Fire and Dolls

I live in California, and I've been obsessing a bit about the horrific and tragic wildfires that have struck the Southern part of the state in the last week.

I've had to evacuate my home due to wildfires twice in my life--the first time, while living in the hills of Sherman Oaks, California nearly 12 years ago. I was several months pregnant, and I only had time to grab pets, photos and a jewelry box--no dolls-- as I had to evacuate quickly with hot ash raining down on my house. I couldn't grab any of my dolls, which were on the floor below the top floor, my entry floor in the hill home. The fire was just 2 rows of houses behind mine.

The second time was just last Fall, in Northern California where I now live. I was home sick with my family off on a field trip, when I shuffled into the kitchen to get some tea. I was greeted by the sight of a gigantic, nuclear-looking fireball in a field across from my house in about 35 mile-per-hour winds. I called 911, reported the fire, and didn't wait for police//firemen to come and tell me to get out, since I live in a dry chapparal//oak tree area at the base of foothills. I threw my pets (cats and dog) in the car, grabbed the photos and the same jewelry box I'd grabbed 12 years ago, and then went to my doll collection (all the while keeping an eye on the fire) where I had time to get a trunk full of my favorite dolls (my childhood dolls and French Fashion antiques). I then got to go up on a ridge with the rest of my neighbors (also all packed up) and waited to either flee or return. Thanks to a valiant effort by fire fighters, only some outbuildings were lost, and my property was safe.

I started thinking about all this especially deeply when on two newscasts last night, when asked what people took as they left their homes, twice, people mentioned dolls. And then, today, when a man whose house burned was reminiscing about the 40,000 card baseball card collection that he had lost, collected from his childhood.

Of course, things like baseball cards and dolls pale in comparison to any lives lost or injuries sustained by people. But, its interesting that after people, pets, and memories, the next thing that many people would grab (myself included!) while evacuating in the face of fire are irreplacable collectibles, including dolls.