Local fires change the dynamics of communities
Over the past school year, several fires broke out in the counties of Los Angeles and Ventura, leaving many with their homes destroyed and lives forever changed. Living in California, fires are always something to look out for, and homes, businesses and every-day buildings face the dangers of flames.
Just a few months into the school year, in November 2024, the Mountain Fire broke out in the Somis area of Ventura County, and over the course of several days, destroyed 182 residential structures and burned nearly 20,000 acres. One of these structures was home to an NPHS senior, Isaac Berini, who was the first in his family to hear the news.
Though losing a home was emotionally difficult, Berini felt that moving forward was his only option in the situation. “We had to move on as fast as we could because there is nothing we could really do to grieve over it,” Berini said. Berini also felt very fortunate that everyone in his family was safe from the fire, including his pets.
Early this year, in January, the Palisades Fire, driven by hurricane-force Santa Ana winds, burned over 23,000 acres, leaving many searching for answers on how to move forward. For Holly Kisskalt, the search for a new home began immediately, before she even knew her house was gone in the Palisades community. But even today, Kisskalt still faces struggles as she gets to know her new reality stemming from having to move to a new place.
With this challenging experience of losing her home, Kisskalt unlocked a new perspective, which she was able to share with her children. “You’ll probably never meet someone in your entire life whose house burned down, but you know seven people who did. And you’ll also probably never experience anything as traumatic, hopefully. And you’re gonna get through this, so take that as a lesson in life. You have overcome something traumatic, and build your personality and your person from that,” Kisskalt said.
Another resident of the Palisades is John Badt, who was one of the first to see the beginning of the fire, and within just 10 minutes, it had nearly reached his backyard. For the rest of the day, Badt stood on his roof, watering his home and the trees surrounding it, as well as putting out small spot fires that occurred from the embers. While Badt was able to save his home, many were left burnt to the ground, causing a large split in the community. “It’s unique. There’s a community in the sense that we’re all rallying around each other to support each other, but we’re doing it in this virtual world. It’s all text messages,” Badt said.
Each person who experienced losing their home, or almost losing it, fought the challenge in their own ways, gaining support from the community around them. Berini and his family got numerous support from his community, which was a main factor towards his recovery from the loss of his home. “[My family and I got] a bunch of necessities from all of our friends and other family members, and [was] more than we ever could have wished for. It was actually kind of wholesome,” Berini said.
