Danielle Sink

We had takeout from this wonderful little place called Chino Bandito.

We had takeout from this wonderful little place called Chino Bandito.

Mm-hmm. Chino Bandito Tiki Audi. Ha ha.

Mm-hmm. Chino Bandito Tiki Audi. Ha ha.

It's delicious, but we always remember just the meal we had the night of the fire.

It's delicious, but we always remember just the meal we had the night of the fire.

And Jamaican, too, is a little hodgepodge.

And Jamaican, too, is a little hodgepodge.

We lived in a house that had gotten a little too small for our family, but we absolutely loved the neighborhood. So we bought some empty land a couple blocks away and spent a few years designing a house and saving up money to be able to build our dream house and then started building it in 1999.

We lived in a house that had gotten a little too small for our family, but we absolutely loved the neighborhood. So we bought some empty land a couple blocks away and spent a few years designing a house and saving up money to be able to build our dream house and then started building it in 1999.

I can walk out my front door and I can get onto the mountain and have a view across all the city and imagine all the people's lives going on in the twinkling lights you see.

I can walk out my front door and I can get onto the mountain and have a view across all the city and imagine all the people's lives going on in the twinkling lights you see.

It was, I think, a symbol of success. I was successful in my job. My husband was successful in his. We were building this big house that was going to be something we were really proud of. And we were excited to raise our children in it.

It was, I think, a symbol of success. I was successful in my job. My husband was successful in his. We were building this big house that was going to be something we were really proud of. And we were excited to raise our children in it.

The story about the fires was pretty much everywhere. Everyone at work was talking about it, and people would be saying, what happened? There was another fire. There was a lot of fear because these were big fires going up with huge amounts of flame. Houses nearby them were almost set on fire, and everyone was really concerned that someone was going to be injured or killed.

The story about the fires was pretty much everywhere. Everyone at work was talking about it, and people would be saying, what happened? There was another fire. There was a lot of fear because these were big fires going up with huge amounts of flame. Houses nearby them were almost set on fire, and everyone was really concerned that someone was going to be injured or killed.

Burn injuries are just kind of a horrifying thing, and so people who have very serious burns spend years getting multiple surgeries to recover from. It's just foolish and dangerous and cruel to put somebody through that.

Burn injuries are just kind of a horrifying thing, and so people who have very serious burns spend years getting multiple surgeries to recover from. It's just foolish and dangerous and cruel to put somebody through that.

Did we need extra insurance? Did we need to hire security? Did we need dogs to guard our properties?

Did we need extra insurance? Did we need to hire security? Did we need dogs to guard our properties?

Protecting the environment is a very good thought, but going about it in a way that is damaging, it doesn't help the cause and it doesn't help the earth. I just thought they were being complete idiots.

Protecting the environment is a very good thought, but going about it in a way that is damaging, it doesn't help the cause and it doesn't help the earth. I just thought they were being complete idiots.

The kids wanted to make sure that Santa knew how to come to the new house in addition to the old house. They were worried that, you know, if we moved, there might be a problem there.

The kids wanted to make sure that Santa knew how to come to the new house in addition to the old house. They were worried that, you know, if we moved, there might be a problem there.

The boys are having fun, and we're talking, and then suddenly my husband's like, there's helicopters. There were multiple helicopters that you could hear flying over.

The boys are having fun, and we're talking, and then suddenly my husband's like, there's helicopters. There were multiple helicopters that you could hear flying over.

The entire sky over the mountain was glowing. It was nighttime and you could see helicopters and flashing lights from fire trucks.

The entire sky over the mountain was glowing. It was nighttime and you could see helicopters and flashing lights from fire trucks.

There was a line of cars going all through the neighborhood.

There was a line of cars going all through the neighborhood.

He looked at me and said, our house is burning down. The fire and the glow were so big that we knew that the house was gone. There's no way the firefighters could have saved it.

He looked at me and said, our house is burning down. The fire and the glow were so big that we knew that the house was gone. There's no way the firefighters could have saved it.

You can see the flames going towards Tom's house from the wind, and I was very fearful that his house was going to burn, and if that burned, then the mountain would go up.

You can see the flames going towards Tom's house from the wind, and I was very fearful that his house was going to burn, and if that burned, then the mountain would go up.

The mountain looked pristine, and my lot was just a burned-out black apocalypse in the middle of this beautiful neighborhood.

The mountain looked pristine, and my lot was just a burned-out black apocalypse in the middle of this beautiful neighborhood.

Everything else was charred and black and on the ground.

Everything else was charred and black and on the ground.

And said, bam, this is yours. And he held out his hand and there was a little ceramic Santa Claus. He found it in the rubble, pulled it out of the rubble and gave it to me. Just the night before it had been bright red with rosy cheeks. And now he had baked in the fire back to just a plain white ceramic fireplace.

And said, bam, this is yours. And he held out his hand and there was a little ceramic Santa Claus. He found it in the rubble, pulled it out of the rubble and gave it to me. Just the night before it had been bright red with rosy cheeks. And now he had baked in the fire back to just a plain white ceramic fireplace.

Santa survived. Santa's still going to come.

Santa survived. Santa's still going to come.

There was nothing. There was nothing at all.

There was nothing. There was nothing at all.