Brian Fies lost everything when his house was consumed by the California wildfires: family heirlooms, photos, ornaments made by his children.
He’s taken the painful tragedy and turned it into a gut-wrenching web comic with details that capture the hellish experience.
SEE ALSO: California wildfire victims returning to their destroyed homes is absolutely heart-wrenchingHis account of losing his house to flames last Monday is relatable, telling, and haunting. One of the comic's panels lists what he gathered from his house with only 15 minutes' warning, another shows what he bought to survive once he realized he was homeless.
A list of everything he'll never see again from his destroyed home is painful to read. It includes "a time capsule to be opened in 2030" and "a series of photostrips taken by cramming our family into a booth at the county fair every summer for 18 years." A simple drawing of his keychain shows how the littlest things can be a reminder of what's gone forever. A short line recounting his trek through the neighborhood to check on the house stands out, "I inhaled my neighbors' lives."
In a phone call Wednesday afternoon, Fies, who safely escaped the firestorm with his wife and two pets, said the couple is still "dazed and confused." The two are staying with their daughter in a nearby city north of San Francisco.
"I was there, I saw these things," Fies said about the comic. He sees his work as a form of journalism, documenting the destruction and bearing witness.
The response to his work has been supportive and kind, he said, with more than 400,000 views on his personal site. Many have told him, "You say what I wanted to say but I couldn't find the words."
The piece came together "extraordinarily quickly," Fies said. But that was part of the point, to show the immediacy and crudeness of being displaced and burned out. His usual cartooning tools were lost to the flames. "The lack of polish is part of the story."
Like one of his drawings with a simple caption over a barren, smoldering wasteland that once was his neighborhood, this simply is, "Hell."
The Washington Post's Dave Jorgenson celebrates Groundhog Day with his 1,000th WFH TikTokBlogilates' Cassey Ho breaks down how she went from fitness creator to CEO at VidCon 202515 internet moments turning 10 in 2022How YouTube could do more to stop COVID misinformation15 internet moments turning 10 in 2022Hank Green, Rhett & Link, and more honored at VidCon 2025Metro Exodus Ray Tracing BenchmarkedFrom 'Fleabag' to Taylor Swift, how young people are embracing eras2022 trend predictions: More vintage tech accessories, less fast fashionVoting rights activists march on D.C. as Bernice King calls out virtue signaling for MLK Day 2022 Elon Musk shows off another look at the new SpaceX spacesuit Earth sends Cassini a whole lot of love after the mission comes to a bittersweet end Lions vs. Chiefs livestream: How to watch the NFL preseason for free Death, Disembodied NYT mini crossword answers for August 16 Nintendo Switch 2: It might not come out in early 2025 after all Pope Francis goes after Trump on DACA and slams climate change deniers Fresh Hell Wordle today: The answer and hints for August 18 Buccaneers vs. Jaguars livestream: How to watch the NFL preseason for free
0.2155s , 14404.4296875 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【sex video 70's dental comedy】Enter to watch online.The 'hell' that was the California fires comes alive in gut,