,000 --
Plus a replacement for the house that burned down in 1991.
According to most estimates, the affected area was rebuilt at 80% to 90% square meters.
For economic or tragic reasons, a keen eye is required to discover an empty lot where the owner has never sold the land or returned;
The hay on the hills of Auckland grows fast and covers almost everything.
Still, if you work hard enough, the evidence is there: for example, a subtle square depression, a foundation that once sat there, or a curb that marked the disappearance of a lane.
No debris left. -
Part of the reason was a massive clean-up in the months after the disaster, but also because the fire almost ran out of everything on the road.
Historically, this intensity is not unusual.
Over the years, the East Bay Mountain has been hit by several fires until the beginning of 1970, when huge fires swept the entire community.
On 1991, the unusually dry summer and fall heat made Oakland's fire chiefs nervous.
They knew there were fallen leaves and dry bushes on the mountain.
They also know that many houses built in the 1920 s and 1930 s have cedar-shaken roofs that can be ignited in an instant. On Oct.
On the 19 th, a small ground fire broke out on the Buckingham highway for unknown reasons, only about a mile from where Peter Scott and Teresa Ferguson lived.
The city firefighters put out the fire and kept an eye on the night;
One crew member returned the next morning to see if any patches were still burning.
A hot wind is blowing, first blowing the mountains of the eastern part of the city at a speed of 10 miles per hour, and then blowing at 30, 40 and 50 miles per hour.
When the firefighters watched, the wind lit the fire that had been buried in the ground the day before.
They rinsed the area again.
But a ash blew into the air and into a tree that exploded into flames.
Then things get out of control.
Earlier in the afternoon, the fire blown by the ruthless wind had spread to the east and south, jumping eight levels.
In the process, the Lane road began to travel in the northwest direction and into the center of Berkeley.
It is no longer controllable.
One day, some members of the fire department were worried that it would drive all the way to San Francisco Bay ---Five miles away. -
Burn everything on its path until it touches the water.
Near Mount Oakland, the fire burned 400 houses in 15 minutes.
By that time, the fire had reached the crematorium.
Thermal level, explosive apron, molten aluminum (1,200[degrees]F)
Softening copper (2,000[degrees]F)
And fused silicon chip (2,600[degrees]F).
About 1: 15 ago. m.
It burned the homes of David Kessler and Nancy Mennell on Vicente Road. By 1:25 p. m.
It burned the homes of Betty Ann Bruno and Craig Shena in Buena Vista. And by 1:30 p. m.
It burned the homes of Peter Scott and Teresa Ferguson in Alvarado.
On the morning of the fire, David Kessler and Nancy Mennell frantically smelled the smoke in the air.
They can also see. At 11 a. m.
David took his dog for a walk and noticed that the sky turned unusual orange and pink in the distance.
He is not sure what to do.
Back home, he made some bread dough, put it aside, got up, and put some marinade on the stove to stew.
He plans to make pizza for dinner.
The home of David and Nancy is unique-a two-
Bedroom cottage built in early 1900, used to be a cottage for long-term workers
To the Oakland dairy farm.
Nancy's father bought the place for $17,000 in early 1970, when it was abandoned and suffocated ---
Both inside and outside-
Wild blackberry bush.
The floor is mismatched and nothing is vertical, but its crumbling charm has grown on it over time.
And very convenient.
David works at the University of California
Just minutes from the Berkeley Library;
Nancy has a job as a psychiatrist in San Leandro, 10 miles away.
That Sunday afternoon, when David was hanging out in the kitchen, Nancy climbed up the roof and wet the wooden tile.
She said the smoke was getting stronger and she was worried that there would be sparks landing at the top: "When I climbed up the roof with a hose, the water suddenly stopped.
"The water pump in the whole block was out of power.
She and David have been worried that their home and belongings will be damaged by smoke. -
But what if things get very dangerous?
They decided it was time to go.
Nancy took the dog into the car with some computer disks, a pair of binoculars, some cameras, a few photo albums and a change of clothes.
David jumped on his bike.
It's about 12: 30. m.
They decided to meet at the mother David's house in central Berkeley;
Then, if necessary, they will go to their friend's house in Albany, north of Berkeley.
Meanwhile, Betty Ann Bruno is worried about his roof a few blocks away.
