Chapters
Shownotes Transcript
Rochelle Sanders cradles her baby boy in her arms as she softly hums him a tune. She wants him to feel safe and to do that, she knows she needs to stay calm, but she's struggling to hold it together. When she looks outside through the window of the birthing suite at Feather River Hospital, she can see the sky darkening with smoke. It's a little after eight in the morning on November 8th, 2018.
A wildfire is racing toward the town of Paradise, and the hospital is being evacuated. A few minutes ago, her husband Chris drove off to help his elderly mother leave town. Now, Sanders is alone with her infant son Lincoln, waiting for someone to come and take them to an ambulance. Sanders is startled as the door to her hospital room bursts open. Four hospital staffers enter.
Their faces grim. An orderly pushes a wheelchair to the side of Sanders' bed. A nurse takes Lincoln from her arms. Sanders feels fear jolt through her. She wants her newborn close to her, but before she can say anything, one of the orderlies starts helping her out of bed.
"Put your arm around my shoulder. We're going to move you to a wheelchair." A pain shoots through her abdomen. Last night, Sanders had a C-section, and her whole body is aching. As they try to lift her up, her knees buckle, but the orderlies catch her and lower her into the wheelchair. The nurse plops a pillow on Sanders' lap and hands Lincoln back to her. Sanders feels a wave of relief as she holds his tiny body.
One of the orderlies pushes her into the hallway. It's complete chaos. Patients in wheelchairs and gurneys line the walls. Staff members sprint back and forth. "I need a gurney in 22B." "Behind you." "Sickest patients to the front of the line." As they roll towards the exit, the nurse paces alongside them, telling Sanders the plan. Lincoln was born two weeks premature and isn't ready for discharge. Rochelle is still recovering.
They need to be transferred to another hospital as soon as possible. Mrs. Sanders, we're getting you and your baby into an ambulance that's going to take you to Enloe Medical Center in Chico. Sanders nods, making a mental note to call Chris and let him know where they're headed as soon as they're underway. As the doors to the parking lot slide open, Sanders is overwhelmed by the smell of smoke. Glowing embers sail through the air.
Sanders watches as two other patients are loaded into an ambulance nearby. She gently strokes Lincoln's head. Don't worry, little guy. We're going to get out of here real soon. As the siren fades off into the distance, Sanders looks around the parking lot and is struck by a cold realization. She looks up at the nurse. Where are the other ambulances? Wait here.
The nurse takes off to talk with other hospital staffers, leaving Sanders alone. Fear surges through her. Hospital staff, patients, and family members keep pouring into the parking lot, desperate to flee. Sanders sees flames start to flicker at the juniper bushes surrounding the lot.
She holds Lincoln tight against her chest and covers his face with her arms. She needs to get her baby out of paradise before the town is consumed by the flames. In our fast-paced, screen-filled world, it can be all too easy to lose that sense of imagination and wonder.
If you're looking for new ways to ignite your creativity and open your mind to fresh perspectives, then let Audible be your guide. Whether you listen to stories, motivation, or any genre you love, you can be inspired to imagine new worlds, new possibilities, and new ways of thinking.
There's more to imagine when you listen. Plus, as an Audible member, you'll get one title a month to keep from their entire catalog. If you're into mythology, then I recommend the title Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. He's an amazing storyteller that narrates this unique version of the Norse myths.
Listen along. New members can try Audible free for 30 days. Visit audible.com slash the odds or text the odds to 500-500. That's audible.com slash the odds or text the odds to 500-500. Against the Odds is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you aren't just listening right now. You're driving, cleaning, and even exercising. But what if you could be saving money by switching to Progressive?
Drivers who save by switching save nearly $750 on average, and auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Multitask right now. Quote today at Progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.
From Wondery, I'm Cassie DePeckel, and this is Against the Odds.
♪♪ ♪♪
All 27,000 residents were ordered to evacuate, but Paradise only had a few roads leading out of town. As people fled to safety, traffic along the main thoroughfares slowed to a crawl, leaving residents stranded as flames advanced. This is Episode 2, Bottleneck.
Rochelle Sanders clenches her jaw in pain as two orderlies lift her into the passenger seat of a white Nissan sedan. It's only been 12 hours since her C-section. An orderly puts a hand on her shoulder. Ow, ow, ow, ow. You all right? Yeah, I'm okay. It's 8.10 in the morning, and fire is bearing down on Feather River Hospital in Eastern Paradise, California.
