Station Fire - documentary by baby smith

[proffmongo]

WOW!!!

Your neighbors pictures were intense!!

Excellent video!! This needs to be featured!!

[artworkslive]

featured schmeatured....i just do what i do and am oh so glad you appreciate it. ; )

[PhilosopherFresh]

scary!

[getair]

Nice video Becky! Can not even imagine how bad that was!!!

[maynardcat]

Excellent video of a very frightening and devistating disaster. I had a similar experience due to a potential flood. I had moved everthing out, and my cousin and I had left in her van, my mom and 2 cats stayed with my loaded truck . The Natl Guard would not let us back in to get my 85 year old mother. I jumped out of the van,ran with the guard chasing me all the way home, got my mom, the cats and the truck out. The city handled the evac very poorly. A fire like this is very frightening

[artworkslive]

i'm glad to hear you and your loved ones made it to safety....it's hard to know how we'll react in such chaotic situations, but one always hopes the authorities will be swift and efficient. unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way. : /

[burtoncharlessmith]

Gee I don't know how I missed this video. I thought about you when I read on CNN about your area being evacuated. I'm glad things turned out ok.

That's a very beautiful area around there.

[artworkslive]

it's odd, now that there's nothing more than scorched earth behind our house, i'm looking back at photos and realizing just how thick and lush it really was before the fires. i don't think i fully appreciated it until it was gone. so now every little flower, bush and tree that sprouts out there will seem all the more glorious.

[fromruinstudio]

Oh baby......my hart goes out to you. I hope life gets back to normal soon. Keep singing your song that was a superbe video.

[artsycalgal]

I can relate. San Diego County has had very destructive fires twice in the last few years and we packed up both times but luckily were never given the order to evacuate. The fire was within less than a mile of us but the wind shifted as in your video. I know many who lost everything. It does make you re-evaluate what is important...the silver lining to an otherwise completely devastating situation. Fabulous documentary...really captured the experience. Firefighters don't get paid enough!!!!!

[egyptturnip]

wow glad your safe and well we have it easy in england . really well film

[kokohawk]

Wow! Too close for comfort. I have to admit that there were a couple of times that I got a little emotional. Those were when I was listening to your mom's message and then at the end when there were all of the messages around town thanking the firefighters. I didn't think that this video was going to be all that interesting but boy was I wrong. I had my eyes and ears glued to this video. You are so very lucky. Thank you so much for sharing this piece of your personal life. Glad you're well!

[artworkslive]

hey kokohawk, i'm glad you watched this and that it resonated with you....that means so much to me!

[longhairred]

♥

[ChristopherMast]

Holy shit!

[artworkslive]

i KNOW! i wish i would've had marshmallows....

[Wizjkahna]

I'm thinking that if you got approval from KCAL 9 to incorporate their newscasts in this documentary, YouTube may feature it.

[artworkslive]

i did ask all the news channels for permission, but never heard back, not surprisingly.

[ASECONDCHANCEAROUND]

I am speechless, I am just so happy you are ok.

((hug))

[artworkslive]

you are just THE best....

[jcmegabyte]

Great story! Well shot and edited. Glad you and your things are ok! :-)

[artworkslive]

and your time lapse shots were unreal. strikingly awe inspiring.

[IamNotTheMoon]

Great work, Baby!

[artworkslive]

hey, thanks!

[daligoddess2006]

Oh Baby! This film gave me goose bumps of the worst kind. I cried listening to the voice mails of your brother? and mom. Mother Nature has her way of reminding us how small we really are. What? The fire was deliberately set? omg--who would do something like that? I hope you are okay and I am sending positive thoughts out for you and the families of the fallen fire fighters. What a terrible tragedy. Love and hugs dear heart. xxxooo

[artworkslive]

i had to listen to mom's message over and over while editing this....needless to say, i had tissues nearby!

you are such a sweet soul and i appreciate all your loving comments....peace to you.

[LeSaMilano]

the worst of all seasons in California- fire season- thank you for sharing your personal story, so wonderfully edited.

Fingers crossed for a mild mudslide season.

[artworkslive]

really? i thought the earthquake season was the worst....actually, i've only experienced a few baby quakes since moving here almost 8 years ago.  i swear though, between all the fires, mudslides, and earthquakes, i think mother nature's out to get us!

[UnluckyMum]

This is a fantastic documentary, thanks for sharing. So glad you are all OK :)

[artworkslive]

aaaaaw, thanks unluckymum.....and thanks for watching!

[tommy30507]

This video is awesome. I am SO GLAD you're okay. Actually, I don't know what else to say. Powerful images. I wish this video would be FEATURED on YouTube....

[artworkslive]

aaaaaw ronnie, you are such a sweetie pie!

[beatmover]

That was a Don La Fontaine voice-over shy of "Hades: The Motion Picture." My heart goes out to those who lost so much in this needless tragedy. Firefighters and law enforcement are truly underpaid.

Thank you for sharing your story.

[artworkslive]

in a world, where smoke fills the night sky and fire engulfs every city block, firefighters and law enforcement will be there...

man, i miss his voice!

[w0nd3rwomyn]

Wow, Baby!

I'm glad that you evacuated and everything worked out.

I once had to decide what belongings mattered most to me, then run from a hurricane. So, I feel ya girl.

