When destruction strikes, it often uproots more than just homes and physical structures – it tears apart the very fabric of society.
For Sarah Trepanier, a Navy veteran, single mother of four, and emergency room physician, California wildfires this week reduced her home and beloved community to ashes.
Trepanier and her family on Tuesday Evacuate their house In Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, on Swarthmore Avenue.
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The mother and her 14 year old daughterRemy Trepanier was in tears as they spoke with Fox News Digital about the loss of their home and how they managed to get out amidst the chaos and destruction. (Watch the video at the top of this article.)
“I decided to walk my dog a block while I was walking near Main Street on the ramp,” Sarah Trepanier said. “You can see a little bit Plume of smoke “Not on our hill, but on the hill to the left.”
Sarah Trepanier, an emergency physician and mother of four, second from right, lost her home and her entire community this week in the California wildfires. (Sarah Trepanier)
“As we were watching, it quickly went over the hill. Within 10 minutes, you could see this massive fire,” she said.
“This is miles away. It's not on our direct hill. So.” He is a doctorI'm usually pretty calm, but I'm like, “It's moving too fast.” that it.' “You could tell he was climbing over the hill,” she said.
“The winds were so strong, that's what caused this to happen at such a ridiculous pace,” she said.
“So we ended up trying to evacuate. Finally, when our neighbors were evacuating, we rushed outside the house,“The mother said.
Trepanier, originally from North Carolina, said she was accustomed to dealing with hurricanes and consulted her neighbors when leaving with a mutual acknowledgment that areas were being evacuated in phases.
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““The only thing we heard was that there were no deaths in Palisades, which shows the community that they know how to do this. They know that respectfully, let the people who are in the direct line go,” she said. “.
Trepanier said the fires moved so quickly due to strong winds that no one expected the city to be leveled. I took this photo. (Sarah Trepanier)
She added: “It was our neighbor who had lived there all his life. He was telling us to hang and see until the time came – and you could see he was coming towards the city.”
Remy's daughter said Every family member They only took one bag containing some clothes, as well as their dog and some dog food.
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“We just went out into the street, and it was like a dead zone. There was no one around, and it was grey, so we ended up having to find our way out through Santa Monica and into Venice, to get there.” hotel“, said the mother.
“We just see videos of my high school burning.”
When they heard that the fire had moved to their community, the daughter said her heart dropped.
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“We only see videos of me high school “It burned down and then went up in flames (the homes of) all our friends who live across the street from the high school,” the teen said.
“I'm getting all these texts (from) all my friends. One by one, they're losing their homes.”
Sarah Trepanier lost her home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, on Swarthmore Avenue. I took this photo above. (Sarah Trepanier)
Only two houses in the family's block survived the fire.
Sarah Trepanier is currently looking for a Rental property For her family.
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Through tear-filled eyes, the daughter expressed her admiration for her mother, reflected on her resilience and described how her mother remained calm and decisive.
Trepanier, a California evacuee and mother of four, said the hardest part was losing her entire community. She is now looking for a property to rent for her family. (Sarah Trepanier)
The daughter said: “She does not give herself enough credit,” noting that her mother served in the army Navy for active duty For four years and then in reserve for six years.
That's the hardest part to come to terms with, the mother said SchoolsLocal businesses and the entire city are now gone.
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“I think what stands out to me most (about) the house is this precious community that was so amazing… I don't think anyone ever imagined that (the fire) would wipe out the entire city.
A fundraiser was set up by a family friend on GoFundMe titled “Sarah's entire house was lost in California fires.”