Moments ago, the last of the ambulances pulled away, leaving dozens of patients stranded at the hospital. Staffers are now taking matters into their own hands, evacuating patients in their own cars. A nurse hangs Sanders' IV on the rearview mirror. Then she throws a blanket over Sanders' lap and places Lincoln against her.
Sanders looks around the parking lot. Nurses, techs, and orderlies are clearing out their cars to make room for patients. Sanders can't believe it's coming to this. She's relying on a complete stranger to drive her and her newborn son to safety. The nurse hands Sanders an N95 mask. Mrs. Sanders, this will protect your lungs from the smoke. What about the baby? I...
I'm sorry, we don't have masks that small. Sanders slips the mask over her mouth and nose. She reaches for her seatbelt, but the nurse stops her. No seatbelt. It could reopen your incision. The nurse slams the door shut before Sanders can even respond. The driver gets in and immediately starts the car.
My name's David. I'm a medical tech here at Feather River, and I'm gonna get you to Chico. Thank you, David. I'm Rochelle. This is Lincoln. He looks like he's in his late 50s with a white beard. He's wearing a fleece vest over gray scrubs. Sanders suddenly feels vulnerable in her thin hospital gown, sitting next to a man she's never met.
David backs the car out and turns onto Pence Road, the main avenue on the east side of town. Sanders stares out the window. It feels like every bush and tree around the hospital parking lot is on fire, and the temperature inside the car is rising.
She tries to call her husband, Chris, but the call fails. She closes her eyes and slowly exhales to keep herself calm. When her eyes open, she realizes they're about to drive past her house. She looks out the window at the trash bins on the curb, waiting for pickup.
at the mailbox with the red flag turned up. She wishes she could ask David to stop the car so she could go inside and take it all in. But she stays quiet as the car rolls past her home. She turns and looks at it for as long as she can. Just a couple of hours ago, she was thinking about decorations for Lincoln's nursery. Now, she wonders if she'll ever see her house again.
Police officer Rob Nichols pounds on the door of a small house in Central Paradise. Police! There's a fire!
There's a fire. You need to leave now. He's on a side street off Clark Road, one of the main thoroughfares that runs through Paradise and all the way out of town. It's 8:15 in the morning. Nichols has been training a rookie officer, and now the two of them are going door to door evacuating residents. Sweat pours down his face. His knuckles are already raw. Not far from where Nichols is standing,
a ponderosa pine has become engulfed in flames, spraying embers and glowing pine needles into the air. He can hear alerts on his radio. Spot fires are popping up all over town. Nichols knows there aren't enough fire engines to put them all out.
He knocks on the door again. It opens, and a middle-aged woman in an oversized t-shirt and flannel pajama pants squints at him. What's going on? Ma'am, there's a fire. You need to leave now. The woman crinkles her brow, confused. I checked my phone a second ago. I didn't get an evacuation warning. I signed up with the city to get them. I don't know what's up with that, but the fire is here. You need to go now.
The woman's eyes go wide as she looks past him at the burning pine tree. She nods and hurries back inside. Nichols heads to the next house. Halfway there, his radio chirps. "Officer Nichols, there's a spot fire two miles north of your current location. We need you to respond immediately." Nichols received and responding.
- Nichols heads to the cruiser, whistling loudly to get the rookie's attention. - Kyle, we gotta go! - The younger officer hustles back from his side of the street and to the car. But when Nichols tries to turn onto Clark Road, it's completely jammed with vehicles heading out of town. Nichols turns on his siren.
Come on! But there's no room for anyone to pull over. Nichols is stuck. His stomach sinks as he looks at the line of cars in a standstill in front of him. How on earth is everyone going to make it out of paradise? ♪
Cal Fire dispatcher Beth Bowersox crawls on her living room floor as her dad lifts one end of her couch into the air. "Hurry up, this thing's heavy." "I know, sorry. Petey's a crafty little bugger." Bowersox can see her cat squeezed under the section of the couch that's still on the ground. She lunges forward and grabs Petey by the scruff of the neck. "I'm sorry, buddy, but it's for your own good. I promise."
It's 8.30 in the morning on the east side of Paradise. Half an hour ago, when Bowersox was back at the command center in Oroville, the Cal Fire Division commander told her to place half of Paradise under an evacuation order. But Bowersox knew from the calls coming in that the fire was moving too fast. She flouted the chain of command and ordered the whole town to evacuate.
