1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:07,375 --> 00:00:08,583 ♪ ("WILLIAM TELL OVERTURE" BY GIOACHINO ROSSINI PLAYS) ♪ 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 4 00:00:08,667 --> 00:00:11,250 The 2000 election was a street brawl 5 00:00:11,333 --> 00:00:13,583 for the presidency of the United States. 6 00:00:14,291 --> 00:00:17,917 What happened in Miami changed this country, forever. 7 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:20,417 While Democrats wanted to do the right thing, 8 00:00:21,792 --> 00:00:23,875 Republicans wanted to win. 9 00:00:24,166 --> 00:00:27,417 MAN: The election was lost in many different places. 10 00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:29,458 But it was stolen in Miami. 11 00:00:52,792 --> 00:00:54,208 (FIRE CRACKLING) 12 00:00:54,291 --> 00:00:58,041 MAN 1: (OVER RADIO) ...Branch One or Battalion 44. 13 00:00:58,125 --> 00:01:00,333 Get ahold of OES there at the command post 14 00:01:00,417 --> 00:01:02,041 and let's push it all the way out 15 00:01:02,125 --> 00:01:03,917 to the edge of the city of Ventura. 16 00:01:06,875 --> 00:01:10,250 REPORTER 1: Take a look at this. It has exploded into 500 acres. 17 00:01:10,333 --> 00:01:13,125 These high winds, not so good with the helicopter. 18 00:01:13,208 --> 00:01:14,542 We're working our way over there, 19 00:01:14,625 --> 00:01:15,709 but we can tell you 20 00:01:15,792 --> 00:01:18,500 that this is burning very close to Santa Paula. 21 00:01:18,583 --> 00:01:21,250 It's right off the 126 and the 150. 22 00:01:21,333 --> 00:01:24,959 The 150 is actually the road that takes you to Ojai. 23 00:01:26,875 --> 00:01:29,166 MAN 1: (OVER RADIO) Just wanna make sure you're aware of the fire. 24 00:01:29,250 --> 00:01:31,583 It's moving at a rapid rate of spread. 25 00:01:31,667 --> 00:01:34,834 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 26 00:01:37,125 --> 00:01:40,583 REPORTER 1: There's Thomas Aquinas University that's in that area. 27 00:01:40,667 --> 00:01:42,792 That's where it's getting the name. 28 00:01:42,875 --> 00:01:45,625 Now, there are plenty of homes in this area as well. 29 00:01:45,709 --> 00:01:48,375 If they are not evacuating, they will be told to. 30 00:01:48,458 --> 00:01:52,250 Obviously, life foremost, property second. 31 00:01:52,333 --> 00:01:54,750 -DRIVER: I'm in a bad spot, ooh. -REPORTER 1: As we understood it 32 00:01:54,834 --> 00:01:56,375 listening to some scanner traffic, 33 00:01:56,458 --> 00:01:58,667 they could not get enough resources 34 00:01:58,750 --> 00:02:01,291 to this fire fast enough. 35 00:02:02,291 --> 00:02:03,917 There's helicopters in the air, 36 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:05,583 there's ground crews on the ground, 37 00:02:05,667 --> 00:02:07,750 but the high winds this evening, 38 00:02:07,834 --> 00:02:09,750 along with the dry temperatures, 39 00:02:09,834 --> 00:02:13,458 has made this into a huge fire, and these flames continue 40 00:02:13,542 --> 00:02:15,625 just to gobble up acreage out here 41 00:02:15,709 --> 00:02:18,625 and keep moving out to the west. 42 00:02:18,709 --> 00:02:22,000 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪ 43 00:02:40,250 --> 00:02:43,375 (FIRE CRACKLING) 44 00:02:45,125 --> 00:02:48,250 (BIRDS CHIRPING) 45 00:02:51,041 --> 00:02:52,583 MICHAEL MILANO: What are you making? 46 00:02:52,667 --> 00:02:56,208 NOÉMIE DUMONT MILANO: I'm making a cheese-slash-potato French dish... 47 00:02:56,291 --> 00:02:59,417 that I'm gonna make my husband for the first time tonight, 48 00:03:00,041 --> 00:03:02,625 on the 3rd of December. 49 00:03:06,917 --> 00:03:08,291 Go. (CHUCKLES) 50 00:03:08,375 --> 00:03:10,041 We met in San Francisco. 51 00:03:10,917 --> 00:03:13,917 We fell in love and got married. 52 00:03:17,291 --> 00:03:19,625 When I was around five months pregnant, 53 00:03:19,709 --> 00:03:21,834 we decided to explore California 54 00:03:21,917 --> 00:03:23,792 in the hope to find the right place 55 00:03:23,875 --> 00:03:25,250 to raise our little girl. 56 00:03:26,417 --> 00:03:28,875 MICHAEL: As we learned more and more about California, 57 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,458 people kept telling us about this special place called Ojai. 58 00:03:34,166 --> 00:03:36,792 JULIE TUMAMAIT-STENSLIE: There is a place 59 00:03:36,875 --> 00:03:40,083 that everybody finds in this valley 60 00:03:40,166 --> 00:03:41,959 that is home to them. 61 00:03:44,709 --> 00:03:46,792 I grew up here in the Ojai Valley. 62 00:03:46,875 --> 00:03:50,333 "Ojai" is a Chumash word, and it's a village 63 00:03:50,417 --> 00:03:52,375 that's up here in this upper valley. 64 00:03:52,458 --> 00:03:55,500 And it means "moon" or "lunar phase." 65 00:03:58,291 --> 00:04:00,875 So when you're up here and the moon comes up, 66 00:04:00,959 --> 00:04:02,917 it's as if you could touch it. 67 00:04:05,375 --> 00:04:08,000 NOÉMIE: We just fell in love with the weather, 68 00:04:08,083 --> 00:04:11,709 the flower, the smells, and the animals. 69 00:04:17,333 --> 00:04:19,417 Maé was born two months prematurely 70 00:04:19,500 --> 00:04:23,583 and, uh, when we move to Ojai, she was not even two months old. 71 00:04:23,667 --> 00:04:26,291 The size of a tiny little human being. 72 00:04:26,375 --> 00:04:28,166 So as a new mom, 73 00:04:28,250 --> 00:04:32,625 this move across California was pretty rough on me. 74 00:04:32,709 --> 00:04:35,375 MICHAEL: We moved here about a month before the fire. 75 00:04:37,667 --> 00:04:39,250 A house directly on the edge 76 00:04:39,333 --> 00:04:41,500 of the Los Padres National Forest. 77 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:47,542 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 78 00:04:48,834 --> 00:04:53,500 (MOUNTAIN LION SCREECHING) 79 00:04:55,667 --> 00:04:59,834 ♪ (OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 80 00:05:03,250 --> 00:05:06,375 REPORTER 2: High wind advisories have all been upgraded to all-out warnings 81 00:05:06,458 --> 00:05:10,625 as the dangerous Santa Ana winds are blowing big time. 82 00:05:10,709 --> 00:05:12,625 NOÉMIE: Uh, I remember telling myself, 83 00:05:12,709 --> 00:05:15,375 "What's going on with this wind?" 84 00:05:15,458 --> 00:05:18,458 I went outside, I was like, 85 00:05:18,542 --> 00:05:19,959 "This is not normal." 86 00:05:20,041 --> 00:05:21,834 I just had a feeling. 87 00:05:21,917 --> 00:05:25,125 I knew that something bad was gonna happen. 88 00:05:25,208 --> 00:05:28,166 (WIND HOWLING) 89 00:05:28,250 --> 00:05:30,875 -(PHONE RINGS) -911 OPERATOR: Fire paramedics. 90 00:05:30,959 --> 00:05:33,125 CALLER 1: We were just sitting out on the front porch 91 00:05:33,208 --> 00:05:36,750 and I noticed, uh, an orange glow and smoke. 