It was 2:30 a.m. on August 31 when Stanley Mortel woke his family up and told them that they would have to leave their home in La Crescenta, a pleasant suburb nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains just a few miles north of Los Angeles.
Police cruisers with their blaring sirens drove up and down the street, urging residents to evacuate as the Station Fire drew too close for comfort.
"I just told my wife, 'let's go,'" Mortel told the Asian Journal. "We packed up our things — no clothes, no TV's, just documents, passports, loan documents... just things that comprise of our life — and left."
They made their escape as fire blazed on a mountainside, lighting up the dark night. Firefighters have yet to contain the raging inferno — and they don't expect to until September 15, according to the latest outlooks. The firefighters have made progress in some areas, and the Mortel's were allowed to return to the house shortly after their evacuation — but they remain on their toes.
"The fires are getting bigger and it's coming down," Mortel said. "A lot of our neighbors are out here with us just watching the fire and just expecting the call from the fire department. Hopefully, we don't get that call but if we do get it, we're ready to move out again."
The Station Fire and several others in Southern California have already claimed the lives of two firefighters, burned more than 150,000 acres, destroyed 53 homes, closed roads, sent people to emergency shelters, and pushed a large mushroom cloud of unhealthy smoke over the Los Angeles Basin.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proclaimed a state of emergency in Los Angeles County.
"California has the best and bravest firefighters on the front lines protecting our residents," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "I am confident California has emergency response resources in place to ensure the heroic men and women fighting these fires have the resources they need."
Some victims of the fire are still left to the fate of nature despite all of those resources. All the Mortel family can do is wait and watch the fires burn on the hillside near their home.
Mortel said that didn't think it was a big deal when the fires first broke out last in the Angeles National Forest.
"We thought it was a small fire that was going to be contained, but it got bigger and bigger," he said. "We didn't even think it would get this far but it did and it keeps going on all the way up to Acton which is about a 30 to 35 minute drive from here.
"It's kind of scary," he added. "We've lived here for about 22 years now, and leaving a home is not easy but we just need to do what we need to do. If they tell us we have to leave, we'll leave."
Mortel said these tragic events have brought his family closer together, putting things in perspective.
"It doesn't matter if we lose a house or everything that's material," he said. "As long as we're together that's all that really matters because we can start our lives all over again. "You know it's going to be difficult, but losing family members or losing one's life is not worth saving any of this."
Martel said he's counting on prayers for him, his family, and everyone affected.
"Your prayers will be greatly appreciated."
Joseph Pimentel is a writer for Asian Journal.
Photo by Joseph Pimentel
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