00:00:00SB: I think we shall began. You ready?
MF: Yeah.
SB: Okay great.
MF: Go for it.
SB: So I'm going to start with some basic information.
MF: Okay.
SB: So what is your name?
MF: Mary Lou Fiore.
SB: And what is your age?
MF: I go-I go for--um-- everyone knows me as Lucy. But my ID's Mary Lou Fiore.
SB: Would you like me to call you Lucy?
MF: Yeah.
SB: Okay.
MF: Either way I answer to either one. Um-- I'll be 80 in April so I guess I can
say 80. It's only a month a little over a month away, so.
SB: Congratulations.
MF: It's only a number to me anyways so [chuckles]. Okay what else?
SB: Um where did you live at the beginning of November in 2018?
MF: Um--199 Pacific Drive in Paradise.
SB: In Paradise?
MF: Paradise, California.
SB: So what did you do on Wednesday November the 7th, of 2018?
MF: Wednesday November the 7th I -- um -- all the churches have lunches. One
00:01:00will have it on Monday and other on Tuesday. My church St. Thomas More Catholic
Church has it on Wednesdays. So I go and --um--for quite a while I was just
going as a person going to have lunch with friends, It's not the food I need
it's the friendship. Since I have food at home--um-- but then I- I am asked if
there is something I could help with and they said "yeah you can do the greeting
at the door and as the people come in you can let us know like how many."
SB: Oh nice.
MF: I was telling Elizabeth about it and I said --um-- 3 came in and actually it
was only two but I had my 3 fingers up so she teases me about that. Well you
know, that's the way we are. So I was -- and I miss that. Yesterday I was
thinking about it and I thought "Gee, you know I would be at" -- let's see
Thursday would be at the -- um -- St. Nicks on Skyway which is -- I'm not sure
00:02:00what the denomination is -- but anyway all of them had lunches and I went mainly
for friendship. I love a lot friends and --um-- they would either pick me up or
I would take the bus which is just like a block off of Skyway where we live,
yeah. So it made it easier for me to just walk up to Skyway and catch the bus.
SB: So you went to St. Thomas --
MF: Wednesday I went to St, Thomas Catholic church--um-- for the lunch that they
have every Wednesday.
SB: Right.
MF: And that's what I was doing that day, the day before which you know you
don't know -- [chuckles] -- I don't know what I would have done if something
that was going to happen. But you don't know, you know? Mother Nature and
whatever else happened. Okay what's the next question?
SB: Oh no, yeah. I want to hear all about it.
MF: Oh, okay.
SB: Did you have plans for Thursday November the 8th?
MF: We were going to go visit one of a friend of mine who was in the hospital.
He had broken his hip and he was at the hospital at Feather River Hospital
00:03:00--um--he was almost 90. Elizabeth and I met him at CVS about five-six-seven
years ago. Um -- he was coming toward us and my daughter said "How much you want
to bet he's a military veteran?" So I stopped him and I said "Excuse me sir, are
you a military veteran?" He said "Yes I am, World War 2." We- we became friends
with him and --um-- one of my friend was going to pick me up and we were going
to go visit him. And the reason I had my check book in my purse was because I
was going to maybe buy something in the hospital you know -- a plant or
something for him and --um-- it never happened. I happen to call the gal that
was going to bring me, her name is Adele; she's a great- great friend. And it
was 8 o'clock and I call her and I said --um-- "Adele don't forget -- you know
-- we're going to visit George at the hospital" and she goes " Oh I'm just
getting up" and--um-- just recently over the last two weeks she said to me, "You
know you saved my life?" And I go "What?" Because she lived higher up. She lived
00:04:00on the same --um-- street actually at the hospital. She lived in a mobile home
park which had just been there like 6 months I think. And I said, "What do you
mean I saved your life?" She said because you called me and told me to get up
and let's get going because we were going to do that and go to a lunch
at--um--St. Nicks. So--um--I was just --um-- I wasn't quite ready. Like I didn't
have the stuff I usually wear. I wear this necklace that says Cross and that of
course burned; it was on the coffee table. And this is what I was wearing --
minus of course this shirt that a friend of ours gave -- but the pants. Not the
shoes because those I got when they were giving the clothes out to us and this
jacket I had already.
SB: The jacket?
MF: This jacket.
SB: Oh I love it!
MF: Because my --um--my daughter-in-law made these in 80's.
SB: Oh wow.
MF: Yeah. So that's what I was going to do, visit a friend in the hospital, and
00:05:00then go to eat lunch at the church.
SB: Alright so what time did you arise that Thursday? Usually when do you get
up, and when did you get up that day?
MF: Usually I get up with Elizabeth every morning make breakfast, make her
lunch, and then they go off--um-- she leaves early. She leaves--um--what was it,
6 -- it was around 6 I think. She comes early because of parking and first come
first serve yeah. And--um--so she had already left and my son-in-law was still
home and--um--it was a Wednesday -- no it was a Thursday and he is usually off
on a Wednesday. But for some reason I don't think he had anything-anything to do
that day and I think they called him to go you know to take over someone else's
place. And I remember him leaning over -- we had a 2 story -- and I remember him
leaning over and him saying --um--"I got to go in -- you know -- to cover for
someone," and --um-- I think I [SB coughing] went out to the front deck and
00:06:00--um-- I said "what's that cloud" I thought it was a cloud.