92 00:05:36,834 --> 00:05:39,083 It's really blowing up now. 93 00:05:40,041 --> 00:05:42,166 (PHONE DIALS, RINGS) 94 00:05:42,250 --> 00:05:44,542 CALLER 2: We have a fire. We are in a house here 95 00:05:44,625 --> 00:05:48,125 at Anlauf Canyon Road above Steckel Park. 96 00:05:48,208 --> 00:05:50,250 911 OPERATOR: Is your structure threatened? 97 00:05:50,333 --> 00:05:52,333 CALLER 2: Yes, it is. 98 00:05:52,417 --> 00:05:54,875 MAN 2: The first engine that arrived 99 00:05:54,959 --> 00:05:56,333 was from Upper Ojai. 100 00:05:56,417 --> 00:05:57,834 The fire captain got in 101 00:05:57,917 --> 00:06:00,125 and he said, "Look, it's in Anlauf Canyon, 102 00:06:00,208 --> 00:06:02,542 but we can't access it yet." 103 00:06:02,625 --> 00:06:04,000 (INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER) 104 00:06:04,083 --> 00:06:06,417 TONY SALAS: It was a total envelopment 105 00:06:06,500 --> 00:06:08,458 of Anlauf Canyon in flames, 106 00:06:08,542 --> 00:06:10,083 50 acres of hell. 107 00:06:10,166 --> 00:06:12,125 Basically, we had about 30 engines ordered 108 00:06:12,208 --> 00:06:13,417 in the first 10 minutes. 109 00:06:13,500 --> 00:06:17,917 -(SIRENS WAILING) -(PHONE DIALS, RINGS) 110 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:19,625 CALLER 3: Has anyone reported a fire? 111 00:06:19,709 --> 00:06:21,500 911 OPERATOR: Yes, ma'am. It was Saint Thomas Aquinas College, 112 00:06:21,583 --> 00:06:22,709 that's-- that's where it started. 113 00:06:22,792 --> 00:06:24,208 CALLER 3: We're almost next to them. 114 00:06:24,291 --> 00:06:26,000 -What should we do? -911 OPERATOR: Yes, ma'am. 115 00:06:26,083 --> 00:06:27,792 You do what you feel is best. 116 00:06:27,875 --> 00:06:30,208 MAN 1: (OVER RADIO) For the Highway 150 corridors, 117 00:06:30,291 --> 00:06:32,625 we move into Santa Paula for immediate evacuation 118 00:06:32,709 --> 00:06:35,667 of approximately 500 residences. 119 00:06:35,750 --> 00:06:37,834 OFFICER 1: Sheriff's office! 120 00:06:37,917 --> 00:06:40,125 -Fire! -911 OPERATOR: Fire paramedics. 121 00:06:40,208 --> 00:06:42,667 CALLER 4: We're on Wheeler Canyon Road, 122 00:06:42,750 --> 00:06:44,625 and there's no fire engines here 123 00:06:44,709 --> 00:06:46,500 for structure protection or anything, 124 00:06:46,583 --> 00:06:50,125 and the fire is coming down the mountain right now. 125 00:06:50,208 --> 00:06:52,750 This area has to be evacuated right now. 126 00:06:52,834 --> 00:06:54,542 I'm not kidding around! 127 00:06:54,625 --> 00:06:56,458 MAN 1: (OVER RADIO) Winds on the ridgetop probably... 128 00:06:56,542 --> 00:06:58,709 -(RADIO STATIC) -...it's 40 to 50 miles an hour. 129 00:06:58,792 --> 00:07:00,542 Active long-range spotting. 130 00:07:00,625 --> 00:07:02,667 (PHONE DIALS, RINGS) 131 00:07:02,750 --> 00:07:04,750 CALLER 5: Where are the fire department? 132 00:07:04,834 --> 00:07:06,000 911 OPERATOR: They're all there, ma'am. 133 00:07:06,083 --> 00:07:07,583 -They're all there. -CALLER 5: No, they're not! 134 00:07:07,667 --> 00:07:11,041 We're surrounded by fire and we can't get out. 135 00:07:11,125 --> 00:07:13,834 -We have no help! -(PHONE DIALS, RINGS) 136 00:07:13,917 --> 00:07:15,709 CALLER 6: My mom's stuck in the fire down there, 137 00:07:15,792 --> 00:07:18,583 and she can't get out. She's with my brother. 138 00:07:18,667 --> 00:07:20,417 CALLER 7: The tree right above my house. 139 00:07:20,500 --> 00:07:22,917 And there's embers. Oh my God, it's starting to go. 140 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:25,959 CALLER 8: I'm at home alone, and I can see the flames 141 00:07:26,041 --> 00:07:27,834 -coming over the next canyon. -911 OPERATOR: Yes. 142 00:07:27,917 --> 00:07:31,291 CALLER 8: And I don't know what to do. I can hear the crackling. 143 00:07:32,500 --> 00:07:34,792 STEVE SWINDLE: There was just fire absolutely everywhere. 144 00:07:34,875 --> 00:07:36,583 It was getting so bad, I couldn't breathe, 145 00:07:36,667 --> 00:07:39,125 I couldn't see much more than an arm's length, 146 00:07:39,208 --> 00:07:40,625 and as we were driving out, uh, 147 00:07:40,709 --> 00:07:43,333 the fire was pinching off and we barely made it out. 148 00:07:43,417 --> 00:07:44,625 FIREMAN: Go! Let's go! 149 00:07:44,709 --> 00:07:48,041 STEVE: And it hopscotched from canyon to canyon to canyon 150 00:07:48,125 --> 00:07:51,458 and moved, in a matter of six hours, 151 00:07:51,542 --> 00:07:53,792 what it would probably take six days 152 00:07:53,875 --> 00:07:56,250 to accomplish on a normal day without the wind. 153 00:07:56,333 --> 00:07:58,542 OFFICER 2: (OVER LOUDSPEAKER) Residents north of Foothill, 154 00:07:58,625 --> 00:08:00,125 -evacuate your home. -(SIRENS WAILING) 155 00:08:00,208 --> 00:08:03,291 While all this was taking place, a new fire started. 156 00:08:03,375 --> 00:08:05,291 CALLER 9: A transformer just blew up, 157 00:08:05,375 --> 00:08:06,959 and, uh, it's going pretty good. 158 00:08:07,041 --> 00:08:08,291 CALLER 10: Very end of Koenigstein, 159 00:08:08,375 --> 00:08:10,792 there's, uh-- A transformer just blew, and-- 160 00:08:10,875 --> 00:08:13,417 and there's a major fire started up here. 161 00:08:13,500 --> 00:08:17,000 CHAD COOK: That new fire started in Upper Ojai. 162 00:08:17,083 --> 00:08:21,000 We were being hit on multiple fronts. 163 00:08:21,083 --> 00:08:24,792 As priorities came through for the Koenigstein Road area, 164 00:08:24,875 --> 00:08:27,208 the fire apparatus was quickly cut off 165 00:08:27,291 --> 00:08:29,583 from traveling the Highway 150 corridor. 166 00:08:30,625 --> 00:08:31,750 We had burning power poles, 167 00:08:31,834 --> 00:08:34,667 we had live electrical lines down across the highway. 168 00:08:34,750 --> 00:08:36,959 And that main thoroughfare that got companies 169 00:08:37,041 --> 00:08:39,750 up to Upper Ojai quick was immediately cut off. 170 00:08:43,458 --> 00:08:45,667 (INDISTINCT TV CHATTER) 171 00:08:45,750 --> 00:08:48,750 NOÉMIE: It was exactly 8:00 p.m. 172 00:08:48,834 --> 00:08:51,500 and I was very, very excited 173 00:08:51,583 --> 00:08:53,583 because for the first time, I was able 174 00:08:53,667 --> 00:08:56,250 to just put her in bed at the right moment. 175 00:08:57,750 --> 00:09:00,333 My excitement faded pretty fast 176 00:09:00,417 --> 00:09:02,333 because right after that, 177 00:09:02,417 --> 00:09:06,166 I started to hear sounds of helicopters. 178 00:09:06,250 --> 00:09:09,834 (HELICOPTER BLADES WHIRRING) 179 00:09:09,917 --> 00:09:11,917 CHAD: We put all of the aircraft 180 00:09:12,792 --> 00:09:14,667 up in the Koenigstein Road area, 181 00:09:14,750 --> 00:09:18,792 but the water that you drop is just being taken by the wind. 182 00:09:21,083 --> 00:09:23,166 The aircraft called Operations on the radio and say, 183 00:09:23,250 --> 00:09:25,250 "It's unsafe for us to be up in the air. 184 00:09:25,333 --> 00:09:26,500 We're shutting down." 185 00:09:28,125 --> 00:09:29,875 As it was rapidly escalating, 186 00:09:29,959 --> 00:09:31,542 the potential for loss of life 187 00:09:31,625 --> 00:09:34,250 was greater than anything that I had seen before. 