LA wildfires: Ms. Ramirez on helping out impacted family

By Antonio Z.

How did you find out about the LA fire?

I first found out actually because my students were texting if there was school in the morning because of everything that was happening. So I was doing some research on my way to school and when I got here, because the students were unsure of whether or not we were coming into class so early morning on Wednesday.

Did the fire affect a part of your life?

Definitely, obviously, my community is LA, and so it’s very near and dear to my heart. So I felt a need to give back to my community in the times that I could so that’s what I had done last weekend. I also had some family in Pasadena that had to evacuate, so I had to help house them while they were evacuated and then of course schools being closed down and everything kind of being closed down was definitely something that impacted all of our lives for those few days.

How did the fire negatively impact the lives of people you know?

I think in general like I was talking about our community. So many people, thousands of people have lost their homes. And have lost everything that they’ve owned. had the clothes that they were wearing and whatever they had and maybe a bag with them. And so that’s definitely very devastating. I know some of our teachers here in LAUSD have lost everything. And then, like I said earlier, my own family had to evacuate. So there was definitely those feelings of fear that they were going to potentially lose their own home. Luckily, they didn’t. But for the past week, it’s definitely been an issue just in our community and with the people around me of fear of people losing more and more, as well as the firemen who are fighting against the fires and protecting us. I think overall it’s the emotional toll that it’s taken on us as well as a need to give back to our community but finding a way to do so while also still working and doing the things that I do on a regular daily basis.

Have you done anything to help with the fire or the victims of the fire?

Yes, actually I donated a lot of stuff, clothes directly to certain gofundme’s, food, non-perishable foods and stuff like that and then last weekend to go near my house to a couple different donation centers and really volunteer and help them organizing things and them. Of course, I think in general, I’m constantly reminding everybody me how important it is to be there for our community in these tough times, so I think that in itself has helped a lot of people or push a lot of people to help our community and help the people needed the most right now.

What should the state do to prevent these types from happening again?

I think its really hard because we live in a place that’s so dry and so windy sometimes and this is kind of inevitable, but I think there are certain measures that can be taken in preparations for these kinds of things. When we know there is going to be high winds or when we know it is like a fire season making sure that the things that are the driest are hosed down and wet in so that way that there is less of a chance of them catching fire, as well as ensuring that all our reservoirs and every source of water that can possible and necessary in these times are ready and able to fight these fires when there needed to because I know sometimes the lack of water and wind and things like that can force us to not be able to fight the fire, so all again I think its inevitable, but I think in general as long as we have those certain systems set in place it can at least be fought a lot faster and quicker and easier to these firefighters.

Do you think having 2 days off of school was a good idea? Or do you think we should have gotten more?

I think the 2 days was definitely necessary because of the air quality I know that it was just so terrible I remember walking outside and just everybody even in the inside the building everybody was coughing and having certain feelings and chest was hurting, so I definitely think it was necessary. I do think some people would have benefitted from being closed a little longer just because we don’t really know how every single student or teacher was impacted so allowing people to figure out those things that need to be figured out as well as giving time for us to go out and give back to our communities, I think would have been a lot better but I do understand the need to come back to school because everything ended abruptly and we gotta continue lessons, so its kind of a in-between, a bittersweet kind of thing like wish that we did have a little bit more time to get back into the swing of things.