SB: [coughing]
MF: Are you okay? Want some water? I haven't drank any yet.
SB: [chuckles] [coughing] I'm okay.
MF: So we are standing there and I said to me it looked like a dark cloud and he
says I think it's smoke. But it looked like it was really far away and usually
my nose is really good about smelling a BBQ or smoke. So I -- you know -- we
said "It looked like it was kind of far away," so I went back in and he left for
work surely after that and --um-- I don't -- nobody called me. Nobody in the
neighborhood called and said "Hey -- you know -- I think that's getting close to
us." I guess I just kind of kept an eye or maybe started to smell the smoke. So
I don't drive anymore -- of course I don't have a car -- and we had 2 dogs a
00:07:00Siberian husky and my son-in-law's -- she looks like a Chihuahua but he says
she's a miniature Doberman which I don't know -- but anyway
SB: [chuckles]
MF: Um-- So I guess I was going back and forth with Elizabeth on the phone and I
think she was kind of keeping an eye on stuff because -- you know we're always
kind of -- we had one in 2008, a fire, it wasn't as bad as that one but quite a
few people lost their homes. So--um--she--um-- said "Mom if we have to evacuate
go get the biggest suitcase we have" -- because they all have their wheels --
and she said "Put as much stuff as you can" and she said "Put my --um-- lock box
" -- because they just had gotten married October the sixth, a month before, and
she said--um-- so she must have called me half a dozen times running up and down
the stairs -- and she says that "The marriage license is still on the table in
the living room and make sure you put that in." So I--um-- am putting things in,
00:08:00putting clothes for them and --um-- she always said to me --um-- "Bring this
thing that goes to the computer --um-- memory something?
SB: Like a thumb drive?
MF: To plug it in --
SB: oh yeah.
MF: -- yeah, and she says this is really important --um--you know it's got a lot
of stuff on it. So I grab it and tossed it in the suitcase.
MF: Tossed all of our phone jacks and I always had a --um-- a little iPod with
the little ear things that I would take with me wherever I went. I remembered
them, but I didn't remember the charger.
SB: Aww
MF: So -- and they don't make those anymore. Now a friend of mine I just was
talking to in Gridley and she says "I think I might have one that'll fit," so I
don't know. But anyway I was--um-- I would say it was 9 o'clock when we left so
00:09:00between 8 and 9 I was running around --um--
SB: So let me ask you about that.
MF: -- getting stuff.
SB: Did you have an evacuation plan? Like a list of things?
MF: No, not really. We always talked about putting a you know duffle bags or
something with some clothes and you know and some toothbrush, and things like
that and to put them in the car because you know we talked about but we never
did that.
SB: So what--um-- was there anything that -- you talked about what you did pack
-- is there anything that you wished that you had packed besides your iPhone or iPod?
MF: My--um-- my original wedding rings and my husband's wedding band they were
right there on my bed right on the shelf. I had a -- um -- captain's bed --
SB: Mm-hmm.
MF: -- that has the shelf that's has next to the bed like that, instead of
behind you. And I had a lot of stuff there and my original engagement and
wedding ring were there and his ring and my social security card.
00:10:00
SB: Oh no.
MF: And his--um-- old driver license which was a nice picture of him because he
passed away like almost 4 years ago, yeah.
SB: Um -- what is something you absolutely did not want to leave behind that you
did pack?
MF: Oh that I did pack? Well I would imagine my iPod, but I don't have that.
[Chuckles] I don't know -- it's really -- you know?
SB: What were you thinking about, or were you just trying to go?
MF: Not really. I was just grabbing stuff because I was -- I mean when I went up
the stairs one time I even grab a box of cough medicine that was sitting there.
Something you could buy at the store you don't have to -- you know -- yeah
that's --um -- I don't know.
SB: You were just going?
MF: Yeah I was just going trying to grab stuff.
SB: At what point did you decide it was time to evacuate, between 8 and 9?
MF: Well I was going -- yeah I walked over to my neighbors twice I think, and
one of the times I brought the suitcase with all the stuff. And -- uh -- and
00:11:00they were kind of like lollygagging. There was the people that live there and
then the gal that lived next door to them, and her house had burned down 5 years
before that. So she said "oh God if this one burns no one going to insure her."
But her house was okay and she had a horse and the horse was okay too. But the
people that lived at the house they thought that we were all going to be safe,
because they had a big -- what, maybe 2 to 3 times as big as this floor -- that
was all clear it just had dirt on it and- and they had just put a fence in for
the dogs. They had several yellow labs and --um--I knew them well I've known
them for a while. I've known them since we lived there, a little over 40 years
or 42 or 43 and--um-- at first they said, "No we're going to wait, were going to
wait a while, we going to wait, going to wait, going to wait." And -- you know
-- smoke was starting to get a little heavy and then on the other side of the
fence there was some--um-- weeds and they started burning.
00:12:00
SB: Mm-hmm.
MF: So --um-- we put all my stuff in the other peoples' SUV and we put the dogs
in and--um-- we're just kind of standing around what we were waiting for.