People on the Oakland Hills know Betty Ann. -
If it weren't for me personally, then from KTVU, she was part of the station.
Air journalist
As the fire approached, the floating fire began to fall on her wooden tile.
Her husband Craig drove to the store.
Their four children have grown up and live alone.
Betty Ann got up on her own to see what she could do.
"I was going to save my house," she recalls . ".
In the deafening wind, sparks fly like shrapnel in the air, and she works frantically, pry open the burning wooden tiles with a crowbar, and throw them on the lawn.
About 20 minutes later, her world narrowed down to the task.
Then she realized someone was yelling at her from the bottom. -
A group of firefighters told her to leave immediately.
"I looked around at the time," she said, "and saw the whole block on fire.
"She only has a few minutes to leave.
She drove the car out, drove along the street, stopped for a while at a nearby intersection, watched the top floor of her house tremble, and then burst into flames.
Then she drove down the mountain to find a friend of hers. -
Producer of KTVU living nearby
Betty Ann met him at his house, and then the two walked to the roof of a nearby apartment building where a staff member of KTVU had just arrived. It was 2 p. m.
When a reporter from the TV station asked for an interview with Betty Ann.
"This is something I have done many times before ---
"Interview someone who is in a state of personal loss," she recalls . ".
"But I'm on the other side of the microphone.
She was a little stunned, a little trembling, and still didn't know what she would say. She agreed to answer some questions.
Then the camera rolls.
Peter Scott and Teresa Ferguson are still unaware of the fire at this time.
In fact, they did not hear the news until 4: 30. m.
Drove home from Monterey and they spent the day there.
They were not worried about their house at first. -
Peter's mother was alone that day, a patient.
That afternoon, they called their house frantically from the car and always received the same fast and busy signal.
Peter and Teresa then try to remember the neighbor's last name so they can say the message.
The hills have become like this, Teresa said. -
A place where neighbors no longer really know each other.
Still, they 've been thinking about neighbors who can tell them what's going on.
As Teresa recalls, "Peter will say, 'Try it.
Then I will get this number and get the same busy signal of illness.
I said, Peter, you don't understand.
They can't answer the phone.
They are not there.
There's nothing there.
"It was dark and they arrived in Auckland.
By that time, the wind had stopped and the fire had gone off with the wind, but the area was still burning and police barricades prevented Peter and Teresa from entering their neighbors.
Is the house still alive?
No one can answer this question. -
But there is still some good news.
Peter's mother was rescued.
At least that's what fire and police officials told Teresa, who called the hospital where rescuers said they brought her.
But something's wrong.
None of the patients met the description of Peter's mother.
So, in order to find her, the family began to drive and visit the hospital in East Bay.
They found nothing.
They tried the rehabilitation center. Still nothing.
They went to the morgue. Again, nothing.
The family was frustrated, confused and exhausted, moving from the chaos of the mountains to Peter's cousin's home in Berkeley.
"That's how we end the night," Peter recalls . "-
Not sure if his mother or his home survived.
If David Kessler can go back in time, from heartbreak to unexpected gains, he wants to relive the morning before leaving home 10 years ago.
"If someone says, 'You have 20 minutes to get your most valuable things.
"You can no longer see anything you left behind and we will take different actions," said David . ".
This is a fire survivor talking over and over, almost a delicate selftorture.
However, fantasy is almost never materialistic;
In their dreams, almost all of them walk through the burning house and collect valuable things, not because of the price, but because of the emotion.
This is old leather for Nancy
The bound Bible she inherited from her grandmother;
It's her family's long-standing roots in the United States.
Written entries dating back to the early days18th-
Maryland century
This is his mother's painting for David. -
The best art she saved for him in particular-
Decorated with walls of the old bunkhouse.
They hope they have considered such a thing in advance.
In fact, there is only a little bit of property left by David and Nancy ---
They rescued some from the house when they left in a hurry, some of which were purchases or gifts a few days after the fire.
Everything they had was packed in three brown grocery bags.
The couple spent the first 10 days after the fire at their friend's house in Albany. "On Wednesday [the police]
Let's come here [to the house]," says David.
"Coming here is one of the most painful experiences you can imagine.
Still smoking.
After a short stroll in our ruins, I walked up the hill.
