Joyce Birdwell and Art Linfoot survived the North Complex fire, losing their cherished home in Berry Creek. Despite Birdwell’s efforts to maintain their property, the fire obliterated it. They chose not to return or rebuild, recognizing that recovery does not equal rebuilding. The prevailing notion of rapid reconstruction often benefits the wealthy and overlooks the true needs of survivors. A deeper understanding of recovery is essential, especially as climate change has resulted in numerous refugees and migrants in California, emphasizing the complexities of recovery beyond just restored structures.
"Sometimes, recovery is not rebuilding. […] the ethos of #strong - measuring success with how quickly we can raise up houses on scorched earth - is snake oil."
"Even rebuilding the most beloved of homes at the fastest of paces will not restore lives or communities to what they were. Or what they need to be."
"I never thought twice about it as soon as we went back there and saw what was left, […] I just knew this would never, never work out for us."
"We need to change our understanding of what recovery is, because we live in an era when the climate crisis has created not just survivors, but refugees and migrants in California and the United States."
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