California wildfires: Survivors restore faith in human resilience

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As northern California fights a spate of wildfires that has taken 21 lives so far and forced more than 20,000 to flee their homes, CGTN America's San Francisco correspondent Mark Niu shares his own trepidation as he speaks with the survivors amid the ongoing mayhem.

As I write this from my hotel room in Sonoma in northern California, I hear sirens. Emergency vehicles race through the streets. It stops for a few minutes. Then starts again. It will not be easy to sleep.

My hotel is situated on a tenuous border. If I cross Napa Street that’s where the voluntary evacuation order has already set in. I’m literally a few yards away from being recommended the same. Winds are also picking up tonight meaning the situation could change for the worse in an instant.

I sleep with the blinds open, so that any flashes or signs of danger is enough to wake me up.

I just finished reading the story about the mixed martial arts fighter Henry Cejudo, who was staying at a hotel in the northern California city of Santa Rosa. He heard alarms at 2:00 am, but thought it probably wasn’t a big deal. He went back to sleep, only to be woken up again at 4:00 am. This time, his hotel was on fire. His only choice was to jump out the window. He survived with mere burns on his foot, though his Olympic medal was left behind.

However, his story is not unusual.

This week I spoke to several people who told me they saw the flames and had to make a run for their lives. But their situation was perhaps even more difficult.

They had to make split-second decisions to grab whatever was most important to them and leave.

Chance to create new memories

Regina Jackson lost her home but didn’t lose hope. /CGTN Photo

In Santa Rosa, I spoke to Regina Jackson, a middle-aged woman whose home was simply obliterated. She taught art and ballet to children at that house. Lived in it for three decades. She lost nearly everything in it, merely managing to grab some photo albums, extra clothes and legal papers.

But when I interviewed her, she actually smiled. A lot. I thought that was strange until she told me that she was grateful all her family survived while reminding me that you can’t take material belongings with you when you die. And she went on to point out that although it was hard to start over, she was one of the lucky ones who still had the chance to create new memories.

Longing for home

Evacuee Matthew Basilli is eager to return home. /CGTN Photo

In another part of Santa Rosa, I met with the Basilli family who had been evacuated from their home. They were frustrated because they couldn’t get in to see if everything was okay at their home as for safety reasons, their area was still cordoned off. Though everything looked okay from the outside, they were worried by reports of looting.

But secretly, the eldest son in the family sneaked in from the back anyway and reported that all was good. Six-year-old Matthew Basilli wore a mask over his face to protect himself from the bad air and told me in a quivering and touching voice, ”I’m feeling better to see my house.” I could see it in his eyes how much he missed his home.

Reduced to rubble

The damage at Signorello Estate. /CGTN Photo

Today, I also got a close look at Napa Valley, home to more than 200 wineries. It’s an opulent area filled with beautiful homes and landscapes. As I walked along parts of it, I couldn’t help but think how much they resembled a desert wasteland with similarities to the setting in the movie Mad Max.

Mansions and estates were reduced to rubble. What was left was very hard to imagine what it once was. I did find shredded putting greens and golf carts reduced to charred and mangled metal.

A number of wineries also reported severe damage like the Signorello Estate. I caught up with owner Raymond Signorello as he visited his winery for the first time since the fire. He was on a trip with his daughters when the fire broke out, but his wife was there at the time. She first spotted the flames coming from the hills. She escaped unharmed. Although workers tried to hose down the area, Signorello’s office and hospitality center was decimated.

A general view of homes destroyed by California wildfires in Napa County. /CGTN Photo

While staring at the burnt out remains, Signorello emphasized how important it was that everyone was safe and that the buildings could be replaced. What’s harder to replace is the vines. The grapes not only produce their livelihood, but also embody the blood, sweat and tears of so many contributors over so many years. Some of the vines are 25 to 30 years in the making.

Raymond was happy to report that the vines appeared to survive in full. But as Napa Valley is famous for its soil and environment, many are left wondering how the smoky conditions will affect the flavor of the grapes in the future.

Burnt vehicles are seen at a site that was destroyed by California wildfires in Napa County. /CGTN Photo

As I share stories of resilience in the face of destruction, I realize that so many residents are still not in the clear. New evacuations are continuing even though 20,000 people have already evacuated. Hundreds remain missing, though the hope is that many of them simply have been out of touch, especially with power and mobile coverage down.

Meanwhile, the winds are picking up at this moment, creating conditions that could help the fires spread even more.

Only a very small percentage of the fires are currently contained – in Napa, only about three percent. That’s worrisome. And there go the sirens again.

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