The farther I go, the more I cry.
It's so sad.
As far as you know, everything is completely ruined.
Looks like Hiroshima.
"They returned to work that week, were mentally scarred, lost, and unsure what to do next.
Their first challenge is to find a place to live. -
A rental apartment in Berkeley solved a problem.
Then they began to think about rebuilding.
"I don't want us to be defeated by this fire," said David . ".
Nevertheless, logistical obstacles remained.
David said: "After the fire, I think most people think, well, we will call our insurance company and they will send us a check and we can start next week.
"No one has ever dreamed that it would be like this --
Consumption process.
"They found their insurance policy to look heartbreaking.
For years David and Nancy have been paying rent to Nancy's father, who still owns the house.
"When it's burned down, we think, 'Oh, what insurance do we have?
"Nancy recalled.
"We don't know, so I called my dad and he deleted the policy.
"It turns out that the policy has been adjusted over the years due to inflation, rising from $17,000 to $67,000.
But Oakland Hills real estate has appreciated on a larger scale, something their insurance company has never considered.
This funky old bunkhouse is worth about $250,000.
To make matters worse, this policy is called "cash value" rather than an alternative policy.
Any desire to build a larger settlement that would enable them to build a home comparable to the one they lost is now destroyed.
It looks like they will get the face value of the policy, that's it.
None of their property was covered. -
They also have no temporary living expenses.
David remembered 1992 as a bleak year.
He and Nancy worry that their settlement will only be large enough to deposit in apartments elsewhere in East Bay.
Negotiations with insurance companies-
Farmers Insurance Group-
Get nervous
However, there are also highlights: friends organized a "fire shower" to help David and Nancy replace the burnt-out household items and clothes.
Also, the same Oakland Hills community used to be a completely different upper level communitymiddle-
Class homeowners began to get together to exchange information on cleaning up and insurance issues;
In the process, some neighbors know each other for the first time.
Not all residents have policy coverage.
Some insurance companies have been praised by California for their prompt settlement.
But almost everyone who wants to return faces a common obstacle in the disaster-stricken areas: the extraordinary demand for building services delays every step of the process, in some cases leading to price gouging.
The East Bay Hills also face unique challenges where the risk of sharp tilt and earthquakes requires complex builders and expensive support walls.
Under normal circumstances, the foundation will be rescued after the house fire; the Oct.
The fire was too hot to crush the old foundation, forcing residents to rebuild from scratch.
This is another unforeseen expense, and it is also the focus of the debate between some policyholders and their insurance companies.
With the consent of David and Nancy, Nancy's father settled with the farmers for $190,000 a year after the fire-
The money is closer to the actual value of the house, but still not enough for the couple to build the house they want.
However, shortly after the settlement, David received a call from the joint policyholder volunteer, a consumer group that emerged after the fire to educate homeowners on insurance claims. "[
Representative]
David recalled: "say, 'You are the only people in the peasant community who have not been reported to a certain extent. '. ".
In the representative's view, David and Nancy argued that the low value portion of their home was the fault of the insurance agent and that they should receive an alternative upgrade like other farmers claimants. David--
As his claim has been resolved through a substantial escalation, his expectations are low ---
Wrote a letter stating the matter to the insurance company and then almost forgot.
"A few months later, they called and said they would give us another $34,000," he recalls . " He was still surprised by the windfall.
"This is the difference in our ability to handle this matter.
"They arranged a mortgage of $100,000 and asked David's friend, contractor Lars Vincent to rebuild;
Lars recommended another architect to David and Nancy.
They are not going to copy bunkhouse.
If they're going to start over, it's an opportunity to create something that fits their ideals, a modest dream home designed in the California Arts and Crafts tradition.
So they saw a fashion, two.
The bedroom house was pulled up on the mountain, and now there are no trees. There are many open spaces in it.
Two years have passed since they first smelled smoke on Sunday morning.
While negotiations between David and Nancy and the insurance company may be difficult, negotiations with Betty Ann Bruno and Craig Shina seem to be a model for efficiency and bonhomi.
Of course, Betty Ann and Craig couldn't have known this in the first place. -
They have a guaranteed alternative policy, which their agents call "policy Cadillac", which ensures that they are able to build the same house as the one they lost, regardless of cost.
They believe that their claim process will take place soon.