Finally I said "We got to get out of here, we got to get out of here or we're
going to burn." I called Elizabeth and I think the last time I called her I
said--um-- "I don't know if we were going to make it and I told her to get down
on her knees and pray because the smoke was getting bad." That's what gets you
and the people that lived there she was a former --um-- registered nurse and so
you would think that she would think "Okay maybe you will get burned later, but
you would pass out from the smoke" and--um-- they did stay. I just -- I heard
after when we looked at the property they happened to be there, and I said to
Elizabeth "Pull up on their driveway I want to- I want to see what happened" and
--um-- they said "Oh we stayed," and the first thing that came to my mind was
00:13:00"That was really stupid." I mean they literally threw the dice down, is the way
I look at it and I just thought that it was the dumbest thing anybody could do.
You could always go back to your house.
SB: Yeah.
MF: Yeah.
SB: Well you mentioned that you had two dogs, what was their behavior like while
all this was going on? You were --
MF: They--
SB: You were running --
MF: -- well, I carried the small one.
SB: Okay.
MF: I started walking one down the driveway and the neighbor came in her truck
-- I think the ones that stayed -- and -- um -- we couldn't put Mia in because
she was too heavy -- not, she weighed like 60 pounds -- but -- um -- so um she
got the idea she opened my window and we just I just held the leash and she
walked down and she would stop every few -- maybe you know few times --
and--um--the dog would just stop, and I'm thinking "Well she must know
something," you know? They know something is going on. So I told my neighbor I
00:14:00said, "Let me walk her to your house." I said "Come on Mia we're gonna go for a
walk," because she loves to walk, and you know I got her there that way. And we
stood around. And then I was -- I was told later that they called me to let me
know that they call me to let me know 2 hours after the fire -- after I was down
the bottom of the hill -- they called to evacuate 2 hours -- I would be dead.
SB: So to go back to the actual evacuation, who did you end up leaving with?
MF: Um -- her name is Heather I don't know her last I don't remember her last
name and --um-- I don't know if she married to the guy or not, or if they live
together -- but I think his name is Juan or Jesus. I'm not sure, but they were
very very good to me. She was quite upset about the horse and stuff like that,
but apparently he was okay.
SB: That's good
00:15:00
MF: So we came down "Are you familiar with Paradise?
SB: A little bit
MF: Okay well when you come down Skyway on the right side up, there is --um-- a
bus stop, a little building for the kids wait for the school bus and
that's--that's where I come at. That's --um-- Princeton Way.
SB: Okay.
MF: That's our little area. They call it the Banana Belt. I don't know why, but
that's what we were told. And we just had to go about a block to get out to the
Skyway and we had to wait a little bit for someone to let us in. And by that
time they had --um-- the road is right behind my house going up. So my --um--
friends they were using -- they opened it up for us to go out that way -- but we
went on the regular going down. And later when they called me they said--um--
"Your house was a big ball of fire," so we knew right away it was gone. And then
Elizabeth showed me on her computer -- I forget what she called it -- but to me
it was like --um-- paint just coming down slowly and then it merged with another
00:16:00fire and she said that's -- it showed the time.
SB: Oh.
MF: The time the fire was going, you could see it on her computer. So it was
between 9:00 or 9:30, and I think if were to be there for another 5 minutes I
probably would have seen my house go up and possibly -- you just get mesmerized
and you just stand there and that happens when people get burned.
SB: So, how did it feel to leave your home?
MF: I think I was too busy to worry about what was going on. And just when I was
leaving I was just gotten right out of the garage and the power went out.
SB: Oh
MF: So I was -- why I was worried about closing the garage door -- [chuckles] --
because, see we didn't know how bad it was. But still then, it was the wind --
it was the wind that made it really really, really bad.
SB: So as you left your neighborhood, what did you see? Were there other people
00:17:00lining up to go?
MF: Oh yes. The whole the whole world -- the whole two lanes -- yeah the two
lanes -- they were, yeah and finally someone let us in. And it took, I would
say, at least a half hour to 40 minutes to get down. And once -- you know you
could -- the sides were on fire and later -- oh when I was walking back and
forth a few times, I could hear this POP POP -- and I don't know if it was
someone said it could have been a transmitter, someone said it could have been a
tree falling, and someone said it could have been a propane tank. We have one at
our house, but it didn't -- it was okay.
SB: Oh wow.
MF: Yeah.
SB: So--
MF: We were only electric so when we got rid of our fireplace, we got a propane
--um-- you know one of those that look like real fire --well it is real fire -- yeah.
SB: Oh, I see.
MF: But we still have the electric heating just in case because we were on
electric, sometimes the power was out during the winter.
00:18:00
SB: Right.
MF: Yeah
SB: Okay
MF: So I really did not -- I didn't panic. I didn't say "Oh what are we going to
do? What are we going to do?" You know, I think my brain was just too busy
trying to get the dogs in the car and calm them.
SB: Yeah --um-- what was the energy like on your street? There were also other
people trying to evacuate?
MF: No.
SB: What did you see?
MF: The house next to us --um-- there was a young woman with -- who had three
children when they first moved there her mother lived -- lives with her. But
there were only the three: her, and her daughter, and the grand -- her mother --
the mother. There were only three, but I noticed that --um-- when they were
leaving there was nobody there at their house, no cars.
SB: Gone?
MF: They were already gone, yeah. She came from --um-- she works at Costco in an
office and I think she said that she came home to pick her mother up. I'm not
sure, so maybe she had got information as soon as she could then she went back up.
