Adapting, Learning And Soul-Searching: Reflecting On Woolsey Fire

MALIBU, CA — November 8, 2019, marked the one-year anniversary of the Woolsey Fire — the largest fire in L.A. County history. This weekend, we reflected on what happened during the fire with emergency response crews, residents and officials and work on preparing for what lies ahead in an era of catastrophic California wildfires.

We talked to firefighters, city officials, lawyers, residents and researchers to see what the recovery has been like, who is still fighting for the fire victims one year later and what lessons we've learned along the way. Fire victims shared what it was like to lose it all and the complicated grief that followed. Firefighters told stories of fighting on the front lines for multiple days in a row, and city officials recounted what it was like to evacuate the entire city of Malibu and rebuild destroyed communities. Lawyers described their ongoing battle for accountability, and scientists explained how California's fires are changing over time.

One thing is for certain: The Woolsey Fire changed us.

See The Stories In The Woolsey Fire Anniversary Series:

Life After Woolsey: Malibu Still Soul Searching One Year Later

DeAnna Postil Krawczyk watched the Woolsey Fire chase her husband and kids from their home, and she was powerless to help them. Safely 1,000 miles away in Boulder, Colorado, she watched aghast through her video doorbell app as they raced in and out of their Malibu home and packed up the car with what little they could, smoke clouding her view as she peered closer.

She watched her husband clinking together cans of cat food in a vain effort to draw out their spooked pets. And finally, she watched as the car's tail lights drove off without their cats.

"It was just the weirdest feeling not being part of such a horrible moment but watching it unfold," Krawczyk said. "It was just an apocalyptic and surreal visual and feeling."

No Going Back After Woolsey: How The Monster Changed Firefighting

It was a breezy fall afternoon, when Los Angeles County Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Patrick Errett sat down to a lengthy staff meeting with fire officials from across the region. Suddenly, the room erupted into a cacophony of pagers all buzzing at the same time. One by one, firefighters began checking the alert — and within seconds, they were running out the door and jumping into their cars, heading westbound on the 101 Freeway.

They needed to get to the Woolsey Fire.

While the firefighters raced to the wildfire, the Woolsey Fire was racing across the Santa Monica Mountains, cutting a path of devastation that would become the worst fire Los Angeles County has ever seen. It killed three people, destroyed more than 1,600 structures and scorched nearly 97,000 acres in both Ventura and Los Angeles counties, including the famous Malibu Hills.

Read more here.

The Fight's Not Over: Victims Seek Justice After Woolsey Fire

As the flames of the Woolsey Fire ripped through the canyon, licking the properties in his neighborhood, Alexander Robertson gripped his fire hose — and doubt gripped him.

He kept thinking, "Have I made a really horrible decision to stay out here?"

A lawyer, not a firefighter, Robertson felt compelled to stay and fight because crews were stretched thin across the state, simultaneously battling the monster Woolsey, Hill and Camp fires, which made for the most destructive wildfire season in California history.

Read more here.

Photos That Captured The Heartache And Enormity Of Woolsey Fire

The Woolsey Fire broke out Nov. 8, 2018, and tore through nearly 97,000 acres, killed three people and damaged more than 1,600 structures.

Chaos erupted within the first few critical hours of the Woolsey Fire among communication breakdowns, strong winds and unprepared emergency management officials, leading to a blaze of "epic proportions," according to a report released by Los Angeles County.

The Woolsey Fire, the largest fire in L.A. County history, forced massive evacuations, including the entire City of Malibu, and overwhelmed local fire agencies during its initial hours, even though they are among the "largest, most experienced agencies" in the nation, the report said.

See more photos here.

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