Except for the people who once lived in the now disaster area.

good point! It was miserable here after the fires, and I didn't live in a burnout area! but I work in one! it was creepy to see the cars on the side of the road where people didn't make it out.

Say what? Are you saying their cars were burnt or that the people just burned up in the cars waiting to drive away from the fires? I hope the former.
Sensei Ern

sadly, no. the cars burnt with people in them.

OH, my. Sorry for putting a squash on the frivolity here.

Why would they not just up and leave when they began to smell smoke? Were they the ones who said they did not want to leave their homes? If they were, I do feel bad for their passing, but not completely if they had an opportunity to leave but didn't.

I do feel bad because I know it rips your heart out when everything you worked for is destroyed, but to kill yourself in the process of losing it indicates you have a messed up value system.

I got to quit talking about this. It's bumming me out.

The fires arrived in this area early sunday morning. many people didn't know until it was at thier front door. what do you smell while you sleep? I have a coworker who's family huddled in a pond until the fires passed, they lost everything. Actually, I know a lot of people who lost everything. The people on the road were told to stay put, not to try to out run the fire. and if they had, they would have lived. I work on a 2 lane windy road through some of the most beautiful country you have ever seen. you just can't out run a fire like that.
I think we lost about 16 in this area, people, not homes. I have lost count of how many homes were lost in this area, but the coworker above lost his entire neighborhood. a lot of the devistation here was not reported on in the news.
I can only imagine what the people in Florida are going through. But I wish them the best. It's hard to handle when everything familliar suddenly goes to wreckage!