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Sifting through the Ashes
By Tracy Kiest
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 — “Here’s the spoon Grandma bought me in Italy,” shouts Sue Waterman.
“I found one of Mom’s Precious Moments figurines,” calls Nikki Sieburh.
Philip DiNova sifts through the debris of his parent's home. Insurance will replace their home and furniture, but things like family pictures, heirlooms, and those items we all keep to remind us of special times from our past are forever gone.
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A lifetime of memories burned to the ground at 285 Carriage in the Oak Ridge Mobile Home Park in the town of Sylmar, north of Los Angeles. Flames from the Sayre wildfire moved so fast and fierce that hundreds of people living in the area managed to escape with only the clothes on their backs.
Nikki was home alone when the fire moved over the hills and into the close-knit community. Patricia Patti called her granddaughter to tell her the fire was getting close to the family home. After hearing that news, Nikki was glued to the television. “I knew it was getting close, so I started packing important papers, family photos and treasures.” The seventeen-year old also moved her car onto the street to allow for a quick departure. Only a few hours later, the police and neighbors were knocking on doors to alert everyone to move out of the area fast.
There was a mad rush out of Oak Ridge in the wee hours of the morning. Once Nikki evacuated to safety, she met her other family members at her grandmother’s home. The very next day, her family registered on the Safe and Well website at the American Red Cross evacuation center that was set up at Sylmar High School. They wanted to make sure any neighbors or loved ones knew they were safe.
Within hours, the family learned their home was destroyed by the fire and soon they would have to face the devastation and sadness.
When they were finally able to return to their home, they did so with air masks and gloves to protect themselves against the dangerous smoke and soot. What was once a home filled with family treasures had been reduced to mangled metal, ash and debris. Members from three generations of Nikki’s family are now sifting through what is left, trying to come to grips with the situation at hand.
Nikki’s family is one of hundreds who are facing the very same painful task of going through the remains of their homes, left in the wake of the Sayre wildfire. Volunteers from the Red Cross, Southern Baptist Convention and Salvation Army provided meals and water to residents. Firefighters are present to enforce safety and counselors are on hand to provide mental health support.
All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the Wildfires, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.
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