188 00:09:35,125 --> 00:09:37,417 NOÉMIE: When I went outside the house, 189 00:09:37,500 --> 00:09:42,583 I saw this gigantic glow up in the mountain. 190 00:09:42,667 --> 00:09:47,000 And I decided to check on the Ojai Twitter, 191 00:09:47,083 --> 00:09:49,667 and I just read, "There is a fire... 192 00:09:50,333 --> 00:09:51,834 two miles from your house 193 00:09:51,917 --> 00:09:56,000 with 70-miles-per-hour gusts." 194 00:09:56,083 --> 00:10:00,667 I remember telling my husband, "We gotta go now." 195 00:10:02,041 --> 00:10:06,083 I woke up the baby, put her in her car seat, 196 00:10:06,166 --> 00:10:08,417 -put her in the car. -(MAÉ FUSSING) 197 00:10:08,500 --> 00:10:12,250 NOÉMIE: I run back inside the house and... 198 00:10:12,333 --> 00:10:13,750 (MAÉ CRYING) 199 00:10:13,834 --> 00:10:17,917 ...the baby starts screaming, (VOICE BREAKS) and I turn 200 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:22,917 and I could see this insane, scary glow... 201 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:25,083 that was coming right at us. 202 00:10:25,166 --> 00:10:27,291 (PLANE ENGINE ROARING) 203 00:10:27,375 --> 00:10:29,542 (MAÉ CRYING) 204 00:10:29,625 --> 00:10:31,917 We drove down to the nearest hotel 205 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:35,208 and spent the night watching the news. 206 00:10:35,291 --> 00:10:37,291 REPORTER 3: The Thomas Fire in Ventura County 207 00:10:37,375 --> 00:10:39,375 forced new evacuations overnight. 208 00:10:39,458 --> 00:10:41,500 It is the largest of the four fires, 209 00:10:41,583 --> 00:10:43,667 and it's only five percent contained. 210 00:10:43,750 --> 00:10:45,959 REPORTER 4: Now, winds are actually carrying the fire 211 00:10:46,041 --> 00:10:47,125 toward Ojai. 212 00:10:47,208 --> 00:10:49,291 We saw a wall of flames that had to have been 213 00:10:49,375 --> 00:10:51,250 300 feet or higher. 214 00:10:51,333 --> 00:10:53,875 REPORTER 5: We've been hearing the sparks and loud booms 215 00:10:53,959 --> 00:10:55,792 from transformers that have caught fire 216 00:10:55,875 --> 00:10:57,375 and they blasted off. 217 00:10:57,458 --> 00:11:00,875 ♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 218 00:11:00,959 --> 00:11:04,875 -(FIRE CRACKLING) -(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER) 219 00:11:05,542 --> 00:11:08,792 (ALARM BLARING) 220 00:11:12,542 --> 00:11:16,625 (RADIO CHATTER CONTINUES) 221 00:11:37,291 --> 00:11:39,792 MAN 1: (OVER RADIO) Uh, have 'em head toward the city of Ventura 222 00:11:39,875 --> 00:11:41,875 on Highway 126. It's at the Aquatic Center 223 00:11:41,959 --> 00:11:44,291 is what we're being told for the nighttime spot. 224 00:11:45,458 --> 00:11:48,750 (FIRE CRACKLING) 225 00:11:52,250 --> 00:11:54,375 ♪ (OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 226 00:11:54,458 --> 00:11:56,625 TREVOR QUIRK: I hear the screaming. 227 00:11:56,709 --> 00:11:58,667 "You need to evacuate! You need to evacuate! 228 00:11:58,750 --> 00:11:59,917 Search and rescue." 229 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:01,834 LEONA MOTE: He says, "Sweetheart, 230 00:12:01,917 --> 00:12:03,709 the fire is right there in Bill's yard. 231 00:12:03,792 --> 00:12:05,125 You have to get out of here." 232 00:12:05,208 --> 00:12:07,959 I see the fire in that canyon, 233 00:12:08,041 --> 00:12:10,166 and I don't wanna leave 234 00:12:10,250 --> 00:12:13,208 because I spended a lot of time to build my house. 235 00:12:13,291 --> 00:12:16,417 And then all of a sudden, the wall of flame came over. 236 00:12:16,500 --> 00:12:17,917 Then I looked to the left, 237 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:19,583 and the flames are coming up the valley. 238 00:12:19,667 --> 00:12:21,125 Then I looked behind me, 239 00:12:21,208 --> 00:12:22,834 and the fire was coming behind me, 240 00:12:22,917 --> 00:12:24,375 so virtually surrounded. 241 00:12:24,458 --> 00:12:27,291 When I got to the perimeter of my property, 242 00:12:27,375 --> 00:12:29,875 I could see that my neighbor's house... 243 00:12:29,959 --> 00:12:31,583 was completely on fire. 244 00:12:31,667 --> 00:12:34,125 BRAD MORNINGSTAR: I've seen a lot of fires in the Australian Outback 245 00:12:34,208 --> 00:12:37,417 and in surrounding suburbs and around the cities, 246 00:12:37,500 --> 00:12:40,667 but I'd never seen it move this fast. 247 00:12:43,333 --> 00:12:46,000 (WATER HISSING) 248 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:51,875 We're alive. And, uh... 249 00:12:56,583 --> 00:12:57,834 (SIGHS) 250 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:02,166 You go on. 251 00:13:07,500 --> 00:13:09,583 CHAD: Now we have five fire fronts. 252 00:13:09,667 --> 00:13:11,417 We're still dealing with Santa Paula, 253 00:13:11,500 --> 00:13:13,417 Fillmore, Upper Ojai, 254 00:13:13,500 --> 00:13:15,625 and now the topography drives this dry weather 255 00:13:15,709 --> 00:13:17,166 and the wind is even stronger, 256 00:13:17,250 --> 00:13:19,333 and now it starts moving around Ojai, 257 00:13:19,417 --> 00:13:23,917 and you're getting an idea now how this is a monster. 258 00:13:27,709 --> 00:13:30,500 NOÉMIE: We were in the hotel room in shock. 259 00:13:30,583 --> 00:13:31,792 And in the morning, 260 00:13:31,875 --> 00:13:33,417 when my husband went to get coffee, 261 00:13:33,500 --> 00:13:35,625 one of our neighbor in the lobby said 262 00:13:35,709 --> 00:13:38,375 that he personally witnessed our house 263 00:13:38,458 --> 00:13:40,208 being attacked by flames. 264 00:13:41,959 --> 00:13:44,792 As this news try to sink in, 265 00:13:44,875 --> 00:13:48,750 someone knocked crazy and just yelled, 266 00:13:48,834 --> 00:13:51,709 "Get out, get out, evacuation again." 267 00:13:52,625 --> 00:13:54,709 (NOÉMIE SOBBING) 268 00:13:54,792 --> 00:13:57,375 I mean, everything is on fire. 269 00:13:58,083 --> 00:14:00,750 I was extremely scared... 270 00:14:00,834 --> 00:14:03,667 because we were new to the area. 271 00:14:03,750 --> 00:14:07,667 I just didn't know what was the best escape plan. 272 00:14:07,750 --> 00:14:11,166 (SOBS) Oh, my God, are we driving right at it? 273 00:14:11,250 --> 00:14:14,333 MICHAEL: It's okay, this is turning away from it. 274 00:14:14,417 --> 00:14:15,834 NOÉMIE: No, I don't think so. 275 00:14:15,917 --> 00:14:18,041 MICHAEL: These people are just looking. 276 00:14:19,333 --> 00:14:21,583 NOÉMIE: (SOBS) Oh, my God. 277 00:14:22,500 --> 00:14:25,083 (BIRDS CHIRPING) 278 00:14:31,542 --> 00:14:33,625 MICHAEL: We escaped north through the mountains 279 00:14:33,709 --> 00:14:34,834 towards Santa Barbara. 