In fact, they think they will return to Auckland within a year.
In the beginning, the couple tried to accept that what happened was done in public.
The TV show Betty Ann was broadcast an hour after her house was discovered by cnn and broadcast around the world.
Friends in Europe and Asia looked at the woman on the roof of the apartment, and the hills behind them were burning, realizing it was Betty Ann.
A few days later, a producer at KTVU asked the TV station if it was possible to photograph the couple crossing the ruins of their home during the evening TV show.
Craig works as a photographer at the station.
Because the newsroom is like a family to him and Betty Ann. -
Because they think it will help the audience experience what happened to thousands of homeowners. -they agreed.
"On Tuesday after the fire, they brought us back," Betty Ann recalls . ".
"They Video us through our home website to identify things.
I made pottery and I found a bathroom Cup in the Ashes.
I saw it, I said, my bathroom Cup!
I picked it up from the ashes and hugged it and said how much I liked that cup. I was crying. It was just--
It's just this silly bathroom Cup.
But that was the only thing I found that day that was intact.
"The night after the fire, they slept on their sailing boat, anchored south of the city, watching the broken gas jets burn from a distance, and the fire went out on its own.
A few days later, they signed a lease for a rental apartment in the nearby town of Alameda.
They lost more than they thought.
"The first year after the fire, we played a game we called" laying the total loss depth ---
"Admit what it's like to lose every little thing," said Betty Ann . ".
"Each kitchen has a drawer with something like rubber bands and paper clips," she said . ".
When you have nothing-
This is all loss.
It is opening the drawer in your newly rented house, which is empty.
"In the next few months, the owner of the house burned down-
Or someone who suffered some loss and smoke damage. -
A list of the property presented to the insurance company is listed.
Many people are surprised to see how much they carry in their lives.
Betty Ann and Craig began counting inventory on the night of the fire;
It took them two years to finish 85. spaced pages.
But inside photos of their home-the proof--
Burned with other things.
They didn't think about putting anything else in the safe. deposit box.
And there is no receipt.
Some survivors turned into rubber shoes and asked friends and relatives for old photos taken at their homes.
They will double-check the corner of the photo and the vague outlook, hoping they can show the insurance adjuster in front of the vintage behind the smiling baby in front of the happy couple going to the ball, or the oak banquet.
But five months after the fire, Betty Ann and Craig are not far from proving their claims or reaching an agreement.
They are unable to determine the amount of the house or property.
Their insurance company State-owned farms are constantly allocating new adjusters to their claims.
At the same time, they said that their state farm sales agent initially tried to claim a quick solution for them, and he called to explain that he was no longer banned from talking to them.
Betty Ann said: "We realized at the time that we had a choice: one of us could quit [our job]
For some time, dealing with insurance companies full time;
We can hire professionals. -
A lawyer or public prosecutor;
Or we have a nervous breakdown.
They hired a public adjuster. -
A professional defense lawyer who deals directly with the insurer on behalf of the claimant, in return for his percentage of final settlement.
They began to think seriously about how to develop in the next few years.
Betty Ann said, "When we realized it was four years since we moved in, all we could get was our address ---
Not our house, not our old neighbor. -
We decided to continue our lives.
"In the spring of 1992, they started shopping for their home.
By that time, they had reached an agreement with state farms on the settlement value of their houses rather than their personal property. (
A state-owned farm spokesman said the company tried to resolve the claim as soon as possible, but there was an inevitable delay when policyholders tried to record their property. )
In any case, Betty Ann and Craig thought they were lucky: Unlike many other fire victims, they could pay off their old mortgage and have savings, while waiting for the rest of the agreement with the insurance company, they can put in new furniture.
At first they looked at dozens of places on the Oakland hills, but gradually they began to visit further towns.
Perhaps understandably, the two fire victims finally decided that what they wanted most was to live by the water.
In August of the same year, they moved into the house they bought at the San Rafael Bay, a small city about 40 minutes from Auckland.
Their claim is far from being resolved, but since family insurance covers the physical structure and not the property, their land is not included in any solution.
They were free to sell and soon accepted a $150,000 bid to burn the plot on Buena Vista Drive.
They are ready to start over.
Returning to Kate's neighbors Peter Scott and Teresa Ferguson, the first year after the East Bay mountain disaster, is an adventurous journey from tragedy to redemption.