Then she got in her car and drove to her house in paradise to evacuate her three beloved cats. Bowersox maneuvers Petey into his carrier. "Thanks for coming over, Dad. There's no way I was leaving these guys to fend for themselves." Her dad, a retired firefighter, nods. They scoop up the cat carriers and head outside. The air is hazy, thick with smoke, but they can't see any flames.
They load the cats into the backseat of her dad's car. Bowersox spots her neighbors hitching a trailer to their car. "Be right back. I gotta talk to these guys. Make it quick!" As Bowersox approaches them, she doesn't waste any time with small talk. "When you leave, avoid the Skyway." For most people in Paradise, the Skyway is their go-to route out of town. It's the biggest of the four main thoroughfares, and usually it's the fastest.
But from years working as a first responder, Bowersox knows that when people are scared, they gravitate toward the familiar. That means thousands of cars are likely to converge on the skyway. I came into town on Pence Road and it was clear, that's your best way out.
The neighbors thank her. As she walks back to her car, Bowersox glances around the cul-de-sac she calls home. She doesn't see any of her neighbors, except the ones with the trailer. She's glad they all seem to have heeded the call to evacuate. Bowersox gets back to her dad and gives him a quick hug. As she pulls away, a gust of wind blows smoke straight into their faces. Her dad looks grim. This is going to be a bad one.
Bowersocks nods. She looks back at her house, trying to etch it in her memory in case it's the last time she sees it. It's her first house, and she loves it. She's grateful for the years of shelter and the happy memories it provided. Then, she and her dad get in their cars and head in the direction of Pence Road. Bowersocks steals one last glance in her rearview mirror as her home disappears from sight.
Kevin McKay opens the doors to school bus 963. A teacher in her early 50s with dark brown hair leads a group of kids down the sidewalk towards the bus. Right this way, everyone. One by one, they climb the steps, filing past McKay as they look for a seat. He doesn't recognize any of the kids from his usual route. There are 5th graders, 4th graders, 5th graders,
Some look as young as kindergarten. Their faces are pale and withdrawn, their eyes filled with fear. It's 8:45 in the morning on the eastern edge of paradise. Ponderosa Elementary School is under an evacuation order.
Teachers and administrators have spent the last hour calling parents and telling them to pick up their children. But they can't wait any longer. McKay's been tasked with driving these 22 students about 20 miles away to a school in the town of Chico. Their parents will be able to come get them there. The teacher stares up at McKay suspiciously. Who are you? I thought I knew all the bus drivers. My name's Kevin McKay.
The teacher's face softens. She introduces herself as Mary Ludwig, a second grade teacher. She turns to the students on the bus and tells them that Mr. McKay is going to return them to their parents. Ludwig hands McKay a stack of paperwork. McKay nods.
As Ludwig turns to exit the bus, a bolt of panic surges through McKay. She's leaving him? He can't drive the bus through a fire and take care of 22 terrified kids at the same time. "Wait, I need you to come with me." Ludwig hesitates. "Please, these kids need someone they know and trust to be with them. They've never met me." Ludwig is silent for a moment and then nods. She tells him to wait and exits the bus.
McKay watches as she flags down another teacher. McKay can't hear what they're saying, but he sees Ludwig gesturing toward the bus.
McKay glances in his mirror. Aside from the occasional sniffle and muffled whimper, the students are quiet, so different from his usual boisterous group of kids. Ludwig comes back onto the bus, along with the other teacher. Ludwig introduces her as Abby Davis, a kindergarten teacher. Ludwig pauses before going to her seat and claps McKay on the shoulder. You better be a really good driver. McKay pulls the bus out of the parking lot.
His plan is to take Wagstaff Road west and then head south on Clark Road. Clark cuts right through the middle of Paradise. It's the second biggest thoroughfare off the ridge and into the valley below. He knows all the roads will be backed up, but he hopes Clark will be less crowded than Skyway.
But as he makes the turn onto Wagstaff, he can't believe what he sees. Flames roar on both sides of the road. Houses, trees, bushes, all on fire. The kids behind him start coughing. McKay's throat burns from the smoke. He grips the steering wheel tight. His heart pounds as he eases the bus between the flames. When he became a driver a few months ago, he never guessed it would come to this.
