It may be days or weeks before you learn the fate of your property or are able to return. If you are insured, don't wait to contact your insurance company and establish a claim. This is for two reasons: 2/
First, your policy likely provides coverage for the duration of the evacuation (and sometimes beyond as was our case b/c of loss of use of our home). Some insurance policies will expense a set amount of $$ per day. Others want receipts. Some will front you cash. 3/
Second, even if your home survives, you will have a claim. You're going to need a new fridge. All of the food in your kitchen will need to be disposed of (unless it is still sealed). Your property will be covered in toxic ash and need to be cleaned inside and out. 4/
There will be so many questions that won't have answers for some time. Be patient and kind to yourselves. You are experiencing a trauma. To the extent possible, stay hydrated, eat healthy foods and rest. 5/
Expect everything to take longer. There will be longer lines everywhere. You'll likely shop in stores that are unfamiliar. Eventually the post office will establish a location where you can retrieve mail. 6/
You likely don't have very many things with you right now. Try to stay organized as best you can. I got a special closed folder in which to keep all my insurance/receipts/vital documents and then got a medium plastic tote for each member of my family to keep our clothes in. 7/
Because the smoke is so bad right now, you'll need to limit your time outdoors and if you have kids (I have an active 6 yr old) they will need to exercise! Take advantage of safe indoor spaces where they can work out some of the anxiety they are also experiencing. 8/
Speaking of the smoke, it's going to be around for a long time and it is full of toxic chemicals from burnt car batteries, lead paint, asbestos and other dangerous particulates. Get a mask and wear it. And then invest in a HEPA air filter if you can. 9/
Soon the community will establish a disaster relief resource center somewhere. Ours was at Shasta High School for a while and then in a vacant big box store. When it's up and running. Go. Visit every booth. Sign up for services if you are eligible. Get your name on the list. 10/
You might not end up needing all of the services, but knowing what's available and getting in line now is better than the alternative. Also, if you know what help is there you can share the info with your friends and neighbors and support one another. 11/
When our evacuation order was listed it was for residents only. Be prepared to show proof of residency to law enforcement who are staffing road closures. If you don't have that right now, prioritize getting it so you are ready. 12/
We live deep in the #CarrFire burn zone. Nothing could have prepared me for the first drive back to our property. Yes, I had seen all the videos and still photos from all the media outlets and I had to pull over to sob many times. Do your best. It is heart-wrenching. 13/
It is a miracle our home survived. The fire burnt down the mountain to our home and licked the back porch. Brave firefighters were able to do structure defense here. But I used to live in a water CSD with 300 customers. Now I am one of 9. /14
It's important to build a relationship with the insurance adjuster who has been assigned to your claim. Communicate with them regularly. When the evacuation order was lifted we did not have electricity or potable water. We qualified for "loss of use" benefits. /15
When you are able to return to your property, your instinct will be to clean up whatever is there. Your insurance will cover this, so try to resist the urge to do it yourself. You've been through enough. /16
Your spirit will want to hurry and get back to the way things used to be before the fire. You will long for your routine. I am so sad to tell you that it will be weeks, months, or longer before things feel normal again. But you will adjust to a new normal eventually. /17
As soon as the fire is fully contained there will be a legion of dedicated public servants from all over the country descend on your community. They will be falling hazard trees, replacing incinerated guard rails, manning road closures, installing new power poles. /18
These #heroes will work around the clock to try to restore transportation, infrastructure and basic utilities. There will be endless traffic control while helicopters fly in new electric poles and huge heavy equipment convoys block roadways. Be prepared for lots of traffic. /19
Your local business that survived will have been closed for a long time once they are finally able to reopen. If they do and you are in a position to support them, spend the extra $1 per gallon of milk and $0.30 cents per gallon of gas to help keep them in business. /20
The community will need a lot of help & contractors will descent like vultures to get a piece of the pie. The company we hired to clean our property invoiced us $15K+ of work that was exaggerated/not performed at all. NEVER leave a contractor alone. Document everything. /21
Once I disputed some of the invoice (they charged to "deep clean" the fridge Mr PLL had taken to the dump and 60 sq feet of tile cleaning in my bathroom that is the size of a shoe box) they put a preliminary lien on our property for non-payment of a contractor. /22
We were eventually able to get this taken care of but my point is that you need to be present even if they tell you that you don't and you need to take pictures of people doing work. Keep a journal of the names/dates/repairs of all services on your property. /23
This includes how many people/how many hours contractors and/or services are utilized. We were initially charged for 3 air scubbers for 36 hrs each when there was 1 air scrubber here for about 24 hours. /24
If you own your home, having a copy of the appraisal from when you purchased your property will be very helpful if there are disputes about square footage or features of your property. If you don't have a copy on hand, get one. /25
It will be hard to focus on the details and they will come to you intermittently, but use some of your new free time while not able to return to home or work to begin the process of creating a home inventory. The insurance commissioner has a free, downloadable resource. /26
Yes, I know it's intended to be completed before something like this happens, but try not to beat yourself up about it if you're doing it for the first time now. Here's the link: insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/1… /27
It's #WorldKindnessDay and thus I'd also like to share that one thing that helped me and my son during the waiting was to complete one tangible kindness for others every day. (Mr PLL is a first responder, so the #jrranger and I were alone most of the time). /28
In the spirit of @MrRogersMovie, we started every day asking, "How can we be helpers?" I donated blood, we delivered love notes to workers along the road, played with orphaned pets, transported food to first responders. This helped us more than I can say. /29 
We were fortunate in that we only had two temp housing locales during our displacement. Many of our friends/neighbors/colleagues had many more; some up to a dozen. Those who lost their homes continue to struggle to find affordable, stable housing that will meet their needs. /30
When it is safe to do so, federal agencies will begin to assess the damage from the air. These are stills of my neighborhood and my son's elementary school where firefighters fought heroically to save most of the structures. /31
In spite of these efforts, our entire school community remains displaced as cleaning, repairs, hazard tree removal/playground replacement are completed. We hope to be able to return in late February, but it's a moving target. Please know that local admin/educators are working /32
tirelessly to address the educational needs of students and families, many of them having themselves lost their homes. In the meantime, if you are able to find a public library or pick up a few books somewhere, keep reading to your kids or let them read to you. /33
The #CarrFire was fully contained on August 30. 2.5 months later, crews continue to do active debris removal from residential and commercial properties that were destroyed. There is a process to minimize contamination to ground water supplies, etc. /34
There are still 100's of homes where debris removal hasn't started yet. There are thousands of hazard trees/vegetation mitigation that is yet to be done. It is difficult to find a contractor to do work because they are all booked out for months/years depending on specialty. /35
Again, I tell you these things not to discourage you, but so that you will find patience with yourself and others. Many of the people working so hard to restore and clean the community are themselves fire survivors. Everyone is doing the best they can. /36
As access to more and more of your community becomes available you will see things you may not have ever considered. I was particularly struck by the fire retardant on roads, homes and trees. /37
Familiar and loved trails, now charred and naked, were virtually unrecognizable. Every hill, valley, and discarded beer can exposed. /38
Even after all the smoke is gone, the miles and miles that burned will be hard to look at, and that's not mentioning the neighborhoods and homes that are now gone. /39
But if you look closely, you will begin to see signs of life, signs of hope. When the smoke eventually clears you will see the stars again. You will watch the moon rise. You will see the sun set. /40
I dont know everything, but I know this: it will get easier. The uncertainty will lessen over time, and you will gain a new confidence in your ability to manage this trauma. /41
