By Michael and Sandy
Sandy writes: As you may know, we’re experiencing tragic losses of homes and animals in fires that are raging our neighbor, Lake County.
It’s been going on since Saturday afternoon, and spreading fast. One thousand homes have been lost, in addition to many businesses.
I’ve been spending a lot of time on FB, posting lost and found animals, and donation efforts by various cities. I came across this post about a cat who survived a previous wildfire. We’ve had 5 in the past 2 months.
Mike: The California fires are all over world news. California is drier than at any point in the past 500 years. Drought conditions make for tinder dry brush which becomes a quick-burning fuel. Tens of thousands of residents have been forced to leave their homes. In recent days 270,000 acres have been burned up and 6,000 wildfires have laid waste to vast areas of beautiful California. Governor Jeff Brown has declared multiple states of emergency to free up resources to fight the fires.
Now for two bits of good news. Winter El Niño is meant to be arriving to cause rain over parts of California. There was some much needed rain yesterday: Los Angeles had rain – 1.75 inches by 7:30 am! Secondly, I can report the heart warming reunion of a beloved cat, Ruthie Rosemary, with her owners: Debi and Jeff Brusatori after a fire forced them to leave their home in Northern California.
The couple returned to their burned out home and cars five days later. They probably believed there was no chance of Ruthie surviving but she did in true cat style. She had survived by hiding under a burnt out truck. Apparently, they had taken her with them but she had jumped out of the car and was left behind.
“She was found under the truck, though where she hid during the fire is anyone’s guess. The fire was so intense that aluminum parts of the vehicles melted. Other than singed whiskers and eyebrows, little Ruthie Rosemary is unharmed.”
Ruthie is a 3-4 year old calico cat. Her whiskers are singed in the top photo. She looks a bit nonplussed.
Source: lovemeow.
The look in this cat’s eyes reveal hidden trauma that she must have experienced, and her whiskers show how close she must have come to the heat of the raging fire. She is not the same cat as she was before this experience. We are all changed by tragedy, whether our own or those who suffer at a distance.