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As firefighters continue to fight the two huge Los Angeles area fires that have been burning since January 7^th, and thousands of homes have been burned to the ground, the loss for so many is staggering. Having lived in Los Angeles for 26 years, I’m no stranger to the Santa Ana winds, nearby fires, and earthquakes. We were always lucky, though. The worst that happened to us in the 26 years we were there was losing power.

In summer of 2023 we moved to Southern Oregon, to a town which was still recovering from the devastating Alameda fire that swept through the area in September of 2020, destroying close 2,800 homes, businesses, and structures. There is still a lot of healing needed in this beautiful area.

The unimaginable loss of one’s home and belongings are compounded by the loss of one’s photographs, videos, memorabilia, and family heirlooms. No amount of insurance can replace such things. Singer/songwriter John Mayer’s moving Facebook post on January 9, accompanied by a photo of a folder of photos included this: “Those who say they’ll be okay still have their folders and their albums. Those who are inconsolable have lost them. Just behind the immeasurable loss of life is the loss of the proof of life.”

As we all face continued escalation of natural disasters due to climate change, in addition to the risks that have always been there, we can’t know what will come our way. What we can do, however, is prevent a devastating loss of our own proof of life. Scanning your photo prints, consolidating and curating your photo and video collection, memorabilia, and heirlooms, and safe storage of digital copies can alleviate the gut-wrenching permanent loss of these irreplaceable memories in the event of a disaster. 

I understand that many will think that it’s too soon to be posting something like this. I’m not sure I disagree. The fires aren’t even fully contained as I write this. But we don’t know when or where the next ones will be. Or floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, mudslides. I’d rather be too soon than too late if it inspires someone who has been thinking about it to secure their memories.