280 00:14:34,917 --> 00:14:37,542 The fire got to our house so fast the night before 281 00:14:37,625 --> 00:14:39,709 that we didn't have time to pack anything. 282 00:14:39,792 --> 00:14:41,250 We just ran out, 283 00:14:41,333 --> 00:14:44,291 and, uh, we didn't know what was gonna happen next. 284 00:14:45,792 --> 00:14:47,208 REPORTER 6: Going into the weekend, 285 00:14:47,291 --> 00:14:50,500 red flag warnings are saturating much of the state. 286 00:14:50,583 --> 00:14:52,125 The Thomas Fire is larger 287 00:14:52,208 --> 00:14:55,125 than New York City and Boston combined. 288 00:14:56,375 --> 00:14:57,542 JULIE: As we're listening 289 00:14:57,625 --> 00:14:59,875 to how it's just raging towards us 290 00:14:59,959 --> 00:15:02,208 down on the west end of the Ojai Valley, 291 00:15:02,291 --> 00:15:04,000 we started thinking about the things 292 00:15:04,083 --> 00:15:06,500 that we needed to gather. 293 00:15:07,458 --> 00:15:08,875 We had seven cats, 294 00:15:08,959 --> 00:15:12,333 three dogs, two ratties, and two birds 295 00:15:12,417 --> 00:15:14,000 to travel with five of us. 296 00:15:14,083 --> 00:15:17,458 We took two vehicles, and we drove to Santa Barbara. 297 00:15:20,041 --> 00:15:21,625 REPORTER 6: As of Saturday afternoon, 298 00:15:21,709 --> 00:15:24,750 8,400 firefighters working on this fire. 299 00:15:24,834 --> 00:15:27,709 Already we've seen 1,000 structures destroyed, 300 00:15:27,792 --> 00:15:30,333 18,000 structures threatened. 301 00:15:31,667 --> 00:15:35,041 NOÉMIE: ♪ (SINGING IN FRENCH) ♪ 302 00:15:39,208 --> 00:15:42,875 -(MAÉ FUSSING) -♪ (NOÉMIE CONTINUES SINGING) ♪ 303 00:15:46,667 --> 00:15:49,291 (MAÉ WHIMPERING) 304 00:15:52,792 --> 00:15:54,917 NOÉMIE: On our wedding anniversary, 305 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:56,792 we decided to drive back. 306 00:15:56,875 --> 00:15:59,417 It was... apocalyptic. 307 00:15:59,500 --> 00:16:01,375 ♪ (SINGING FADES) ♪ 308 00:16:01,458 --> 00:16:04,583 When we finally turn into our street, 309 00:16:04,667 --> 00:16:07,000 um, I was shocked. 310 00:16:08,375 --> 00:16:12,667 All those houses, so many, they were just gone. 311 00:16:17,125 --> 00:16:19,792 When we finally arrived to our house, 312 00:16:19,875 --> 00:16:21,458 I couldn't believe it. 313 00:16:21,542 --> 00:16:24,834 After thinking that your house is gone, 314 00:16:24,917 --> 00:16:27,792 this feeling of knowing that it's still there 315 00:16:27,875 --> 00:16:31,500 is just amazing, but at the same time, 316 00:16:31,583 --> 00:16:35,917 I just felt so sorry for all my neighbors. 317 00:16:40,291 --> 00:16:43,750 (CHAINSAW WHIRRING) 318 00:16:45,041 --> 00:16:47,333 MICHAEL: We got really, really lucky. 319 00:16:47,417 --> 00:16:49,959 Because our house is the last house 320 00:16:50,041 --> 00:16:51,583 just before the national forest, 321 00:16:51,667 --> 00:16:53,750 the last fire hydrant on the street 322 00:16:53,834 --> 00:16:57,041 is actually right here, which made it an ideal place 323 00:16:57,125 --> 00:16:59,291 for the firefighters to battle the blaze. 324 00:16:59,375 --> 00:17:03,291 They were literally firing their hoses over the house 325 00:17:03,375 --> 00:17:06,458 as the fire (WHOOSHES) blew over here. 326 00:17:08,125 --> 00:17:11,709 NOÉMIE: Some of my neighbors just were not that lucky. 327 00:17:12,959 --> 00:17:15,583 TONY: The people of the Upper Ojai suffered greatly, 328 00:17:15,667 --> 00:17:18,583 due, in part, to the second start 329 00:17:18,667 --> 00:17:20,458 up in the Koenigstein area. 330 00:17:20,542 --> 00:17:21,750 It started right here. 331 00:17:21,834 --> 00:17:23,583 I remember coming up here, and we were already evacuate-- 332 00:17:23,667 --> 00:17:26,083 trying to evacuate, uh, some of these residents up here, 333 00:17:26,166 --> 00:17:27,917 and we looked at it, we go, "Wow. 334 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:29,041 We know where it's going." 335 00:17:29,125 --> 00:17:30,583 It's going right toward your house, basically, 336 00:17:30,667 --> 00:17:31,959 and everyone else's house down there. 337 00:17:32,041 --> 00:17:33,500 So the whole team is en route. 338 00:17:33,583 --> 00:17:35,208 MARK SCANTLIN: Mark Scantlin, we went to school together. 339 00:17:35,291 --> 00:17:36,792 JOHN MCNEIL: Oh, gosh, Mark, yes. How are you? 340 00:17:36,875 --> 00:17:38,125 MARK: (LAUGHS) I'm doing all right, John. 341 00:17:38,208 --> 00:17:39,709 -JOHN: Were you up here that night? -MARK: Yeah. 342 00:17:39,792 --> 00:17:42,041 -JOHN: How'd it go for you? -MARK: Oh, I lost everything. 343 00:17:42,125 --> 00:17:43,375 -Oh, man. -(SIGHS) 344 00:17:43,458 --> 00:17:44,875 -Everything. House-- -Yeah. 345 00:17:44,959 --> 00:17:47,917 House, garage, barns, cars. 346 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,542 -JOHN: Yeah. -MARK: Looked like a tornado after it went by. 347 00:17:50,625 --> 00:17:52,166 JOHN: I hope the future's bright. 348 00:17:52,250 --> 00:17:53,375 -MARK: We're moving. -JOHN: Are ya? 349 00:17:53,458 --> 00:17:55,250 -MARK: Yeah. Yeah. -JOHN: Out of the area, or what? 350 00:17:55,333 --> 00:17:56,625 MARK: Yeah, I'm done. 351 00:17:59,792 --> 00:18:01,208 (BIRDS CHIRPING) 352 00:18:01,291 --> 00:18:05,417 JOHN: The Thomas Fire currently is at 242,000 acres. 353 00:18:05,500 --> 00:18:07,000 It's been burning for 10 days. 354 00:18:07,083 --> 00:18:09,750 It ran through to the western edge 355 00:18:09,834 --> 00:18:11,500 of the City of Ventura in five hours. 356 00:18:11,583 --> 00:18:13,083 (INDISTINCT CHATTER) 357 00:18:13,166 --> 00:18:16,583 We evacuated in this area, I think the estimate's around 358 00:18:16,667 --> 00:18:19,250 60,000 people in that five-hour period. 359 00:18:19,333 --> 00:18:21,250 The first fire started in the creek bed. 360 00:18:21,333 --> 00:18:23,417 Within an hour of that, we get information 361 00:18:23,500 --> 00:18:26,125 that we have a second start on Koenigstein Road. 362 00:18:26,208 --> 00:18:28,208 You couldn't start a fire in a worse spot. 363 00:18:28,291 --> 00:18:31,417 We were watching it from up on the other side of the road. 364 00:18:31,500 --> 00:18:32,583 We saw it start, 365 00:18:32,667 --> 00:18:36,000 we saw you guys lined up, and we saw you guys leave, 366 00:18:36,083 --> 00:18:37,458 and then it came our way. 367 00:18:37,542 --> 00:18:39,750 -We couldn't get out fast enough. -RESIDENT 1: Hmm. 368 00:18:39,834 --> 00:18:41,917 Why weren't you fighting that fire when that-- 369 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:42,959 when it just started, 370 00:18:43,041 --> 00:18:44,417 when it was just local, right there? 371 00:18:44,500 --> 00:18:46,333 -We have-- Hold on. Wait. -RESIDENT 2: Another question. 