Great vid!

Rock On, Baby Smith! ;)

[artworkslive]

WhAT? wonderwomyn ran from a hurricane? say it ain't so! you could've just used your super human powers and blown that storm right back into the ocean.

seriously though, hurricane's are bad ass. my mom moved to SC shortly before HUGO and has been dealing with them ever since....

[w0nd3rwomyn]

LOL

That hurricane(Dennis) didn't end-up doing what we thought it would in our area, so maybe my powers did save us ;)

We braved Katrina though, just had us a little hurricane party, woot woot. Couldn't just let all that beer go flat in the fridge, lol.

[Wizjkahna]

Nice work! I love how you incorporated a number of different media elements to tell the story. ...Oh yeah, and I'm glad you're safe too.

[artworkslive]

thanks for noticing the little details, those are the parts that take so much work. ; )

[barryperrins]

I was on the west coast afew years ago after one of these fires so I can guess what you went though. I'm glad you are safe.

Cheers, barry.

[artworkslive]

kinda goes with the territory 'round here, unfortunately....next stop, mudslides!

[bloodangel13]

Wow, I dunno what to say...

Great work documenting it.

[artworkslive]

thanks for watching, i appreciate anybody who can sit through a 10 minute video! ; )

[DonfromMT]

It's strange to be in the audience, appreciating this for it's artistry but knowing it means pain and frustration to you and to others. It's the wonderful thing about art that it can talk about all aspects of life, especially painful ones, but I almost feel guilty enjoying this. That call from your mom(?) nearly broke my heart. Fine work as always, Baby, but much more vulnerable and touching. Take care of yourself, please.

[artworkslive]

i agree, there is a certain innate beauty in nature, even the destructive parts....sort of like a volcano erupting or a tornado ripping through farmland.

when i was walking through that neighborhood where the fire took a turn, i had sort of a zen moment. i could HEAR the fire as it approached, like a steady wind, and i almost felt ALONE with the fire. it was breathtaking. but part of me felt guilty for getting a rush from that.

[JeffN727]

Wow that was close!

Look at it this way. At least you had time to gather up some things and leave, unlike if your house caught fire suddenly and you had to get out quick.

California: Expensive real estate that gets swallowed up by earthquakes, mudslides, wildfires, ETC.

I think I'll stay in Michigan.

[artworkslive]

you have a point....it was sort of agonizing stewing over what i should take. i thought about taking some artwork, but realized if i took one piece, i'd have to take it all. it really forced me to look at my relationship with 'things.'

and you can't escape mother nature - don't you have tornados in michigan? i'm from iowa....

[JeffN727]

Hehe! Yup. But we haven't had much severe weather this year. Last year we did though. Been kind of a cool and rainy summer though.

And lots of snow in winter, but you get used to that.

Glad you made it through OK.

[XxJAGGEDlittlePILLxX]

Wow, this was really moving especially given that fires are unfortunately one thing Australia is famous for...It does make me wonder if arsonists ever stop and consider the fact that they're also murderers, vandals and thieves? I hope that maybe some of them watch this and wake up to the fact that it's not just a harmless prank. Not ever.

[artworkslive]

*sigh* i just wish arsonists would do everyone a favor and set themselves on fire....and preferably NOT in a wooded area.

[ExactLeigh]

omg i cant even imagine... i cant belive someone would deliberatly do that... and it spread that much and killed all those people... wow thats tramatic im so sorry !

[artworkslive]

i can't fathom it either.....i just hope whoever did this will pay dearly.

[ExactLeigh]

you know i rarely wish bodily harm upon another person but... i think i can in this situation.. i agree with you, i hope whoever did that will pay!

[JimmerSD]

I'm so happy that you came through it well :)

That was a great photojournal of the events. You are so talented.

[artworkslive]

thanks jimmer!

making this really helped me to process my emotions about the whole ordeal. i was sort of in a blur when it happened, so i'm glad i had the camera stuck on me 24/7.

i figure i still have earthquakes and mudslides to contend with....oh joy.

[dl737]

Riveting - and the pictures were unreal. Thanks for the first hand account of what we have only been seeing thru the news. Just wow.

[artworkslive]

so glad you appreciated my perspective....it was therapeutic for me to do this, having never experienced this level of danger.

[hallbe]

So sad...Looks very hard to take

[artworkslive]

it's astonishing to me how many people have been affected by this. sadly, we now have to brace ourselves for impending mudslides. the price you pay for living in paradise, i guess?

[russbuss415]

wow, i was just down in toluca lake last weekend and could see the smoke from the distance. had no idea you were so close to the fire. glad to see you're okay. very well put together video.

[artworkslive]

this fire is MASSIVE, isn't it? i've seen some satellite images that'd make your jaw drop. i'll bet you can even smell the from in SF!

[TheHairyGeek]

scary stuff, i'm glad you were ok

[artworkslive]

i have a whole new respect for firefighters....and mother nature!

[timm19752000]

my house burned down when i was a kid. it truly sucks to lose everything. i quess i would take stuff that cant be replaced. pictures etc etc but nothing is worth your life. great video.. 5 stars

[artworkslive]

oh! you poor thing.....i'm sorry you had to go through such a traumatic experience. : (