What California families saved before wildfires destroyed their homes

California residents in the paths of the wildfires faced an impossible choice: Which belongings should they protect from the flames, and which should they leave behind?

Residents in the paths of the wildfires that roared through Southern California this month faced a colossal decision: Which belongings should they protect from the flames, and which should they leave behind?

The fast-moving blazes gave them little time to consider their options. As the sky above them turned orange and embers flew through the air, some people fled for their lives without taking anything at all. Others frantically packed a mix of practical possessions and creature comforts, like passports and their children’s favorite stuffed animals.

Officials say the wildfires have killed at least 29 people and consumed thousands of houses and other buildings. For those whose homes were destroyed, there is a unique grief that comes with losing nearly everything they own, according to psychologists.

“Some are those things that help us get through our routines, and some are those truly meaningful ones,” said Melissa Brymer, director of terrorism and disaster programs at the UCLA-Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress in Los Angeles. “The frustration of not having both at the same time can be overwhelming.”  

NBC News spoke with five Los Angeles-area families about the impossible choices the fires forced them to make in a matter of minutes. This is what they saved from their homes.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-families-saved-wildfires-destroyed-homes-rcna188598

---