00:19:00
SB: So Heather was with you when you left and your two dogs?
MF: Yes.
SB: Was there anyone else in the car?
MF: And her boyfriend.
SB: Jesus?
MF: Jesus, I think that was his name. And they dropped me off at --um-- the
Italian Cottage at the bottom of the hill right there.
MF: There were quite -- there were at least 3 more people -- families that were
parked there, and he worked at The Canteen which is a business right there.
SB: Okay.
MF: Yeah.
SB: So you were right there near Skyway?
MF: Yes.
SB: You just hit Skyway --
MF: All the way down
SB: It took you?
MF: I would say 40 Minutes
SB: 40 Minutes?
MF: 30-40 minutes to get out. And then I'm walking the dogs around, and there's
this guy talking to someone else. He was kind of holding his phone like this and
after -- uh -- the gentlemen walked away and I said --um-- he said something
about the dogs we were talking about the dogs and he said, "Did you -- where you
00:20:00in the fire?" and I said "Yeah we just got here," and he said "Can I interview
you?" and I go "Sure why not." And my friends saw me on Channel 12 in fact--um--
do you know do you know Paula?
SB: Oh yeah.
MF: Okay, well Paula said to Elizabeth "Your moms on TV!"
SB: Oh sweet.
MF: She goes "Why?" "Somebody is talking to her on channel 12." [Chuckles]
SB: Oh my gosh.
MF: So a lot of my friends knew I was okay almost right away.
SB: That's really good.
MF: Yeah.
SB: That's really good. Um--did you meet any first responders?
MF: No.
SB: In your exit route?
MF: No.
SB: Did you see any fire trucks?
MF: No, nothing.
SB: Wow. But you did get interviewed by the news?
MF: Yeah, yeah.
SB: Okay.
MF: But there was one gentleman that was coming in. I think he had an SUV, he
was coming into our area and made a left and --um-- he is the one who said "It's
getting bad, you guys better get out." He was going to get his brother in our
little area, I hope that they made it out. Out of like 60 houses we have there
00:21:00-- somewhere around that --um-- there only like 8 or 9 that did not burn. Yeah.
SB: Oh my.
MF: So it was almost -- I mean its funny how one gets burned, but the one next
to it doesn't. Yeah.
SB: Yeah. Did you--did you see any friends or anyone you knew in your evacuation
route in cars or?
MF: My neighbor -- 2 doors let's see--two doors down -- he was right next to us
on the Skyway, just where they got to where they dropped me off in his motor
home. So he was able to leave there in his motor home.
SB: That's good
MF: He's a widower and--um-- his wife passed away little after my husband I
think. So we were good friends, neighbors. He would come over and help light the
propane, the pilot light when we turned it off during the summer, and he would
come and light it in the winter for us. He was that kind of a neighbor.
SB: Yeah.
MF: Very good. I was glad that he got out.
00:22:00
SB: Um--what was the atmosphere like that got to the Italian Cottage?
MF: People were just standing around and the restaurant wasn't open yet. Because
we wanted to go in and use the bathrooms and you know -- whatever. But they
turned their power off; I guess it's a precaution I don't know. They had turned
their power off.
SB: So where there a lot of people?
MF: There where 1-2 -- I talked to two different families and both of them I
think had children. One of them had this little girl and she looked a little bit
-- you know -- I don't remember if she was crying or not but I said, "Come here
I want to show you something." And I showed her the dogs -- um-- and I think
maybe that helped a little bit. I think it took her mind off of stuff. I think
she might have been about maybe 7.
SB: Oh.
MF: Or 8, yeah.
SB: You mentioned when you were thinking you were not going to leave --
MF: Mm-hmm.
00:23:00
SB: -- you texted your daughter Elizabeth?
MF: Well I called her. I don't know how to text.
SB: Oh.
MF: Yeah I called her.
SB: You called her.
MF: Called her, yeah.
SB: You mentioned that she should pray. Were you saying prayers during this time?
MF: If I was, it was in my mind. I've might of said a few like "Oh God help us,"
like everybody does. Whether you're religious or not or even if you are an
atheists I've heard that [chuckles]. Um-- I probably did I've might have not
said prayers, but I just said -- you know -- "Get us out of here, or help us."
SB: Yeah, okay.
MF: Yeah, yeah.
SB: Um-- I wanted to just get back to --
MF: I never did ask Elizabeth "Were you" -- because she is more sensitive than I
am. I mean she doesn't like to hear about dogs being abused or anything like
that, or those that they show on TV that are tied up in the snow or in the heat.
She --um-- she's just more sensitive.
SB: She's gentle.
MF: She was reading something-- something about home and she said it made her
00:24:00cry. I guess somebody came over to say something like "Are you alright?"
SB: Aw.
MF: Yeah she's quite sensitive. Me, I --um-- it's not that I don't have feelings
or anything. I just I don't know I --um-- there were a few people that said to
me "You are handling this very well," and stuff like that. Well I said, "What am
I going to do, sit in the corner and cry? It's not going to do me any good. Just
pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start over again."
SB: Yeah, I like that -- yeah I like that -- um-- is there anything thing else
you want to share about the evacuation?
