I still remember the morning of January 7, 2025. I awoke to an odd scent of burning ... both natural and chemical. I went downstairs and opened my kitchen door, like I do most mornings. Typically, I'm greeted with the joyful sounds of children heading to school, but this time I found the air thick, the density burning to my eyes and seemingly layered onto my skin, my clothes. The streets were oddly vacant.I hadn't heard about the fires yet. Something inside me said to close my door...