Today, McKay's job is to return these kids to their parents. And he'll have to pass through an inferno to do it. When you're hiring, time is of the essence. That's why more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide use Indeed to find exceptional talent fast. Indeed's powerful matching engine works quickly. So quickly that, according to Indeed data worldwide, every minute, 23 hires are made on Indeed.
But it doesn't stop there, because Indeed also helps you hire better. 93% of employers agree Indeed delivers the highest quality matches compared to other job sites, according to a recent Indeed survey. That's because their matching engine is always learning from your preference. So the more you use Indeed, the better it gets.
So let Indeed be your go-to for making great hires quickly and easily. And listeners of the show, get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at Indeed.com slash the odds. Just go to Indeed.com slash the odds right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com slash the odds. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? You need Indeed.
These days, it feels like we're all just on the hunt for ways to optimize our health and feel our absolute best. The only problem is, with all these supplements out there, it can be really tough to know which ones are actually worth your time and money. That's where today's sponsor Symbiotica comes in. Symbiotica is a premium supplement brand that's raising the bar when it comes to purity, potency, and efficacy. Their supplements are formulated with high-quality ingredients. That's why their formulas don't have any seed oils, preservatives,
toxins, artificial additives, or natural flavors. Plus, while most supplements can taste chalky or sulfuric, Symbiotica's supplements have amazing flavors like citrus lime, vanilla chai, or wild berry. I've been loving the magnesium supplement from Symbiotica. Being low in magnesium, I've made it a priority lately to take it consistently. I love how I can take it on the go and ensure I'm never missing a dose. Feel more energized, alert, and balanced with high-quality supplements that work.
Head over to Symbiotica.com and use code ODDS for 20% off and free shipping on your subscription order. Lon Walker presses down the gas pedal of his big rig. The logs loaded in the back shift and groan as the vehicle picks up speed. He needs to get home as soon as possible.
It's almost nine in the morning and Walker has just learned that a fire is roaring through his hometown of Concow, California. He's a hundred miles east on a twisting mountain highway. His wife Ellen is back at their house right now, alone. She's frail and suffers from frequent migraines and fibromyalgia. Some days she can barely make it to the bathroom on her own. If she's going to escape this fire, she's going to need help.
Walker changes lanes to pass a slow driver. He dials Ellen's number on his cell phone. Yesterday, he took her into town to get her hair done. Even a simple errand like that can exhaust her. She could still be sleeping it off. The call goes to voicemail. Walker grips the steering wheel and pushes down harder on the accelerator. He prays that God keeps Ellen safe until he can get to her.
Rochelle Sanders rocks her newborn son Lincoln, but the baby keeps fussing and crying. Come on, little guy. Everything's okay.
It's a little after 9:00 in the morning. It's been almost an hour since a hospital worker named David agreed to drive Sanders and Lincoln out of town. Since then, they've barely traveled a mile. Sanders has been trying her husband Chris all morning to tell him their plans, but so far, none of the calls have made it through.
David steers the car onto Billy Road, one of the three major avenues that run through the middle of paradise. Sanders knows that if they head west on Billy Road, they'll hit two of the main thoroughfares out of town: Clark and Skyway. But a few moments after they make the turn, David brings the car to a halt. They've hit total gridlock. It seems like every car in town is trying to leave.
Sanders peers out the window. Smoke has turned the sky black. Farther down the road, she can see clouds of orange where the fire is consuming structures. She doesn't see any flames in their immediate vicinity, but she can see that those orange clouds are growing. It feels like it's just a matter of time before the fire reaches the trees and buildings near their car. She checks the air conditioning. It's cranked all the way up.
but the air inside is still stifling. Sanders should have known the traffic would be like this. The four main roads off the mountain can barely handle normal rush hour traffic, let alone a mass exodus. Sanders turns to David. "I'm sorry.
"I need to feed him." David nods and keeps his eyes locked on the road ahead. "Do what you need to do. I'll just focus on the road." Sanders nods, grateful for David's casual response.
The traffic begins to move, and then a gust of wind kicks up, briefly clearing the smoke ahead. Sanders can see more of the cars crawling forward ahead of them. One of them is an unmistakable white Chevy Suburban with an honor roll sticker on the back bumper. "That's Chris! That's my husband!" She pleads with David to follow him. Before David can respond, there's a bright flash on the road ahead.
a car near the white Suburban has burst into flames. Sanders watches as her husband swerves off the road to avoid it. The Suburban disappears into a thick cloud of black smoke. Sanders' heart pounds.