372 00:18:46,417 --> 00:18:48,959 -Let-- let me finish. Hold on. -RESIDENT 2: You're charging an extra tax to us. 373 00:18:49,041 --> 00:18:51,959 -JOHN: So, hey, we have a-- -And you're requiring us to have hydrants, 374 00:18:52,041 --> 00:18:53,917 but you won't use them? I don't understand that. 375 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,583 RESIDENT 3: One hose would have reached my house 376 00:18:56,667 --> 00:18:59,125 and put it out and saved five more 377 00:18:59,208 --> 00:19:01,709 from burning down on Cesar. One hose. 378 00:19:01,792 --> 00:19:03,500 Not to downplay any of the losses, 379 00:19:03,583 --> 00:19:06,375 but to not have more life loss is pretty remarkable. 380 00:19:06,458 --> 00:19:08,959 And this is the third time I've been wearing this this year. 381 00:19:09,041 --> 00:19:10,417 RESIDENT 4: How many homes did you save? 382 00:19:10,500 --> 00:19:12,458 JOHN: More than we lost, I'll tell you that. 383 00:19:12,542 --> 00:19:15,333 The numbers that I'm getting on the property loss 384 00:19:15,417 --> 00:19:19,458 is somewhere around 100, uh, structures in this area. 385 00:19:19,542 --> 00:19:21,333 Per capita, that's the highest loss 386 00:19:21,417 --> 00:19:23,208 we've had on a fire. Um... 387 00:19:24,417 --> 00:19:27,083 That's-- that's a tough discussion to have. 388 00:19:27,166 --> 00:19:30,917 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 389 00:19:34,917 --> 00:19:38,834 I lost my home from the Thomas Fire. 390 00:19:38,917 --> 00:19:44,500 And, uh, it take me 13 years to build my beautiful house. 391 00:19:44,583 --> 00:19:46,291 And I-- my son told me, 392 00:19:46,375 --> 00:19:49,959 "Daddy, could you please save the house?" (SOBS) 393 00:19:51,750 --> 00:19:54,417 And I said, "Yes. I will save the house." 394 00:19:58,750 --> 00:20:01,041 LEONA: My daughter who lives in Santa Paula, 395 00:20:01,125 --> 00:20:05,291 she called me and she says, "Mom, our house is gone." 396 00:20:07,917 --> 00:20:09,291 And when I saw it... 397 00:20:11,125 --> 00:20:13,125 it was devastating. (SOBS) 398 00:20:14,875 --> 00:20:16,500 I still can't believe it. 399 00:20:17,750 --> 00:20:18,750 (SNIFFLES) 400 00:20:18,834 --> 00:20:21,250 E-- Even though I'm sitting here... 401 00:20:22,125 --> 00:20:23,500 with my back to it. 402 00:20:27,458 --> 00:20:28,583 (SNIFFLES) 403 00:20:29,125 --> 00:20:30,333 And my cats... 404 00:20:31,834 --> 00:20:33,083 didn't live. 405 00:20:36,750 --> 00:20:39,500 ♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 406 00:20:41,750 --> 00:20:43,208 TREVOR: We just spray-painted some signs 407 00:20:43,291 --> 00:20:45,792 on pieces of plywood that said, "Fire relief." 408 00:20:45,875 --> 00:20:48,000 And the supplies kept coming in. 409 00:20:49,208 --> 00:20:52,333 That's how the relief station was born. 410 00:20:54,417 --> 00:20:56,834 (INDISTINCT CHATTER) 411 00:20:56,917 --> 00:21:00,625 TREVOR: Leona Mote says, "I live right here on this road, 412 00:21:01,500 --> 00:21:04,041 and I've lived there for 54 years. 413 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,166 And my husband just died in October. 414 00:21:08,250 --> 00:21:10,750 And when the fire came, I was panicking, 415 00:21:10,834 --> 00:21:13,375 looking for my cats." 416 00:21:13,458 --> 00:21:16,125 And I say, "Hey, Leona, do you need any help?" 417 00:21:16,667 --> 00:21:17,750 She says, "Yeah. 418 00:21:17,834 --> 00:21:19,291 One of the things that was sitting on my dresser 419 00:21:19,375 --> 00:21:22,041 was my husband's size 13 wedding ring." 420 00:21:22,125 --> 00:21:25,667 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 421 00:21:26,667 --> 00:21:30,291 First thing we find, size 13 wedding ring. 422 00:21:30,375 --> 00:21:31,709 Swear to God. 423 00:21:32,625 --> 00:21:35,166 The first thing that the sifters found 424 00:21:35,250 --> 00:21:38,375 was this ring and another ring. (SNIFFLES) 425 00:21:38,458 --> 00:21:41,875 I love the way the neighborhood has rallied around. 426 00:21:44,041 --> 00:21:47,625 ♪ (SOMBER MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪ 427 00:21:47,709 --> 00:21:50,583 BRAD: It's called Star Point Ranch. 428 00:21:50,667 --> 00:21:53,250 We're grateful that, uh, we got this help 429 00:21:53,333 --> 00:21:54,750 to help clean up a bit of the mess. 430 00:21:54,834 --> 00:21:57,125 'Cause as you can see, it's quite devastating 431 00:21:57,208 --> 00:22:00,500 to lose a beautiful 1930s wooden home 432 00:22:00,583 --> 00:22:02,208 and all your belongings. 433 00:22:02,291 --> 00:22:04,417 And we saved bugger all, you know what I mean? 434 00:22:04,500 --> 00:22:06,458 So nothing, and virtually the clothes on our back, 435 00:22:06,542 --> 00:22:07,583 basically. 436 00:22:12,458 --> 00:22:14,208 PAMELA GRAU: After the fire, 437 00:22:14,291 --> 00:22:16,709 it looked like we had been through hell. 438 00:22:16,792 --> 00:22:18,917 We couldn't breathe, and we couldn't drink the water, 439 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:20,834 and we c-- we had to wear masks. 440 00:22:20,917 --> 00:22:22,125 And it was like, 441 00:22:22,208 --> 00:22:24,917 "Are we gonna be able to live here?" 442 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:26,709 NOÉMIE: The air quality was just so bad 443 00:22:26,792 --> 00:22:30,166 that we just couldn't risk to bring our baby back 444 00:22:30,250 --> 00:22:31,959 before it got better. 445 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:34,875 CHAD: The air quality and the conditions 446 00:22:34,959 --> 00:22:37,750 in Ojai Valley were untenable by most people. 447 00:22:37,834 --> 00:22:41,000 There's a lot more going on than the fire itself. 448 00:22:41,083 --> 00:22:44,750 (FOOTSTEPS) 449 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:48,083 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 450 00:22:51,834 --> 00:22:53,166 (BEAR GRUMBLES) 451 00:22:53,250 --> 00:22:55,208 HIKER: Oh, don't try to walk, buddy. 452 00:22:59,667 --> 00:23:01,041 JULIE: So, it just happens to be 453 00:23:01,125 --> 00:23:03,458 that this upper valley is a place 454 00:23:03,542 --> 00:23:08,417 where the people considered bear to be their spirit animal. 455 00:23:09,959 --> 00:23:14,750 That poor little bear that-- that survived the dehydration, 456 00:23:14,834 --> 00:23:18,166 it must have suffered the burning of its feet. 457 00:23:18,250 --> 00:23:20,083 Great resilience. 458 00:23:25,291 --> 00:23:28,542 The power and the spirit of these animals, 459 00:23:28,625 --> 00:23:30,041 even the smallest little ones, 460 00:23:30,125 --> 00:23:32,208 hummingbird, butterfly, 461 00:23:32,291 --> 00:23:38,709 they all have abilities that, as human beings, we want. 462 00:23:38,792 --> 00:23:40,792 HIKER: Oh, it's coming, it's coming. 463 00:23:43,250 --> 00:23:46,291 JULIE: And so to see it suffer that way, 464 00:23:47,583 --> 00:23:49,917 I could just feel his grief 465 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:51,625 and total sorrow. 