I live in Thousand Oaks, California and we’ve been hit by multiple tragedies in recent weeks. First, on November 7th, I awoke at midnight to the sounds of sirens and helicopters overhead. It was the tragic shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill that claimed 12 innocent lives. This occurred just one mile from my home.
Then, as our community was clearing the carnage and dealing with the grief and pain, two fires started along with strong winds; the “Hill Fire” and the “Woolsey Fire” (named for where they originated.) At midnight, we got the message of a mandatory evacuation. So I jumped from bed, grabbed our “Go Bag” and we drove our already-packed cars through the flames along Santa Rosa Valley to the safety of our son’s home in nearby Oxnard.
For days on end, we and almost all our local friends sat by our televisions to hear the latest evacuation orders