OUR TOWN
Helplessness to Hope:
Experiencing Wildfires as a Native Californian PULSE Perspective by Madeline Wilson | Photos by Lexi Wicks Design by Itzel Montoya
Lightning storms are my favorite. I have always loved listening to the sounds of thunder clapping in the sky while watching droplets of rain drench the streets. Curling up in a blanket while inside and protected from the storm is one of my favorite feelings. However, my most recent experience brought up different emotions. Hailing from California, I was back home spending much-needed time with my family after months of being in Ellensburg during the thick of the pandemic. There was a massive heat wave hitting most of the state but the Northern half was also experiencing multiple lightning storms along the coast. During the storms I was accompanied with all of those same emotions that provided me with such joy. Yet that ecstatic feeling slowly began to fade as I bared witness to my home state burning to the ground during the following days. On Aug. 19, during the midst of the heatwave, Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted that 10,849 lightning strikes occurred in California over the course of 72 hours. This waged a battle with 367 fires burning throughout the state at once. 10
FALL 2020
Though, California was not alone during this wildfire season; many spanned across Washington and Oregon as well, following me back to Ellensburg where the Evans Canyon Fire burned approximately 75,000 acres, according to the Incident Information System of the National Wildlife Coordinating Group. Wildfires have been a major topic of discussion, especially over the past few years as we begin to witness the more direct effects of increased heat throughout the summer months. The Relief Process When disasters such as these begin to strike, there are many organizations that jump at the chance to help the victims and provide relief efforts. “Disaster relief is a huge part of what we do when a wildfire erupts like it did,” says Betsy Robertson, communications program manager at the American Red Cross Northwest Region. “It had been a pretty mild season up until September when things took off … Suddenly, it felt
