On January 7, local time, a wildfire broke out in the western region of Los Angeles, for a time, the scene of heavy smoke covered the sun, the sky was dyed a terrible red, and the air was filled with a pungent burnt smell, as if the end of the world had come. The cause of the fire has been speculated to be the result of a combination of severe drought and “devil winds”, but officials have not yet given an exact statement.
The fires are fierce, extremely difficult to control, and constantly spreading. So far, 124 wildfires have burned across California, covering an area of more than 164 square kilometers, almost the size of Los Angeles. The fire broke out more than 30 kilometers from the city and has now spread to the Hollywood Hills, and the world-famous Hollywood Sign is also surrounded by smoke. The homes of many Hollywood stars in Los Angeles were not spared, including those of Paris Hilton, Tom Hanks and Anna Faris.
Faced with the disaster, the local government evacuated 150,000 residents. The fires have left at least 25 people dead, 29 missing and 12,000 buildings destroyed.
In the face of disaster, people subconsciously protect what is most important to them. Resident “Nina” managed to evacuate with her daughter and two puppies before the fire spread; Former US Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr., who chose to save his dog rather than win 10 Olympic MEDALS amid the smoke and flames; Anna Havelich, a 47-year-old veterinarian, has taken in 41 animals since the fires began and opened her home and two animal hospitals to provide temporary shelter for the displaced animals.
A frightened dog barked with its tail between its legs after a fire engulfed his home, allowing firefighters to put out the blaze and calm him until he could be picked up by his family.
And amid this disaster, there is one story that is particularly moving. When the bushfire broke out, the two dogs of the man “Colvin” were trapped in their home. After hearing the news, he was so distraught that he rented a bicycle in a hurry to go back and save the dog. But his home was in a dangerous area, with roads blocked and no access. Colvin broke down in tears and pleaded with police, saying the dogs were so well-behaved and obedient that they would wait for him at home and he couldn’t lose them because the dogs were his family.
With the help of enthusiastic firefighters, Colvin found the black dog Tika Tika Tika, but the other dog, Oreo, is still missing. Still, he didn’t give up the search. Colvin posted the search online while trying to locate the Oreo using the pet’s AirTag. Finally, a few days later, people reported seeing Oreo wandering through the ruins of their neighbor’s house.
Five days after the disaster, with the help of a professional dog catcher, Colvin returned to his fire-ravaged home. In the wreckage, he found the frightened Oreo. Oreo paused for a moment to recognize Colvin, then desperately jumped over the fence and into Colvin’s arms. The joy of finding the dog and the man hugged each other tightly, and Colvin cried and lifted Oreo into the air, his emotions infusing the passers-by around him.
Although Colvin’s house has been burned to ashes, he understands that as long as his family is still there, home will exist. In this disaster, he insisted on interpreting the love of pets, but also let people see that as long as they do not give up, there will be hope for reunion. I hope this disaster will end soon and all the people and animals will be safe.
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