Please. David shakes his head. I can't. I don't know where the fire is. I don't want to risk driving straight into it. Please. He's right there. No, I'm not risking it. I won't be responsible for driving you and your baby into a fire. Sanders sobs. Her husband is so close, but she can't get to him.
Instead, she's trapped in a car with a total stranger while the entire world burns around her.
Kevin McKay clutches the steering wheel of school bus 963 as an ember smacks against the windshield. Fire rages on both sides of the road, but his bus is barely moving. McKay is headed west on Wagstaff Road on the northern side of town. He's trying to get to Clark Road, which he plans to follow south to escape the ridge. But traffic is way worse than he imagined. He
He focuses on the brake lights ahead of him, trying to block out everything else. Behind him, he can hear Abby Davis, the kindergarten teacher, crying on the phone with her fiancé. In his mirror, he sees Mary Ludwig, the second grade teacher, staring out the window in shock. A kid in the front seat leans forward. Mr. McKay, what time is it? Just after nine o'clock. Nine o'clock at night or in the morning?
McKay doesn't blame the kid for being confused. The smoke has blocked out the sun and made things pitch dark outside. McKay hears another boy worrying aloud that his cat is going to burn in the fire. The kid is getting hysterical, and it's becoming contagious. McKay beckons both teachers to the front of the bus. He needs to keep his passengers occupied and distracted. He looks to Ludwig.
I need you to take roll. Write down every kid's name and then make two copies. One for each of us. Why? Because if anything happens, the authorities need to know who was on the bus. Ludwig swallows and nods. McKay turns to Davis. Can you pair up the older kids with the younger ones? That way they can look after them. Davis nods and the two of them head to the back of the bus to get to work.
Finally, McKay is able to hang a left onto Clark Road. As he rolls slowly past the bank and the Subway restaurant, McKay sees fire consuming the trees and bushes on both sides of the road.
Suddenly, an RV veers in front of him. Anger flashes through McKay as he slams on the brakes to avoid a crash. He wants to yell and swear and flip this guy the bird, but he stops himself. He doesn't want the students to see him upset. McKay takes a few deep breaths, calming himself down.
He switches on the lights that illuminate the bus interior and all its passengers. He's not going to yell or honk his horn, but he's going to make sure every driver knows that this bus is transporting children. He wishes he could do more to keep the kids safe, but all he can do is keep driving. At least they made it to Clark Road. Now they can start heading out of town and off the ridge.
Anna Dees sprays a hose, soaking the dirt and vegetation around her house. She pauses for a moment and looks up at the sky. It's taken on an eerie gray color that grows darker towards the east.
Nearby, her father Gordy thins out the underbrush with a weed whacker. Gordy's in his 60s and has lived here in Butte Creek Canyon for over 30 years. He has a checklist he goes through anytime there's a fire in the area. Step one is to create a defensible space around their home.
If the fire arrives, they want to slow it down and protect the structure. A little while ago, Deese and her father learned that the fire had made it to Paradise, just a few miles east of their home. They got to work right away. Deese knows that her dad doesn't want to evacuate. This property is his baby. He's lived on it since the early 1990s, before Deese was born.
He grows vegetables and marijuana and fixes up old cars and motorcycles. He's never going to let it burn without a fight. Gordy approaches Deese and points to a dry patch of land. "You missed a spot." Deese nods and sprays it down.
Gordy claps her on the back. You're doing good, Anna. Dee smiles. She and her father have radically different politics and disagree on everything from motorcycle helmet laws to gay marriage. But they see eye to eye on this. This is their home, and they're going to defend it. 100.9, the end of the month.
Cal Fire emergency dispatcher Beth Bowersox stares at a blank space on her cubicle wall, giving all her attention to the voice on the other end of the phone. The woman is calling because she can see the fire coming. The fear is evident in her voice. The fire is everywhere. Do you have a car? Yes.
I'm going to... I need you to get in the car and go right now. All the fire engines are tied up. I can't send anyone to help you. Okay. She hangs up. Bowersox takes a breath. It's late morning. Since getting back to the command center, Bowersox has been answering 911 calls nonstop. It's exhausting.
Over and over, she has to tell frightened people that there isn't anything she can do to help them. Many people have been caught off guard by the fire, unaware of the evacuation orders. Butte County uses a system called Code Red to issue emergency alerts, and a quarter of the region's residents have signed up for them. For some reason, it seems like very few are getting the alerts. But Bowersox doesn't have time to dwell on it.