466 00:23:54,333 --> 00:23:56,250 HIKER: Oh, he's thirsty as hell. 467 00:23:56,333 --> 00:23:57,667 JULIE: And then to think about 468 00:23:57,750 --> 00:23:59,792 how many other animals perished... 469 00:23:59,875 --> 00:24:01,709 HIKER: Here, pal. Little bit more. 470 00:24:01,792 --> 00:24:03,333 One second, one second. 471 00:24:06,166 --> 00:24:07,834 (WATER POURING) 472 00:24:09,959 --> 00:24:12,500 (LAPPING) 473 00:24:14,625 --> 00:24:17,792 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 474 00:24:25,166 --> 00:24:26,500 (INDISTINCT CHATTER) 475 00:24:29,542 --> 00:24:33,250 RANGER: Let's do 1.5 of Telazol and 1.5 of water. 476 00:24:33,333 --> 00:24:35,208 You can't overdose a bear on Telazol, 477 00:24:35,291 --> 00:24:36,667 so that's the good thing. 478 00:24:37,625 --> 00:24:39,291 ASSISTANT 1: Just don't hit its lung. 479 00:24:39,375 --> 00:24:41,208 RANGER: No, I got a front right shoulder. 480 00:24:41,291 --> 00:24:42,917 -You guys ready? -ASSISTANT 1: Yeah. 481 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:49,041 (GUNSHOT) 482 00:24:52,333 --> 00:24:54,458 -RANGER: Clean hit. -ASSISTANT 1: Good shot. 483 00:24:54,542 --> 00:24:56,458 RANGER: So, it was just like the last bear. 484 00:24:56,542 --> 00:24:58,083 The animal had to be immobilized 485 00:24:58,166 --> 00:24:59,750 so it could be assessed for further injuries 486 00:24:59,834 --> 00:25:01,041 to see if, you know, 487 00:25:01,125 --> 00:25:03,834 rehabilitation is something that we can do. 488 00:25:03,917 --> 00:25:05,125 What's the weight estimate now? 489 00:25:05,208 --> 00:25:07,166 -ASSISTANT 2: Now, about 30. -Yeah. 490 00:25:07,250 --> 00:25:09,333 -ASSISTANT 1: It's a he. -It's a he, yeah. 491 00:25:09,417 --> 00:25:11,417 -ASSISTANT 1: Okay. -HIKER: All right. 492 00:25:11,500 --> 00:25:14,333 MICHAEL: Can you tell me sort of about the scale of this event 493 00:25:14,417 --> 00:25:16,500 in terms of its effect on the wildlife? 494 00:25:16,583 --> 00:25:17,834 It's gonna be significant, 495 00:25:17,917 --> 00:25:19,458 especially of a fire of this magnitude, 496 00:25:19,542 --> 00:25:22,417 you know, raging through the Los Padres National Forest 497 00:25:22,500 --> 00:25:24,500 as well as up into the urban community. 498 00:25:24,583 --> 00:25:26,083 And anytime you have wildlife, 499 00:25:26,166 --> 00:25:28,208 just like people living at homes where they're affected, 500 00:25:28,291 --> 00:25:30,625 you're gonna have wildlife that's impacted. 501 00:25:33,583 --> 00:25:35,166 JULIE: It was a really devastating time 502 00:25:35,250 --> 00:25:37,625 for the natural world out here. 503 00:25:37,709 --> 00:25:40,667 But it isn't our first time that we've experienced fire 504 00:25:40,750 --> 00:25:42,458 growing up here in Ojai. 505 00:25:43,709 --> 00:25:46,625 ♪ (QUIET BANJO MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 506 00:25:50,875 --> 00:25:53,208 NARRATOR: Evacuation is now taking place. 507 00:25:53,291 --> 00:25:55,458 Three quarters of the town has been wiped out, 508 00:25:55,542 --> 00:25:56,792 Blackened waste. 509 00:25:58,125 --> 00:26:00,625 Entire communities to be evacuated. 510 00:26:04,458 --> 00:26:08,125 The president today proclaimed the fires a national disaster. 511 00:26:10,917 --> 00:26:12,875 RICK HALSEY: We can't keep doing what we've been doing. 512 00:26:12,959 --> 00:26:15,875 And what we've been doing is not considering, 513 00:26:15,959 --> 00:26:17,917 "Well, this is a fire corridor. 514 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,208 We know that. We have to rethink things." 515 00:26:21,291 --> 00:26:23,083 You see something on that side over there? 516 00:26:23,166 --> 00:26:24,083 FIREMAN: Yeah. 517 00:26:24,166 --> 00:26:25,875 That means people may not be able to build 518 00:26:25,959 --> 00:26:29,208 in places they wanted to build, and if they do build, 519 00:26:29,291 --> 00:26:30,542 they need to recognize 520 00:26:30,625 --> 00:26:33,959 the fire department's not gonna be able to protect them. 521 00:26:34,041 --> 00:26:37,083 And the fire agencies in these firestorms 522 00:26:37,166 --> 00:26:40,125 are basically at wits' end, and all they can do 523 00:26:40,208 --> 00:26:42,834 is try to keep people safe and get them out of the way. 524 00:26:42,917 --> 00:26:45,542 FIREMAN: Okay, sir. Keep your arms in for me. 525 00:26:45,625 --> 00:26:50,000 Sadly, through lack of understanding of nature 526 00:26:50,083 --> 00:26:52,750 and understanding this fire ecology, 527 00:26:52,834 --> 00:26:55,583 we have allowed houses to be built 528 00:26:55,667 --> 00:26:59,583 further and further into the urban wildland interface 529 00:26:59,667 --> 00:27:02,083 right on the edge between the chaparral 530 00:27:02,166 --> 00:27:03,917 -and the urban areas. -(GOATS BLEATING) 531 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,291 LANNY KAUFER: The areas that are very difficult to defend. 532 00:27:07,375 --> 00:27:09,291 (INDISTINCT CHATTER) 533 00:27:09,375 --> 00:27:12,083 (SNAKE RATTLING) 534 00:27:12,166 --> 00:27:14,375 JONATHAN "YONNI" SCHWARTZ: Well, the fire comes and goes, 535 00:27:14,458 --> 00:27:17,250 but for the vegetation to reestablish itself, 536 00:27:17,333 --> 00:27:19,000 it takes a few years. 537 00:27:20,333 --> 00:27:24,709 Now, concern was how this burned landscape 538 00:27:24,792 --> 00:27:28,458 is going to respond to rainstorms. 539 00:27:28,542 --> 00:27:30,208 (THUNDER RUMBLING) 540 00:27:31,125 --> 00:27:33,834 ♪ (OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 541 00:27:38,875 --> 00:27:40,417 MICHAEL: Equally as scary to the fire 542 00:27:40,500 --> 00:27:44,208 is the risk of a mudslide or some sort of debris flow. 543 00:27:46,709 --> 00:27:48,250 During the 1969 flood, 544 00:27:48,333 --> 00:27:50,667 there was actually a family living right here 545 00:27:50,750 --> 00:27:52,041 that got washed out 546 00:27:52,125 --> 00:27:55,125 by the amount of water that comes off this hillside. 547 00:27:57,709 --> 00:28:00,667 We were able to move back in about a month after the fire, 548 00:28:00,750 --> 00:28:03,458 just in time for the biggest rainstorm in years. 549 00:28:04,542 --> 00:28:06,625 I started digging some trenches out back 550 00:28:06,709 --> 00:28:08,291 to protect our house. 551 00:28:08,375 --> 00:28:11,083 REPORTER 7: A cold front and a squall line with lightning 552 00:28:11,166 --> 00:28:13,959 is developing and moving into the Los Angeles area. 553 00:28:14,041 --> 00:28:16,834 The National Weather Service has warned that flash flooding, 554 00:28:16,917 --> 00:28:19,333 debris flow, and mudslides are possible 555 00:28:19,417 --> 00:28:21,417 in the communities already devastated 556 00:28:21,500 --> 00:28:23,917 by the Thomas and La Tuna Fires. 