MF: Um-- I can't think of anything right now. Kenneth -- it took him quite a
while to get to me from the airport, and he kept saying "I should have just
stayed home -- I should have just stayed home." You don't know. Nobody knew how
bad it was, you know?
SB: Yeah.
MF: It caught everyone by surprise, and I said to Elizabeth "Thank God it wasn't
00:25:00at like 3 in the morning or something like that, or even 4 or 5 in the morning."
Because there would have been a lot more people dead, yeah.
SB: Yeah.
MF: But he took it really bad, and I mean he even cried you know? He felt like
it was his fault that nothing else was brought out. He could have stayed home
and we could have filled the car up with you know as much stuff as you have. But
we said, "It's not your fault, and you shouldn't feel bad about it." I think he
probably has gotten over it a little bit, but he hasn't mentioned it lately, but
once in a while he says "I should have stayed home--I should have stayed home,
you know?"
SB: Oh that's hard.
MF: Yeah.
SB: Um -- where did you sleep that night? He came to get you from the Italian Cottage?
MF: Yeah well we--we he came to get me and --um-- where did we go? Oh we went to
the --um-- by then they had --um-- the Neighborhood Church I think it's called.
SB: Okay.
MF: They were -- they were --um-- having--um-- people go there at the
00:26:00neighborhood church, but that night we -- the closest place we could find a
hotel was in Willows.
SB: Wow.
MF: Willows, and we were very blessed that --um-- the following day there was
this former coworker friend. Well--um-- she still is a friend she lives in
Biggs, and well in fact she worked here.
SB: Oh yeah -- oh yeah, Liz.
MF: Liz, you know Liz? Yeah, Liz Swinney?
SB: Yeah.
MF: Well that's right, she -- she called Elizabeth right away and said "I'm
leaving tomorrow for Australia I'm going to be gone for like 12 days" or
something like that, and she said "You guys stay at my house." But since she was
leaving Friday we said "Well, we didn't want to disturb her." We didn't want her
to forget her passport or her ticket, or something. So we said we will stay in a
motel and come tomorrow. So we dropped the keys off, or I don't remember how we
got the keys,
SB: Wow!
MF: So we went and stayed in Willows.
00:27:00
SB: So you stayed for a night or two?
MF: We stayed for a night.
SB: In Willows?
MF: Yeah.
SB: Then you went to a friend of Elizabeth?
MF: Then we went to Liz's -- yeah Liz's house and we --um-- went to -- oh and
then Elizabeth met us there. You know -- no she didn't -- where did we go? To
Willows? Oh gosh, I don't re -- no it was that night when she had to get there.
Anyway we -- we --um--there was a -- oh what's the restaurant? Um-- the Black
Bear Diner.
SB: Oh yeah.
MF: It's a restaurant right there. So we --um-- I think we walked or I guess we
must of driven. It was right there by the hotel-motel and then --um-- just
before we were going to go to bed. There was the Mexican Restaurant so we walk
there and had a margarita each because I said --
SB: [chuckles]
MF: -- "We all need a margarita!" [Laughs] And we went there.
SB: [laughs] Wonderful.
MF: We were able to have one because we walked, and it was just right next door.
SB: Aw.
MF: But then that night my daughter woke me up and she said I was saying "We
00:28:00gotta get out of here -- we gotta get out of here. We're going to die -- we're
going to die. We have to get out of here." She said, "Mom -- mom! Wake up --
wake up!"
SB: Oh wow, so you had --
MF: I did have one dream.
SB: -- dreams?
MF: One time, only the one night.
SB: That night?
MF: Just that one night, yeah.
SB: Oh my.
MF: So that was really the only time that I really I guess you can call it
'broke down' in my sleep. Crazy huh?
SB: [chuckles] Oh that --um-- that's the way dreams are sometimes.
MF: The way I looked at it, I must have purged myself that very first night,
because I never really had any -- I mean I've had a few dreams but they're not
really bad -- bad or just -- just leaving the house or whatever, yeah. What time
is it?
SB: Oh --um-- I'm curious too. Actually, let me check.
MF: Because time goes fast.
SB: Yeah, It's 9:30.
MF: Oh, can we have a 20 minute session?
SB: So --um-- who was with you at the --um-- at the hotel-motel?
00:29:00
MF: There was three of us, and the two dogs.
SB: Two dogs. And they let you have the dogs there?
MF: Yes!
SB: That's nice.
MF: And there were other people there from the fire too.
SB: Oh wow.
MF: At least two or three other families. It was packed, so. Well somebody said
that there was a raceway something there or speedway or whatever, so maybe they
were having some kind of race -- like races or car races, I don't know.
SB: Do you feel like it was mostly evacuees there?
MF: Um -- well we heard that there were at least three or four.
SB: Okay.
MF: Yeah, so there was more than just us.
SB: What was it like at the hotel, or what was it like sleeping on a bed that
wasn't your own?
MF: I think we were all so exhausted and -- you know -- emotionally drained that
I -- I slept good, but [chuckles] that one time.
SB: Was that the dream?
MF: Yeah.
SB: And then when you went to Elizabeth Swinney's house in Biggs --um-- what was
that like being there?
MF: She also has a dog -- a beautiful, beautiful dog and --um--we were very
00:30:00careful--um-- we had --um-- a bunch of --um-- Red Cross blankets. They were
white with the red lettering, and we put them down on her carpet in the living
room, because of the dogs. Yeah, and we were very careful. I mean Mia, our dog,
she -- she doesn't make messes but if you don't bring Minnie out periodically --
and then Kenneth would put these pads down. So we were a little bit apprehensive.
