Facing the Flames – A Wildfire Story

In 2020, nearly 200,000 acres were burned, and more than 100 structures were destroyed in the Dolan, Carmel, and River fires in Monterey County, California. My friend, Author Meredith May, and her wife, Jenn, a retired Police LT, were among those who had to evacuate as the fires threatened their neighborhood.

The Carmel Fire erupted less than a mile from their home and Meredith was home alone at that time. “I had just 10 minutes to evacuate,” she recalls. “Jenn was at Costco, and I was frantically grabbing the dog, phone, laptop, and keys, then I realized I forgot our 19-year-old cat.” Fortunately, she had time to grab her and head out the door.

The fire came into their yard and stopped within 20 feet of their home, destroying 17 of the 34 homes in their Sky Ranch neighborhood located in Carmel Valley, California. Thanks to maintaining their defensible space, Meredith and Jenn’s home was spared. “Despite this, communication was a huge challenge. Jenn and I had patchy cell service but were able to text each other to meet at the Carmel Valley pool.

Water trucks were pulling from the river because PG&E had turned off the power so the neighborhood’s well water pumps failed and private hydrants ran dry.” she explains. Thankfully, they had a gas powered pool pump that the firefighters used in fighting the flames. It was a huge help in saving their home.
The fire came just one year and two days after they had moved into their home from San Francisco. “We weren’t ‘countrified’ yet, and we didn’t fully understand the realities of rural living,” Meredith reflects. After evacuating, they stayed with friends for two weeks. “We were so stressed, but found comfort in the strangest way, watching RuPaul’s Drag Race was our escape. Love, happiness, fashion, and sass to keep it together,” she says with a smile.

Now, Meredith’s views on preparedness have changed completely. “Preparedness isn’t a chore anymore. It calms me down. I speak a different language now and pass it along. I used to think, why bother spending money on this?” she shares. “I soothe myself by making lists when I get stressed.”She now leads a Firewise program in their community,  Tularcitos Ridge Firewise, helping her neighbors get ready for wildfires. “We now have walkie talkies, practice our evacuation routes, created a website for our Firewise community, do annual weed clearances, and have set up an emergency phone tree. We’re even making directional signs for emergency vehicles.” she says. And for their home, they invested in a 5,ooo gallon water tank with a fire hose hookup. Since the fires, they have been helping neighbors obtain their own water tanks so they are prepared.

Meredith doesn’t shy away from discussing the psychological toll the fire took on her. “It’s like a war zone. Your brain just shuts down, you can’t think straight, and you need someone to tell you what to do.” But she also reflects on the freedom that comes with facing disaster. “In the eye of the storm, you realize what truly matters: your health, your loved ones, and your pets.” Her advice to others? “It’s okay to talk about the worst-case scenario,” she says. “In fact, it’s scarier not to talk about it. It only takes a weekend to pack a disaster kit, make a list of important items, and photograph your possessions. We did some things wrong, had some dumb luck, and we got lucky, but now we’re ready for the worst – and that gives me peace of mind.”

Meredith and Jenn have learned to live with fire season as part of life. “We stay put during June, July, and August now,” Meredith says. “We’re always ready to go if something happens. After going through it, you realize what’s important, and it simplifies life in the eye of the storm.”