Article December 8, 2003 Issue

After the fire, the rebuilding begins

By Lori White

The Recent Wildfires in Southern California destroyed 3,600 homes and over 700,000 acres. Now, in the aftermath, several thousand people who lost everything in the fire are faced with rebuilding their homes and their lives.

Jack Lindsey and his sons, Dave and Dan, still remember the fire that destroyed their home in 1971. On a Friday morning in September, a fire had been reported in San Fernando Valley—30 miles away from the Lindseys' Malibu home on the beach. Jack remembers that the day was no different from any other day—Jack was at work, his son Dave, a high-school freshman, was at school, and his first wife, Jean, was preparing to pick up friends of theirs who would be visiting from San Francisco for the weekend. Because the fire was so far away, no one was particularly concerned.

However, as the day progressed, the fires got worse. That afternoon the fire crested over the foothills and headed toward the ocean. Dave, who could not get home after school, spent the night at a friend's house so he could attend a school dance. Jean, with dog in tow, left home to meet Jack and her friends at the Los Angeles airport. Blocked from returning home, Jack, Jean, the dog, and their friends decided to spend the night in a hotel and proceed with their weekend plans to attend an all-day spiri tual conference in town.

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