SB: Right.
MF: Being in someone else's home, you know?
SB: How long did you stay there?
MF: Well -- let's see -- we got there --um-- November what? 9th?
SB: Okay.
MF: Yeah. We got there Friday, and I think we left the 27th -- somewhere around there.
SB: Oh wow. Where did you go after that?
MF: I went up to Vallejo, and stayed with Kenneth's mother and stepdad.
00:31:00Elizabeth and Kenneth went to Paula Wood's house. You know her? She worked on
the first floor
SB: In Butte Meadows?
MF: They are really good friends and --um-- no in Forest Ranch.
SB: Forest Ranch, okay.
MF: Her and her husband Charlie yeah --um-- they-they went there because it was
closer to work, yeah.
SB: Um-- what was that like being apart?
MF: It was a little hard. You know I mean we have the phone but --um-- they --
they came for Christmas, they came for Thanksgiving. I was there for I think
--um-- forty-one days. Me and Cinna -- me and Mia, and of course Minnie [the
dog] was -- have been part of that family before.
SB: Oh yeah.
MF: Because Kenneth had a good home before they got married, so it was --um--
Mia and I, yeah.
SB: Yeah. Well that's really nice that you had some time to --
MF: Some -- yeah.
SB: -- to spend with them.
MF: Yeah.
SB: And then you got to be together for the holidays.
MF: Yes -- yes they came during the holidays. And -- uh -- then his mom --um--
00:32:00said, "Well we we can't have you sitting around we gotta find things for you to
do." She brought me to a senior center, and they had lunches just like the ones
that they had in my -- in Paradise. So she --um-- you know -- took me there and
I think the second time I went, this fellow sitting next to me said "Are you new
here?" I said, "Well I'm staying with some In-laws" Then he goes "Well where did
you come from?" And I went -- I said "Paradise." Everyone went to find out you
know what happened and all that, and then later he asked if he could take me to
dinner [chuckles]. And I just had met him -- I don't know. So I asked the other
gals if they knew him and they said, "Yeah he's a very nice guy" you know --
they trusted him so -- you know -- I had four dates with him [chuckles].
SB: Wow!
MF: Right away I told him -- I said "Whenever I go out with a fellow, I pay my
own way," and he said "Oh no no no no, that's not gonna be." I said "Okay I told
you!" Bob was his name.
SB: Bob?
00:33:00
MF: [chuckles] Bob, you can spell it either way.
SB: [chuckles]
MF: We still keep in contact a little once in a while. We'll call each other to
say hello, "How are you?", and --um-- I think it was either the day before
Valentine's Day -- he called me, but I didn't get to the phone. But he left me a
message saying "Happy Valentine's Day."
SB: Wow.
MF: Yeah. He's about three years older than me so, a little too far to have a relationship.
SB: Yeah.
MF: But Elizabeth and Kenneth -- when she met him, he would come from Vallejo
all the way to Paradise so --um-- it worked for them, but I'm not -- no -- no
thank you. I'm okay the way I am. I'm having too much fun. [Chuckles]
SB: [chuckles] Well!
MF: [laughs]
SB: I did not expect you to say that! That's awesome.
MF: Oh no, that's what I tell everybody I go, "I don't want to get involved" you
know? Some friends say "Why won't you get married?" Heck no, I'm gonna go on a
cruise this fall! Yeah, with the gal that said I saved her life, yeah.
SB: Oh nice.
MF: She's gone on a few of them and we always talked about going, and I said
00:34:00"Yeah why not?"
SB: Now is the time.
MF: I have a little bit of money now, so I can -- you know -- afford it.
SB: Well I wanted to ask you --um-- how -- so you stayed at your In-laws for
forty-one days you said?
MF: Mm-hmm.
SB: When did you --um-- get a sense of the fact that your house was gone? Right
away you said?
MF: Oh yeah right -- right away
SB: So how did you --
MF: Within days after the fire, friends called and they said they saw this big
ball of fire. Because they knew where my house was, and --um-- they said like a
--um-- it was huge. I mean, they said huge ball of fire. There was nothing left,
but the fence that my daughter put in for Mia because Siberian huskies are great
escape artists.
SB: Mm-hmm.
MF: Yup.
SB: Um-- is there anything you want to share about your shelter experience?
MF: Well let's see I went out on dates --um-- went to a couple of movies while I
00:35:00was there, and that's about it. And -- oh I went --um-- oh when I went with Bob
he brought me to his -- he lives with his son and daughter-in-law -- and --um--
he said "I want you to meet my family." So after dinner one time, I said "Sure
okay, why not?" And --um-- her mother sitting across from me -- she's about my
age, or a little or two years younger -- and --um-- for some reason she asked me
where I came from and at first I said "Santa Clara." Then I said something about
South San Francisco and then she said, "Did you go to high school there?" And I
said "Yes, and--um-- 1956-57." Then, so the daughter gets up and comes back with
--um-- some yearbooks.
SB: Oh!
MF: And I said "You won't find me in '57 because that's the year I got married."
So we looked at '56, and sure enough it was Mary Lou there -- me.