On Monday after the fire, they still did not find out what happened to Peter's mother.
Another search of the hospital found nothing.
That afternoon, Teresa persuaded a police officer who sympathized with her to get her through the barricades and lift her up the hill.
Next to the ash from her previous home, she watched the searcher search.
They want to see if her momin-
The law is trapped inside.
"I was very sure when I left on Monday night," Teresa said . ".
"I went back and told Peter: 'I don't think she was saved, and I think we should start to face that possibility.
The family decided to look for her body again.
It took us a whole day. Tuesday]
Teresa said: "We still haven't found anything until about four or five, searching in ashes and rubble.
At that time, my 13-year-old daughter was searching around where her bedroom was, and suddenly she turned around and said, "Mom, what is that?
They are quiet.
It looks like a complete skeleton on the ground.
Peter came over and reached for something that seemed to be a bone.
"But that's not a bone, it's just ashes," Teresa said, rubbing her index finger against her thumb.
The skeleton has been burned to dust.
Francis Gray Scott's body was one of the last to be found.
Most of the others died in traffic accidents.
Blocked turn-back roads, trying to walk away from the fire, which ran much faster than any man or woman.
It turns out that none of the families who have been killed have returned to the mountains to rebuild--
Except Peter, Teresa, Ginny and Kate.
Earlier, even in the initial grief, the four decided to take back their old house and old life as soon as possible.
They will try to be number one.
As Peter said, "We are driven.
"They know they have huge advantages.
"We have skills that are absolutely complementary," Teresa explains . ".
"Peter is an architect. I am an accountant.
I can handle all the finance, insurance and money and he can handle all the design and construction issues as well as the city [permits].
Peter quickly reformulated his old plan and hired a contractor.
Teresa plays with finance--
Borrow 401 from Peter (k)
Continue building in one example.
She also came up with the idea of buying a small house in the nearby town of Piemont.
It's a smart move: they can use it to pay for the monthly mortgage instead of spending the premium on the monthly rent-
They can deduct the mortgage interest from the tax.
They can also enjoy the peace of Piemont--
One of Auckland's most popular suburbs-
When they try to recover
Peter said: "I think what really makes a difference is that Teresa and I both come from a background of economic instability and we like to pay some fees when we go instead of big bills.
So, when we were looking around a few weeks after the fire, we didn't have a car to pay for, and we didn't have a huge mortgage, and we didn't have a bunch on our credit card.
So we can go to our banker and say, 'Yeah, we can handle that.
Believe me, it saved our tail.
"The only problem is their insurance policy.
Yes, it will cover their temporary residence in Piemont.
But it cannot pay the full cost of rebuilding.
"Our insurance is traditionally inadequate," said Peter . " He pointed out that his policy has been regarded as inflation for many years, worth about $180,000.
That means the rebuilding will put them in trouble and lose about $100,000.
So why when they bought expensive earthquake insurance the year before, their insurance company ignored any information provided to them about full earthquake insurance
Replacement upgrade--
How much extra does the upgrade cost per year?
What about them?
Property insurance?
Teresa swore they had sent a list of their property (
Including photos)
Check with the agent a few years ago if they were covered.
But the agent insisted that he had no record of the package.
Within months, the differences escalated into a fierce standoff, with Peter and Teresa claiming professional negligence against their insurance company.
However, prior to any proceedings, Teresa found something in her lawyer's file that constituted their case: personal fax
She sent the property list to the insurance company two years ago.
The two sides soon reached an agreement.
At the same time, the family is continuing to build.
Mentally, they try to bounce back as much as possible and inject their return with the air of celebration rather than the air of sorrow.
"One of the happiest moments is [in April 1992]
When we just put the windows and drywall in, "said Peter.
"We don't have any plumbing and electrical equipment, but we have contractor's outhouse and we have some wires connected from [contractor's]
We put the Poles and small white Christmas lights in the house.
We hired five people.
The band invited 300 people to a party and they said there was no parking problem and no complaints from neighbors.
We had a party that you couldn't believe.
It is said that they can see us and hear us from the center of Berkeley.
"They moved back almost nine months after the fire ---
July 19, 1992.
