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Nose for News by Sarah Stultz

After covering many fires over the years, I’ve seen my fear of being in a fire grow more and more each year.

So when I read stories about what people have endured in California this week and last week in the fires, I can only imagine how traumatic those experiences have been.

One story that particularly impacted me was about a senior citizens home in Pasadena, California, that had to be evacuated within a short period of time because of the looming fire. One minute the residents were playing bingo and getting ready to watch a movie, and the next, the building filled with smoke and the staff frantically worked to bring all the residents to safety.

There were almost 100 residents at the senior facility, including assisted living and memory care, some of whom were on hospice.

The staff said at first they would be OK, that the fires were far enough away, but they quickly learned they were wrong and needed to take action.

People they interviewed described embers falling from the sky like hail and conditions they compared to a “hurricane with flames.”

They began bringing the residents down to the lobby, draping lanyards around the necks of each person with their photo, name and apartment number, along with their medical conditions on the back.

Even staff who weren’t on duty arrived to help as well.

The article said when they decided to evacuate the hospice residents, some residents were still in bed; many had to be pushed out in wheelchairs and some even were carried out of their rooms by the staff.

I can only imagine the terror for these residents — and the staff — as they evacuated.

These staff helped residents, who were more like family, to safety as the fire raged on.

Once all of the residents were situated at an emergency shelter, they then went to work finding a longer-term place for each of them to stay.

Even after that, the staff set up a makeshift command center in a hotel lobby to continue to advocate for their residents and employees.

I’ll be honest, I might have shed a tear or two as I read the article.

It was really quite remarkable to hear that all of the residents and staff made it to safety.

Not only was it an emotional depiction of what they had endured, but it was incredibly touching to read of the care these staff members had for their residents — many who probably felt more like a grandmother or a grandfather to them, or even a father or mother.

Amidst the tragedy, these workers were true heroes.

They are a reminder of the good people who exist all around us and the kind people who take care of our elders.

Sarah Stultz is the managing editor of the Tribune. Her column appears every Wednesday.