00:36:00
SB: oh wow!
MF: And her mom right below me.
SB: Oh wow!
MF: And then --um--
SB: That's incredible.
MF: -- during Christmas --um-- [Kenneth's] mom and stepdad belonged to the yacht
club, and there's like a bay there. They don't have a boat, but they belong to
it. And --um-- she said --um-- during Christmas, they put lights on the boats
and she said "We're invited to go on one of them," which was the biggest one and
live on it.
SB: Oh wow.
MF: And they have a dock, so they invited us. So we went and I'm sitting there
having a glass of red wine, and this guy across from me he goes "Did you say
your name was Lucy?" and I said, "Yes!" He goes "Do you know a Rob Lovett?" I go
"Yeah, he's my neighbor up in or was my neighbor up in --" he's the one that
came in the motor home--
SB: Oh!
MF: -- so I knew he had made it. He goes "Well I'm his brother in law."
SB: Oh wow.
MF: [laughs]
SB: Wow! What a small world.
MF: And then I remember he said, "I remember meeting you in Paradise," because
on Thursday nights I think it was, in one of the parks; they had music, they had
00:37:00vendors, food and all that. S0, he was there with Rob
SB: Oh.
MF: So I got to meet him, so I said, "I remember you."
SB: Wow.
MF: So that's two people that I knew one way or another, yeah
SB: Aw.
MF: That's weird.
SB: That's awesome.
MF: Yeah.
SB: Unexpected.
MF: Unexpected, yeah.
SB: That gives me hope.
MF: Yeah.
SB: Well I wondered if you could share with me some of your experiences of
recovery, because you know you've known since two weeks out of the fire --
MF: Mm-hmm.
SB: -- that your house was no longer there.
MF: Mm-hmm
SB: What did you think about the next steps for where you were going to live?
MF: Where we were going to look for -- you know -- rent a house and --um-- it
was hard because you have pets, and -- you know -- and the list was like this or
instead like that. So I think it was Elizabeth that said, "Well why don't we
look for a house to buy? Why -- like -- move twice?" So we --um-- we went around
00:38:00in the area near where Liz lives and also --um-- Gridley and we got a realtor,
and the reason we got this particular realtor was because her last name was
Murillo, M-U-R-I-L-L-O, and that was one of my sister's married name.
SB: Oh.
MF: And I thought that they might be related some way, but she said "No, she
didn't know anyone in the Bay area" or anything like that. So I -- uh -- we got
a nice --um-- actually it's a four bedroom house; one bedroom upstairs which we
have as a guest. In fact, a cousin or something or other of Kenneth is staying
with us -- nothing to do with the fire, she's just looking for a place. She must
have lived in --um-- I think -- where did she -- oh -- Grass Valley.
SB: Okay.
MF: Yeah. So anyway, we were able to find a house, yeah. We did it in a time
that Liz was gone because we were still in the area.
00:39:00
SB: Yeah.
MF: Yeah.
SB: That's really good.
MF: So between me being away Elizabeth bought a lot of things that we needed --
you know -- silverware, plates, cleaning equipment. And in fact --um-- Paula
Woods came to help to come and spruce up the place and stuff like that, yeah.
They're such good friends, yeah.
SB: That's awesome.
MF: And Paula -- little Paula we call her little Paula -- Paula Scholtes.
SB: Yeah.
MF: Yeah, we've been very blessed at --um-- we've had a lot of help along the way
SB: Yeah
MF: And --um-- one of my friends from Paradise she moved to Ohio when this
happened --um-- her cousin lives in Gridley.
MF: She's lived there for a little over a year so she was not involved in the fire
SB: Yeah.
MF: And either one told the other one, that Lucy lives in Gridley.
SB: Oh.
MF: Now so --um-- her name is --um-- Sandra and I met her-I've met her when she
lived in Paradise. So we've become good friends again.
00:40:00
SB: Nice.
MF: And she drives me around -- you know -- she says "Anywhere you need to go
Lucy, let me know."
SB: Aw
MF: And --um-- you know.
SB: I like that.
MF: Yeah.
SB: So, some who owned or rented their homes have documentation or insurance to
rely upon --um-- are -- back in a housing situation that works for them.
MF: Mm-hmm.
SB: Um -- can you share your experience working with the insurance companies?
MF: We -- we had --um-- Famers -- what am I supposed to say -- Farmers
Insurance, and I think it was like the first day that we were at the
Neighborhood church. Farmers Insurance was there along with the others --
Allstate and all the others. So we got in line, and that was the longest line.
The others had like one or two people. We jumped on it right away. And --um-- it
took like three hours they only had like 2 or 3 people helping. But they had a
truck there that was giving I think it was tomato soup - and it was cold- it was
00:41:00cold out there we were all with those blankets that you get. But we signed up we
gave them our information and everything
SB: Yeah
MF: Elizabeth- I should say Elizabeth does all the paperwork because she speaks
such of- such of when my husband when we put him in a home. When he died she did
all the paperwork for everything so --um
SB: Wow.
MF: I'm very blessed to have her in my life, yeah. So we lived -- we lived
together. They were going to live with me in Paradise, so it's still the same.
SB: Yeah
MF: But we- we --um-- and also my neighbor the one in his motor home -- he also
had Famers, and he said they were very good. I got friends that still need to
write everything down --um-- they are still fighting with them, and it's about
-- what three months? Yeah.