557 00:28:25,792 --> 00:28:27,750 (THUNDER RUMBLING) 558 00:28:29,959 --> 00:28:32,875 REPORTER 8: Mandatory evacuation orders are in place here. 559 00:28:32,959 --> 00:28:36,375 Thirty thousand people are in these evacuation zones. 560 00:28:36,458 --> 00:28:40,250 YONNI: Many of these slopes right above Ojai 561 00:28:40,333 --> 00:28:43,959 have very high probabilities 562 00:28:44,041 --> 00:28:46,417 of producing debris flows. 563 00:28:48,875 --> 00:28:52,625 People have these big boulders in their backyards, 564 00:28:52,709 --> 00:28:53,834 really like them. 565 00:28:53,917 --> 00:28:56,667 It was great landscaping, but none of them thought, 566 00:28:56,750 --> 00:28:59,291 "Well, how did these boulders come here?" 567 00:29:00,458 --> 00:29:02,917 MICHAEL: For the second time in about a month, 568 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:05,166 search and rescue was on our street, 569 00:29:05,250 --> 00:29:06,792 evacuating residents. 570 00:29:09,125 --> 00:29:10,542 YONNI: It happened in the past. 571 00:29:10,625 --> 00:29:12,750 It will happen again in the future. 572 00:29:12,834 --> 00:29:14,875 That's a basic law of geology. 573 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,250 REPORTER 9: Developing tonight, the search is on 574 00:29:18,333 --> 00:29:22,583 for mudslide survivors in Southern California. 575 00:29:22,667 --> 00:29:26,250 Rescuers are trying to reach 13 people reported missing, 576 00:29:26,333 --> 00:29:28,250 17 have already died. 577 00:29:28,333 --> 00:29:30,542 Authorities say at least 100 homes are destroyed, 578 00:29:30,625 --> 00:29:33,208 -washed away by the wall of mud. -REPORTER 10: The staging area 579 00:29:33,291 --> 00:29:34,667 for the urban search and rescue efforts 580 00:29:34,750 --> 00:29:36,333 -had been set up... -REPORTER 11: Live in Montecito 581 00:29:36,417 --> 00:29:40,083 where the streets are absolutely littered with cars and debris. 582 00:29:40,166 --> 00:29:43,834 I heard the rumble of the rocks and I looked over at the river, 583 00:29:43,917 --> 00:29:46,500 and the trees are just coming down. (IMITATES FALLING TREES) 584 00:29:50,625 --> 00:29:55,625 We were able to crawl out our window to the roof. 585 00:29:55,709 --> 00:29:58,709 House is wiped out. Just took everything out. 586 00:29:58,792 --> 00:30:01,667 And then later, we were worried about our neighbor's house 587 00:30:01,750 --> 00:30:04,625 and we went over to see if, uh, they were okay, 588 00:30:04,709 --> 00:30:07,000 and we heard a little baby crying 589 00:30:07,083 --> 00:30:10,125 and, uh, dug down, found a little baby. 590 00:30:10,208 --> 00:30:12,083 I don't know where it came from. 591 00:30:12,166 --> 00:30:16,333 But, uh, we got it out, got the mud out of its mouth. 592 00:30:18,208 --> 00:30:19,417 I hope that it's okay. 593 00:30:19,500 --> 00:30:20,625 They took it right to the hospital. 594 00:30:20,709 --> 00:30:23,834 But it was just a baby four feet down in the mud, 595 00:30:23,917 --> 00:30:26,458 in nowhere, just under the rocks. 596 00:30:26,542 --> 00:30:27,959 I'm glad we got it. 597 00:30:28,041 --> 00:30:30,333 But who knows what else is out there. 598 00:30:36,750 --> 00:30:39,166 ALEXANDER "TREY" ROBERTSON IV: Okay, folks. We'll go ahead and get started. 599 00:30:39,250 --> 00:30:40,583 Thank you for coming. 600 00:30:40,667 --> 00:30:43,083 Collectively, our group represents 601 00:30:43,166 --> 00:30:46,166 about 455 clients 602 00:30:46,250 --> 00:30:49,250 whose homes were either completely destroyed or damaged 603 00:30:49,333 --> 00:30:52,750 in the fire or the resulting debris flow. 604 00:30:52,834 --> 00:30:55,875 Cal Fire investigators are looking at burn patterns, 605 00:30:55,959 --> 00:30:57,125 how it spread, 606 00:30:57,208 --> 00:30:59,083 and they specifically are looking 607 00:30:59,166 --> 00:31:03,375 at Southern California Edison's power lines and poles. 608 00:31:03,458 --> 00:31:05,166 DIANA LUBOFF: I was sitting in our family room 609 00:31:05,250 --> 00:31:07,667 that has the beautiful view up to the Topas, 610 00:31:07,750 --> 00:31:09,917 and I said, "Oh, my gosh! 611 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:13,125 I see two flashes, two fires just started." 612 00:31:13,208 --> 00:31:15,583 And it was the transformers that had exploded 613 00:31:15,667 --> 00:31:16,834 on Koenigstein. 614 00:31:16,917 --> 00:31:19,041 As soon as the transformers exploded, 615 00:31:19,125 --> 00:31:20,458 our power went out. 616 00:31:21,542 --> 00:31:23,250 It was about a 50-foot wall of flame 617 00:31:23,333 --> 00:31:25,291 that actually came up and hit the house. 618 00:31:25,917 --> 00:31:27,458 It looked like a war zone. 619 00:31:28,959 --> 00:31:31,417 TREY: It's amazing to me in that, 620 00:31:31,500 --> 00:31:34,375 in this age of technology, 621 00:31:34,458 --> 00:31:39,625 we're still relying upon World War II infrastructure 622 00:31:39,709 --> 00:31:41,834 to transmit electricity. 623 00:31:41,917 --> 00:31:43,750 It's-- it's just crazy. 624 00:31:47,041 --> 00:31:49,625 Overall, all the fires in 2017, 625 00:31:49,709 --> 00:31:53,458 you're talking almost 10,000 structures lost. 626 00:31:53,542 --> 00:31:55,291 If you count the Montecito mudslide, 627 00:31:55,375 --> 00:31:58,667 you're talking 60 plus fatalities. 628 00:32:00,333 --> 00:32:04,834 I was hoping that event would create a wake-up call 629 00:32:04,917 --> 00:32:07,500 and force us to ask the hard questions. 630 00:32:07,583 --> 00:32:10,250 Should the utilities do something to create 631 00:32:10,333 --> 00:32:13,333 a more resilient system? Absolutely. 632 00:32:14,333 --> 00:32:16,000 But we have to look at the big picture, 633 00:32:16,083 --> 00:32:18,750 because what we're really doing is putting Band-Aids everywhere. 634 00:32:18,834 --> 00:32:21,041 We're not looking at the disease. 635 00:32:22,125 --> 00:32:24,000 The last drought we had recently (SIGHS) 636 00:32:24,083 --> 00:32:27,166 was the worst drought we've had in a thousand years. 637 00:32:29,083 --> 00:32:30,417 There's probably gonna be towns 638 00:32:30,500 --> 00:32:32,083 in the western side of the Sierras 639 00:32:32,166 --> 00:32:35,000 that are just gonna become drought ghost towns. 640 00:32:36,375 --> 00:32:39,667 TREVOR: I knew my neighbors were not doing great. 641 00:32:39,750 --> 00:32:43,709 I knew my neighbors were uninsured or underinsured, 642 00:32:43,792 --> 00:32:45,959 living in tents. 643 00:32:46,041 --> 00:32:48,583 But there are certain times where I'm like, 644 00:32:48,667 --> 00:32:51,250 I don't wanna be waking up at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, 645 00:32:51,333 --> 00:32:53,625 looking out the windows when there's 70-mile-an-hour winds, 646 00:32:53,709 --> 00:32:55,417 thinking my house is gonna burn down. 647 00:32:55,500 --> 00:32:57,458 That's not normal. 