"911, what's your emergency?" "Everybody's gone." A chill goes through Bowersox. She knows that voice. It belongs to her neighbor, Sarah Magnuson. She's in her 70s and showing early signs of dementia. She gets confused easily and often calls 911. Bowersox knows her car was recently impounded after she was caught driving with a suspended license, so she doesn't have her own transportation.
"Sarah, it's Beth from across the street. Do you remember me?" "Who?" Bowersox realizes that Sarah has no idea who she is. She doesn't have time to explain. "Where are you right now?" "I'm in my bathtub. The power's out. The fire... I'm in my bathtub. Everybody's gone."
Bower Socks closes her eyes and does her best to keep her voice steady. She needs to stay calm for Sarah. Sarah, I need you to listen to me. You need to go. Just leave your house and start running, okay? I'm in my bathtub. I know, but you have to leave. Someone will see you and help you.
Through the phone, Bowersocks can hear the wind and the fire crackling. Somebody help me. You have to go, Sarah. You have to.
Sarah? Sarah, can you hear me? Sarah? Bowersock struggles to breathe. She chucks off her headset and rushes into the bathroom. In the stall, tears gush down her face. She got into this line of work to help people, but the fire has overwhelmed the response team, draining all their resources. She's never felt so powerless. She
She takes deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She needs to get back to her desk and answer the next call. This season, Instacart has your back-to-school. As in, they've got your back-to-school lunch favorites, like snack packs and fresh fruit. And they've got your back-to-school supplies, like backpacks, binders, and pencils. And they've got your back when your kid casually tells you they have a huge school project due tomorrow.
Let's face it, we were all that kid. So first call your parents to say I'm sorry, and then download the Instacart app to get delivery in as fast as 30 minutes all school year long. Get a $0 delivery fee for your first three orders while supplies last. Minimum $10 per order. Additional terms apply.
Lon Walker leans out the window of his truck and pleads with a policeman. The officer is manning a roadblock outside Oroville, stopping all traffic approaching Concow. Officer, please. I need to get to my wife. I'm sorry, sir. Absolutely no vehicles are allowed past this point.
It's late morning. Walker has just driven a hundred miles back to Butte County, but now he's stuck. His calls to his wife are going unanswered. He hopes she somehow figured out a way to leave and just forgot her phone. But he can't rest until he knows she's okay. "I'm begging you, officer. I need to get to my wife. She's disabled. Sir, I'm sorry, but you need to turn this truck around."
Walker pounds his dashboard, furious, but there's nothing he can do. He's not going to run through a police barricade. He drives the truck onto the shoulder and waits. The second the cordon is lifted, he's going in. He picks up his cell phone and dials. Butte County Sheriff's Department. My name is Lon Walker. My wife Ellen is at our house in Concow. She's disabled and needs help evacuating.
Walker shares the location and other key information with the dispatcher. I'm begging you, please send someone as soon as you can.
We'll see what we can do. Please, she needs help. But the dispatcher has hung up. Walker sits alone in his truck, overwhelmed with feelings of anger and sorrow and fear. He wants to do something, but he won't move from this spot until the roadblock is lifted. So he folds his hands and shuts his eyes and prays. Kevin McKay hears a chime from his phone as he sits in traffic.
He picks up the phone and lets out a huge sigh of relief. It's a text from his girlfriend. She's made it to Chico with McKay's son and mother. McKay feels his shoulders relax a tiny bit. That's one less thing he needs to worry about. Now, he can focus solely on getting the kids on his bus to safety.
McKay has spent the entire morning trying to weave the school bus through side streets to get out of paradise. He knows the main thoroughfares are clogged with traffic, but McKay has lived on the ridge since he was 12. He knows all the routes.
But the police keep derailing his progress, forcing him back onto the main traffic-infested streets. And now, he's been funneled towards Rowe Road, the one street he wanted to avoid. Between the towering pine trees and dry vegetation on either side of the narrow road, it's basically a tinderbox. McKay starts to turn away from Rowe when a police officer stops him.
"Do you have kids on the bus?" "Yes, sir." "Okay, then I need you to go straight down row." McKay's stomach sinks. "Officer, that street is really overgrown. I'm worried about making it through." "Sir, it's the only way out." McKay nods, but he doesn't believe the officer. All morning, the police have been sending him from one traffic jam into another. If the bus gets stuck on Row Road, there's a good chance they won't make it out.
