Personal Update: Surviving the Woolsey/Malibu Fire

For our earlier posts and fire photos, see On a Personal Note: Malibu Fires and Mandatory Evacuation and Personal Update on the Malibu Fires.

Wow! The last 30 days have been an experience I hope you never have to live through.

The left sign post was burned, but not the right.

We evacuated our Malibu, CA, home on November 9th due to the Woolsey brush fire that was burning its way toward us and the Pacific Ocean. We were in a motel for 11 days. Then we got word our home was okay. When road blocks were lifted, we returned home but without electricity, no heat, spoiled food in the frig/freezers, no phone landline and no internet access (FIOS). But we had water and our cell phones worked.

Fire damage: The fire did come down the land on either side of our home, singed the trunks of our palm trees near the street, but only burned a few isolated spots (see our Island sign). Our structures were spared but the soot and ash were throughout the house, even the closets (despite closed windows).

Making do without and filing claims: First came treks to the library to charge our devices and get on the internet. Cold drinks were out of a styrofoam cooler, hot food from a drive-thru. We burned a lot of candles at night. Next, came insurance, FEMA, SBA disaster claims paperwork. After about two weeks without power we bought a gas powered generator. Over several days (and lots of industrial extension cords) I got power for our devices, hot water heater (and satellite TV) then furnace and laundry. But it required daily trips for gasoline (Patti could now use her CPAP at night).

The green brush and tree mark our property line; The rains caused the hill side erosion next to us.

Then the mud slides. Then came the dreaded rains. We had been advised where to place the free sand bags from the fire station to protect our property and propane tank. We had little mud but you can see the erosion next door where the fire burned the brush that had been securing the soil.

Thank God for Friday: This weekend was a big one for us. Friday, after 28 days with no power, the electric company discovered and replaced a fried transformer next door and restored our electricity!

About 12 cleaners descended on our home and started three days of cleaning. Our insurance paid for us to move out while Service Master cleaned our entire house (inside and out), frig and freezers, closets, rugs, etc. to get rid of the soot and odors (and will pay to wash or dry clean the clothes in our closets). On Saturday, surprise! our phone service and internet access were restored.

Home sweet home after 30 days: When you read this, we will be back in our freshly cleaned home. We still have a bunch of work to do, but we now have everything we need in one place.

Thoughts and prayers: We thank God our home was spared and the disaster center services and our insurance claim agent were there to help. Blessed be all the firefighters, first responders, evacuation center volunteers and all the utility company workers.

Please keep all those who lost their homes in your thoughts and prayers. No matter your income level or the size of your home, the loss is still devastating.