"As far as you can see, we are the only house," Teresa said . " She recalled that the loneliness in the neighborhood was a little disturbing at first.
"There are no street lights and no neighbors.
It's all Ashes.
Some have not even cleaned up their lot.
"Their six-year-old daughter, Kate, was wandering in an empty neighborhood, leaving a bright spot in a burnt gray ruin.
When they are building, she will sit on the steps of the House and become friends with contractors and neighbors, when they move back one by one, she will be charming to welcome them over the next few years.
"This is her neighbor," Teresa said . ".
"Even now, people call Kate a neighbor.
"In the years lost, you were rarely invited to dinner where all the guest's houses were burned.
But most recently, in the homes of David and Nancy, many neighbors began to recall how the fire had changed their lives.
In a few bottles of wine, they joked about how in the weeks after the fire they could recognize a fire victim through loose donated sportswear, or in the years after the fire, purchased in a large volume, it will wear and tear at the same time.
There is a friendship that never existed before the fire.
Dave and Nancy's neighbor Glenn Hammonds said: "If your house is to be burned, it is a good thing to burn it with your 3,500 closest friends.
"He's not joking.
After the fire, hundreds of helpless families gathered to fight for a fairer insurance solution and help each other rebuild their lives.
Still, too much has been lost, including so much money and time, that fire cannot be regarded as any blessing.
The victim learned from this experience. -
Learn that they have the ability to get a good insurance settlement or supervise the construction of a new house or simply not give up ---
No damage was denied.
"It took most of our lives," Nancy said softly at dinner . ".
"For five years, we didn't spend our career, we didn't adopt children, we didn't get a college degree. " By the mid-
1990 residents with the desire to finance and rebuild ---
About 1,500 households-
They have settled with their insurance company and returned.
Many elderly residents, as well as those who are unable to financially rebuild due to inadequate insurance, are missing in these ranks.
Today, about 30% of the 1991 residents-
A group trying to help educate new neighbors whose community has amazing views and amazing wildfires.
Due to the climate and dense vegetation, there will be another fire in the Oakland mountains in the near future, just like another hurricane will inevitably hit the Florida coast, another tornado will sweep across the Kansas grassland.
When I was driving in the fire area with Auckland Deputy Fire Chief Ronald Carter in July, he said, "Will it burn again ? "?
There is no doubt.
Will it be so bad?
It could be worse.
"David Kessler has spent countless hours trying to convey this since the fire ---
Mainly through his cooperation with several community organizations.
Unlike people living in hurricane or tornado areas, it is generally believed that residents of East Bay Mountain-
Area called "City/wilderness interface area--
It is possible to help prevent or at least control the next fire by cleaning brushes, cutting down trees and replacing old wooden roofs with asphalt or tiles.
In many ways, David's efforts to educate neighbors have had an impact on how they take care of their property.
But the urgency of his message is disappearing;
The new people nearby have little knowledge. -
In some cases, there is little interest. -
What happened in 1991
"I believe that in a few years people will move into this community and they will not know that there was a fire here that killed 25 people and burned the whole area, David said.
"It hasn't happened yet. But it will.
"The next morning after dinner with David and Nancy, I drove west across the Bay to meet Betty Ann and Craig's home in San Rafael.
If one of the legacy of this fire is to transform David into an tireless fire safety activist, the other is to turn Betty Ann into an outspoken supporter of insurance reform.
To a large extent, her motivation was her own struggle to get a fair solution and extract some personal meaning from the crash.
Our insurance company has completely alienated us. that]
"We have decided that we will receive every dollar we are entitled to," she said . ".
"They gave us a lot of money in the end.
It took four years.
"In that battle, Betty Ann made a 1994 bill to change the California insurance industry ---
A bill that provides various protections for homeowners to prevent abuse and delays during claims investigation.
The legislation has never become law, but Betty Ann is helping to support a similar bill that is currently being passed by the State Council.
In her view, this is an opportunity to use her knowledge of claims and settlements to improve public policy.
But on a sundeck overlooking the water, the hills of Auckland are far away.
The Hummingbird flew on the railing of the porch, lavender spray covered the garden below, and the sailing boat shook on the dock.
Somehow the impression you get is that things get really good after 10 years.
Betty Ann retired and Craig quit his job as a photographer to start his own video
Production company.