McKay stops in the middle of the intersection, leaving a large gap between his bus and the car ahead of him. Slowly, he turns the bus away from Row Road. The cars behind the bus honk at him to go forward, but McKay ignores them. Suddenly, the cars behind him pull forward, filling the space around the bus. McKay has no room to turn. They're completely boxed in,
So, McKay moves the bus in the only direction that's available to him. Straight down Rowe Road. Rachelle Sanders gasps as her finger touches the car window. The glass is as hot as an oven. It's late morning. Sanders and her newborn son Lincoln have been in David's car for over two hours. And they're still stuck on Billy Road. The smoke is getting thicker.
They can't see far enough ahead to know where the flames are, but the heat and the smoke indicate that it's moving in their direction. At any moment, it could bear down on them, but there are no firefighters in sight. Leaves glowing red skip across the concrete. Some of them get stuck underneath people's cars and continue to smolder. David looks at Sanders, his face pale. "You see that? Those cars could catch fire."
Sanders looks down at Lincoln and notices her hands shaking. David unbuckles his seatbelt and opens the car door. Sanders grabs his bicep. "Where are you going?" "If there are leaves under those cars, there are probably leaves under ours. I gotta clear 'em out." Sanders swallows and releases his arm. Alone in the car, Sanders rhythmically strokes the baby's head. More for her own comfort than for his.
What is this world her son has been brought into? How can this nightmare be the first thing he experiences in his life? She worries about the stress he must be feeling and the smoke that's filling his tiny lungs. She takes the N95 mask the nurse gave her at the hospital and puts it on Lincoln. It covers his entire face. There's no seal, so it's probably not doing much to filter out the smoke.
but it has to be better than nothing. She shifts in her seat. Her incision throbs. Her legs feel like jello. If the car catches fire, it's going to be a challenge to walk away, let alone run. Looking down at her son, so tiny and vulnerable, she knows what she has to do.
Got all the leaves out. Don't worry, I came up with a plan.
He points to the side of the road where two bulldozers are parked in an empty field behind a chain-link fence. If the fire overtakes us, I'm going to gun it through that fence and park in between those bulldozers. We'll be safe there. Sanders nods, stealing herself for what she's going to ask. David, listen to me. If that doesn't work and the car catches fire, I need you to promise me something. What?
"I need you to take Lincoln and run as fast as you can away from the fire. Don't worry about me, okay?" David is quiet for a moment. He glances down at Lincoln, then looks Sanders in the eyes. "Are you sure?" Sanders nods, too emotional to speak. David puts his hand on her forearm. "I promise." Sanders turns to look out the window so David won't see her cry.
The fire is getting closer. She doesn't think she's going to make it out of paradise alive. But at least Lincoln will have a chance.
This is episode two of our four-part series, Wildfire in Paradise. A quick note about our scenes. In most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but everything is based on historical research. If you'd like to learn more about this story, we recommend Fire in Paradise by Alistair G. and Danny Angiano, as well as Paradise by Lizzie Johnson. I'm your host, Cassie DePeckel. This episode is written by Austin Rackless.
Our editor is Sean Raviv. Our audio engineers are Sergio Enriquez and Andrew Law. Sound design is by Joe Richardson. Script consulting by Danny Angiano. Produced by Matt Almos and Emily Frost. Our senior producer is Andy Herman. Our managing producer is Tanja Thigpen. Our coordinating producer is Matt Gant. Our executive producers are Jenny Lauer-Beckman, Stephanie Jens, and Marsha Louis for Wondery.
Hey, it's Guy Raz here, host of How I Built This, a podcast that gives you a front row seat to how some of the best known companies in the world were built.
In a new weekly series we've launched called Advice Line, I'm joined by some legendary founders and together we talk to entrepreneurs in every industry to help tackle their roadblocks in real time. Everybody buys on feeling, Guy, like everybody. So if you don't give them the feeling that they're looking for, they're not going to buy. A lot of times founders will go outside of themselves to build a story. And
And you can't replicate heart. You know, I think we all have a little bit of imposter syndrome, which isn't the worst thing in the world because it doesn't allow you to get overconfident and think that you're invincible. Check out the advice line by following How I Built This on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to How I Built This early and ad-free right now on Wondery Plus.