Montecito, CA: Fire & Mud
The Thomas Fire of Southern California ignited on December 4,
2017, and quickly grew into a firestorm that consumed over 280,000
acres and 1,000 structures. The fire burned so intensely that the
soil was turned into a dense, water-repellent surface, setting the
stage for another catastrophe. On January 9, 2018, a sudden,
torrential downpour on Montecito's Eastern hills resulted in
massive flows of mud and debris, demolishing homes and businesses
in their path, and ultimately killing 23 people and damaging over
400 homes. Total damage of the wildfire & mudslide events were
estimated to be about $6.2 billion.
There were boulders the size of tour busses
Mary Jo volunteers with Habitat for Humanity to recover and
possibly repair damaged homes in Montacito, California. She is
sensitive to the residents and what they have lost, the most
important things not being the furniture and other "hard" items
but the memories. She recalls finding an intact photo album and
recounting as the owner sat down in tears, leafing through the
pages of photos. to Mary Jo it is about community, where everyone
knows somebody that knows somebody...
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