Craig said about the fire. -
Finding that he can deal with losses and uncertainty-
Is the reason why he left.
"Look," he said, "there is a glimmer of hope.
"At the same time, when they think of a family movie or a long film, they feel a sharp pain.
The missing birthday cards for their children.
"I didn't really understand what they were until I didn't have something important," Craig said . ".
In this regard, the legacy of the fire may never leave them.
Too many reminders.
A few months ago, a bus driver saw Betty Ann say, "I remember you!
"It's not entirely surprising for a former TV newscaster.
The bus driver said, "I remember your bathroom Cup.
"Does the phantom light switch first return to the mountain mean recovery from the fire first?
Looking back now, Peter and Teresa think it would be better to be a little slower.
"We really want to get our lives back to normal, so much so that I didn't spend enough time dealing with emotional issues," Teresa said.
"In any case, sitting at the table at Peter's and Teresa's house, I feel that no matter what they did in their first year, like all the other fire victims, they may always be getting better.
The fire not only changed their view of life, but also their view of children.
Kate had a good time. go-
Lucky facade, "said Teresa.
"She seems to be driven to smell the rose to make sure she can experience every experience.
Behind it, however, there is a feeling that, yes, it can also be taken away, the whole thing, without explanation, without any fair or correct reference.
Like she lost her childhood at that time.
"In addition, Peter and Teresa are still injured because of the economic blow they have suffered.
After hearing about the fire, Peter drove back from Monterey that Sunday and said to Teresa, "You know, that means we're going to have to suddenly be 10 years younger.
His prophecy is true enough.
There is no doubt that Peter has been working for 10 years in order to catch up, Teresa said.
"In fact, three months ago, we realized that we are now back in place to replace everything," she added . ".
This means we have been traveling on the water for 10 years.
So there's some sadness.
However, the biggest regret so far is the death of Peter's mother.
Getting anger from this soft place seems uncoordinated
Peter said that he had never stopped his anger at the city because it could not stop ---or prevent--the firestorm.
In the years since, he has been thrilled with better emergency services.
In 1998, he gave up his expenses and designed a new fire station, which is only a few hundred yards away from his home.
Still, Peter wants to know what will happen in the next fire. -
Or, like after the next earthquake.
He now has the latest alternative home insurance;
Almost every year, he and Teresa count and take pictures of their property.
But can this city help those who can't help themselves?
To be sure, the couple thought the burden was also on them.
Peter called the fire a "failure of the community," and he and Teresa knew that their relationship with their neighbors broke down, partly because no one thought of checking Peter's mother.
However, the two believe that the collapse of the community is even bigger, something unique to the United States.
It sounds precious. -
Of course it's a little outdated. -
That is, in this era of cool removal, as we get more and more connected to each other via email
Mail and telecommuting, things like neighborhood relationships will save your life.
But the two clearly believe this is the case.
Teresa said: "There is a myth that disaster will not happen to me and I will call 911 [if it happens [and]
I think I will be fine.
Also, she said, "when this kind of thing happens, it's the most terrible to find out that you don't know where your child is or where your mom is, you don't even know how to contact someone who might be right next door to them.
"In this sense, her life is different from that of Peter: they now know their neighbors and feel guilty when they don't reach out to newcomers on the street.
It is also important that they can spell the names of their neighbors and know their phone numbers.
Not long ago, I sent Peter a note asking if he would move out.
He replied: "It is impossible for us to discuss the idea of relocation. . .
Because if we mention this, our children will burst into tears.
They used their hands in the dirt to find the remains of their childhood and had an original connection to the terrain of the block.
When our neighbor's house was built and helped plant each tree, they saw it from inside out.
We can see the remains of the old burnt foundation under our house, and we understand its history in a way that is hard to imagine others will understand.
I suspect that this House will remain in our house for generations.
"At the same time, with the pain of the fire fading year after year, Peter and Teresa still meet what they call the Phantom --limb syndrome.
For a few days, they would spend 20 minutes looking around in the storage area of the old slide machine, and then recall that it was also lost in the flame.
There is a light switch in the kitchen. Peter always reaches for it, but it is empty. handed.
When they rebuilt the house in 1992, he slightly redesigned something to move the switch from the right side of the door to the left.
But for some reason his memory tells him something else.