648 00:32:57,542 --> 00:32:59,375 It's sad because I always thought 649 00:32:59,458 --> 00:33:01,000 I'm gonna live here forever. 650 00:33:03,250 --> 00:33:06,125 LEONA: I raised my kids here on this property. 651 00:33:06,208 --> 00:33:09,667 And this is my new home. 652 00:33:09,750 --> 00:33:13,000 I got myself two four-month-old kittens. 653 00:33:13,083 --> 00:33:15,583 And they are filling my house with love. 654 00:33:15,667 --> 00:33:18,709 This is my sanctuary. 655 00:33:18,792 --> 00:33:21,750 -♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ -(MOUNTAIN LION SCREECHING) 656 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:25,458 NOÉMIE: You hear a lot of people that say 657 00:33:25,542 --> 00:33:27,458 that we shouldn't be living here, 658 00:33:27,542 --> 00:33:29,542 but I'm looking all around the news 659 00:33:29,625 --> 00:33:33,375 and seeing all of those big natural catastrophes 660 00:33:33,458 --> 00:33:35,583 happening everywhere, and I'm just wondering, 661 00:33:35,667 --> 00:33:37,208 "Where am I safe to be living in?" 662 00:33:37,291 --> 00:33:39,750 NEWS ANCHOR: Tonight, rivers are rising to record levels, 663 00:33:39,834 --> 00:33:43,208 threatening homes and businesses in Arkansas, Oklahoma, 664 00:33:43,291 --> 00:33:44,750 Kansas, and Missouri. 665 00:33:44,834 --> 00:33:47,166 REPORTER 12: Hurricane Michael closing in on the Florida Panhandle. 666 00:33:47,250 --> 00:33:49,375 It could be the strongest storm ever to hit that area. 667 00:33:49,458 --> 00:33:51,125 REPORTER 13: The Mendocino Complex Fire 668 00:33:51,208 --> 00:33:53,625 is now the largest wildfire in state history. 669 00:33:53,709 --> 00:33:55,750 REPORTER 14: Sixty-six million Americans 670 00:33:55,834 --> 00:33:57,333 are bracing for impact. 671 00:33:57,417 --> 00:33:59,709 REPORTER 15: In the past week, at least 15 people 672 00:33:59,792 --> 00:34:01,500 have been killed by tornadoes and flooding. 673 00:34:01,583 --> 00:34:04,041 REPORTER 16: There are more severe storms in the forecast 674 00:34:04,125 --> 00:34:05,667 for later on this week. 675 00:34:05,750 --> 00:34:07,917 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 676 00:34:11,750 --> 00:34:14,792 (FOOTSTEPS) 677 00:34:16,041 --> 00:34:17,750 MICHAEL: All burned in here. 678 00:34:17,834 --> 00:34:19,458 This high up. 679 00:34:19,542 --> 00:34:23,625 -♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ -(BIRDS CHIRPING) 680 00:34:23,709 --> 00:34:24,875 JULIE: When we look back 681 00:34:24,959 --> 00:34:27,709 at how the Native people survived here, 682 00:34:27,792 --> 00:34:31,667 their connection and their conversation with nature 683 00:34:31,750 --> 00:34:33,166 was supreme. 684 00:34:34,625 --> 00:34:37,834 We can learn a lot from the natural world. 685 00:34:41,959 --> 00:34:44,208 LANNY: Plants have tremendous intelligence, 686 00:34:44,291 --> 00:34:47,500 the way they've adapted to this fire climate. 687 00:34:47,583 --> 00:34:50,166 We can see corollaries for our lives. 688 00:34:51,792 --> 00:34:54,583 And I know there's a mystique about Ojai, 689 00:34:54,667 --> 00:34:57,542 uh, being a "spiritual center" and stuff like that. 690 00:34:57,625 --> 00:35:00,375 And, uh, I think that's-- I think it's in the mountains. 691 00:35:00,458 --> 00:35:03,250 I think if you get up to some of these amazing, 692 00:35:03,333 --> 00:35:05,375 beautiful places up there, 693 00:35:05,458 --> 00:35:08,792 you can have a spiritual experience in nature. 694 00:35:11,250 --> 00:35:12,667 MICHAEL: Oh, my God. 695 00:35:19,583 --> 00:35:21,000 Made it to the top. 696 00:35:22,041 --> 00:35:23,959 Really, really spectacular. 697 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:30,208 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 698 00:35:43,542 --> 00:35:46,709 (INDISTINCT CHATTER) 699 00:35:56,709 --> 00:35:58,458 NOÉMIE: You know, I'm still traumatized. 700 00:35:58,542 --> 00:36:00,709 You don't want nobody to just feel 701 00:36:00,792 --> 00:36:02,333 what we felt that night. 702 00:36:03,750 --> 00:36:06,458 Every time I hear the helicopters, 703 00:36:06,542 --> 00:36:09,208 every time the wind picks up, 704 00:36:09,291 --> 00:36:12,542 I have this scared feeling inside me. 705 00:36:12,625 --> 00:36:14,667 If we wanna continue living here, 706 00:36:14,750 --> 00:36:16,834 that's what we will have to deal 707 00:36:16,917 --> 00:36:19,041 for the rest of our time here. 708 00:36:19,125 --> 00:36:21,583 And I don't know if I'm just ready for that. 709 00:36:22,917 --> 00:36:26,333 REPORTER 17: Offshore winds begin, really, by tomorrow. 710 00:36:26,417 --> 00:36:29,458 Extreme fire danger for Southern California. 711 00:36:29,542 --> 00:36:30,583 (INDISTINCT SHOUTING) 712 00:36:30,667 --> 00:36:32,542 LUIS TIGRE VILLANUEVA: After the Thomas Fire, 713 00:36:32,625 --> 00:36:34,250 after Casitas Fire, 714 00:36:34,333 --> 00:36:38,792 another fire was right here where I live right now. 715 00:36:39,875 --> 00:36:42,250 LUIS: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH) 716 00:36:42,333 --> 00:36:44,417 My daughter see me sometimes, 717 00:36:44,500 --> 00:36:47,792 that I went out of the house and look in the stars, 718 00:36:47,875 --> 00:36:49,041 and I say, 719 00:36:51,166 --> 00:36:52,792 "What's going on?" You know? 720 00:36:54,458 --> 00:36:58,291 REPORTER 18: A 150-acre brush fire broke out here 721 00:36:58,375 --> 00:37:01,083 at approximately 6:15 this afternoon. 722 00:37:01,166 --> 00:37:03,583 My phone starts going crazy and I look up, 723 00:37:03,667 --> 00:37:04,875 and what do you know? 724 00:37:04,959 --> 00:37:08,500 There's another fire. And that's one ridge away. 725 00:37:08,583 --> 00:37:10,959 Monsters come in different forms. 726 00:37:13,250 --> 00:37:17,125 MICHAEL: Halloween Night, 2019, 727 00:37:17,208 --> 00:37:19,709 there's a fire in Santa Paula. 728 00:37:19,792 --> 00:37:23,000 We can see it here from Sulphur Mountain Ridge. 729 00:37:23,083 --> 00:37:25,750 (SIGHS) And it begins again. 730 00:37:26,917 --> 00:37:29,917 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 731 00:38:34,792 --> 00:38:36,834 (INDISTINCT CHATTER) 732 00:38:42,166 --> 00:38:44,709 (INDISTINCT CHATTER) 733 00:38:47,375 --> 00:38:49,041 (ALL CHUCKLING) 734 00:38:49,875 --> 00:38:53,250 (OVERLAPPING CHATTER) 735 00:38:53,333 --> 00:38:54,709 MICHAEL: Okay. That's it. 736 00:38:57,625 --> 00:38:59,917 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪ 737 00:40:02,834 --> 00:40:05,458 (BIRDS CHIRPING) 738 00:40:05,542 --> 00:40:07,625 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC FADES) ♪ 739 00:40:07,709 --> 00:40:09,083 (EXCLAIMS) 740 00:40:11,458 --> 00:40:12,959 (BABBLES) 741 00:40:17,458 --> 00:40:20,375 (TYPEWRITER KEYS CLACKING) 742 00:40:20,875 --> 00:40:22,166 (DINGS)