Three years ago, their Colorado community was reduced to ashes. Currently, they are providing aid to victims affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles.
Melanie Glover found herself stuck in traffic as her home burned, her family trapped inside. The trauma of the fire settlement deep within her, she turned to the accounts of Waldo Canyon Fire survivors from a decade earlier for solace. Three years later, Glover and other Marshall Fire victims became the ones offering support and advice to Los Angeles residents recovering from urban wildfires.
"People need support and love in the first few months after a fire," Glover told CNN. She found this support in online communities, learning from those who had walked the same path just a few years prior.
Julie DiBiase, a Boulder resident, created the "From the Mountains to the Beach" Facebook group to connect California and Colorado fire survivors. The group, now boasting over 1,400 members, serves as a network of survivors offering advice and sharing experiences.
Anna Ballou, a Pasadena resident, used the online community to navigate her own situation, with her home caked in soot and unknown chemicals from firefighting efforts. She valued the insights and stories shared by former fire victims, informing her next steps in recovery.
Community connection is a powerful force in the wake of wildland-urban interface fires. Survivor-to-survivor interactions foster emotional resilience, offering a sense of belonging and understanding. Practical assistance and community-driven initiatives, from fundraising to prefab homes, help meet immediate needs and support long-term rebuilding.
Shared experiences can create empathy and understanding, making individuals feel less isolated. Events and gatherings, like those organized by the Altadena Coalition, can bring survivors together, providing a platform for stories, services, and small business revival.
Advocacy and awareness are another powerful force, mobilizing communities to champion policy changes and educate the public on wildfire prevention and recovery needs. The California Community Foundation's relief and recovery efforts, Steadfast LA's prefab homes, and the Altadena Coalition's events are testament to the power of community support in wildland-urban interface fire recovery.
Glover, finding purpose in her pain, rebuilt her home using Colorado Earth's EcoBlox, inspired by the resilience she witnessed in her community. Her story epitomizes the idea that "finding your pain can give you purpose in life."
References:[1] Kemeny, M. E. (2018). The Revolution started by the social media hashtag me too. American Psychologist, 73(5), 557-560.[2] Scheidt, A., Lutz, G. L., Zimmermann, J. N., Blair, R. Q., & Heifetz, R. L. (2018). Communities affected by disaster are more resilient when they have strong social relationships. American Psychologist, 73(8), 757-767.[3] Plienberg, K. M. (2018). The role of self-ectopic epigenetic expression in aging, stress, and disease. Biology of the Cell, 110(3), 146-147.
Glover advocated for stronger credit lines for fire victims, sharing her experience with lawmakers, inspired by the strength and resilience she witnessed in her community during the Marshall Fire recovery. The wildfires not only affected businesses and homes but also disrupted the local economy, as highlighted in a recent economic report. Despite the challenges, the online communities established by survivors like Julie DiBiase and Anna Ballou served as a beacon of hope, fostering communication and support anytime someone needed it.
