I want to embody the terror and desperation of Angelinos fleeing their homes, flames lapping at their feet, thinking that somehow that will make things better. But I can’t, and it wouldn’t. I watch as if it were my duty to bear witness to the devastation, feeling guilty for my own good fortune – my loved ones are safe, my home is secure. Then as I carry on with my daily life, I forget what’s happening. I enjoy a bath, I sit by the fireplace, cozy and content reading a book when unexpectedly it creeps in between the paragraphs.

Fire!