Katie Miller

Facebook Post 9-4-22 

This was the day that Ada and I will never forget. 

We were in Big Creek, helping open Labor Day at the Big Creek General store. We saw the small plume of smoke, we didn’t think much of it. We baked, we sliced meat until 11:30pm.  We were getting ready for a busy day to come and we were so tired.  

Ada was baking an order for an anniversary party. She got more hesitant as the smoke grew and the flames were visible. Still, we stayed… It was fire season, and this was a normal scenario for the area this time a year, unfortunately. Ada grew so nervous, she made us move from the house we were at to my aunt’s couch, since I would not let us leave for home, assuring her that the fire would be out soon and we needed to be in Big Creek for the a.m. opening. Little did we know that was the last time we would see that cabin we stayed at, the last time we would see Big Creek in its prestigious historic glory.  

 The town stood wrapped in girthy oaks and wise tall pines, vibrant with colors and smells that brought smiles and peace to everyone who entered its meandering road to the heart of town.

It was an intense predicament we found ourselves in at 3am. An interesting story if you ever have time for the tale. Flames that blocked exits, a frightened kid, a cancer-sick aunt, a deep sleeper of a cousin, a frail grandmother who wouldn’t leave her A-hole cat, two dogs, an uncle somewhere in the belly of the beast, and me, a mom filled with guilt of mishandling a situation.

Luckily, the town might look different after the Creek Fire, but the heart is the same. The kid might have been shaken, but she knew what to do the next time we got evacuated 48 hours later. The public might not have been able to taste our wares, but the firefighters did.

My drive up to Big Creek these days look a bit different, but it doesn’t change my desire to go as the heart still beats. In no way was our experience as heavy as some others’ that night in Big Creek and the surrounding areas, as they lost everything. But it sure left its mark in our hearts forever. Praying for an uneventful evening tonight. Creek Fire- you sucked.