SB: Yeah
MF: But we were really blessed that things went quickly with us.
SB: Yeah.
MF: Yeah.
SB: Well it sounds like you had really got -- you know -- your daughter, because
she is
MF: Yeah, yeah she's a --
00:42:00
SB: Strong person.
MF: -- strong and --um-- you know the documentation was everything we needed,
and even when we did the FEMA thing and all that. And there was one young man
his name was Benjamin, and he was very sweet in the few times that I saw him.
And when he wasn't doing anything, I would just go over and say hello. So one of
the last times that we had to do some more paperwork we had just put our name in.
SB: Mm-hmm.
MF: And the guy said "It was going to be like a half an hour or forty minutes,"
so I happened to see Benjamin sitting there and the people had just gotten up to
leave. So I went over and said hi to him, and he sat down and he goes -- you
know we're talking -- "How are you doing?" -- You know -- "How's things going?"
And he said "What are you here for?" And I was like "Oh we all--" he said "Did
you already put your name in?" And I said "Yeah." and he said "It will be like
half an hour." He said "Okay, go tell your daughter to take you off and I'll
take care of you." He was so sweet and I wish I would've gotten his phone number
00:43:00just to tell him thank you again. And I think he said he also lost his house, yeah.
SB: Wow.
MF: Yeah, and he was very sweet.
SB: Wow --um-- can I ask you if there is anything else you would like to share
about recovery have you been home to see your house?
MF: We well --um-- there's no home it's just the property. The last time that we
went, Elizabeth and I not too long ago, the property next to us was all clear.
It was just shrubbery and trees and stuff, and it's all red dirt so when I saw
it driving up I said "My, gosh it's like we're on Mars" -- you know? Because
everything was just so red and clear -- it didn't even look like Paradise.
SB: Wow.
MF: We -- we -- I'm never going to rebuild. There are people who are gonna
rebuild, but by the time it got done I probably won't be here!
SB: Oh.
MF: [chuckles] Well -- you know -- you have to be realistic, so.
00:44:00
SB: Yeah.
MF: Yeah. So it's just a property. It's up to Elizabeth, and her brothers -- her
two brothers they can do --
SB: Okay.
MF: -- whatever they want with it.
SB: Yeah. Well I'm curious what, if anything, you are worried about for the
recovery efforts?
MF: I'm not worried because things went so well for us. We have a house, we have
all this -- you know -- we are very blessed with -- my husband always said "I
know nobody likes to have insurance," but he says "Someday we might need it."
And that day came.
SB: Yeah.
MF: and we were very -- more blessed than others. The people that I hear
complaining about their insurance, yeah.
SB: Yeah.
MF: They have to write everything down. And how could you remember everything? I can't.
SB: That's the trick.
MF: There are still things that I think I might go for like -- oh, for instance
my middle son made me -- um -- a little step stool when he was in high school,
and I was -- happened to mention it the other day and low and behold I go, "Oh
00:45:00we don't have it anymore." And we go, "Ashes." [Chuckles]
SB: Oh.
MF: Well, you know.
SB: Yeah.
MF: I can't cry about it because it's not going to come back. But there are some
things you can replace. My wedding book my album -- the album for -- you know --
my wedding, that's all gone. But my --um-- middles one's, my son that lives in
Arizona, they came a couple of weeks ago and I guess I had given him some copies
of our wedding, so they had some made out for us, yeah.
SB: That's wonderful.
MF: Yeah, so at least we have a little bit of that
SB: Yeah. So what gives you hope about recovery --
MF: Um--
SB: -- this fire?
MF: I think --um-- you know things like this, you see it happen all the time.
You see tornados and all that, and you always say "oh my gosh, you know? I'm
sorry for those people." And you say a little prayer whatever, but when it
happens to you it sure is a lot more. Now when I see something like that, it
00:46:00really puts you in perspective that "Wow I know what they are going through -- I
know what you are going through." Like -- like when we were going through
Alzheimer's with my husband, my daughter -- I always try to find something good
about something bad. So I think the thing is that we learned a lot about it.
SB: Yeah.
MF: And then we passed it on to other people.
SB: Yeah.
MF: And --um--so I learned to -- I'm-I'm never -- my, my glass is overflowing,
is the way I put it. My daughter says she -- she's realistic; she's not
optimistic, she's not pessimistic, she's just realistic. Me, I see -- not that
I'm seeing through things -- what do they say? -- rose colored glasses. I know
that there's good and there's bad and all that, but I just feel that you got to
be the best you can. Like I said pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start
00:47:00all over again. Yes I love music! I love to read, and we had people that --um--
that about two months ago they had a thing where they had collected books --
SB: Yeah.
MF: -- right here in Chico and they'll have another one in May.
SB: Yeah.
MF: And if there is any particular authors that you like they will try to find them.
SB: Oh nice.
MF: Yeah that's really, really nice.
SB: That's good.
MF: Yeah.
SB: Well you have such a positive attitude, and I'm really glad to talk to you.
MF: That's what I hear everybody say! That, "You're really positive." And I go
"Well, that's just my nature," you know? I've always been like that.
SB: I like it.
MF: Yeah.
SB: It's good. Well I'm going to go ahead and stop