Addressing Student Trauma in the Wake of the California Wildfires

Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton declared natural disasters somewhere in the United States on average of about one per week between 1998 and 2005. (1) Despite this frequency, most citizens are unprepared when a natural disaster occurs in their city or neighborhood. In particular, teachers and students can become paralyzed by the overwhelming destruction and emotional trauma brought on by these disasters. The purpose of this article is to assist teachers in addressing the multiple levels and forms of student trauma that may result from natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana or tornadoes in Kansas; in particular, our discussion focuses on the effects of the wildfires in California during the fall of 2007. In October of 2007, fires burned out of control from the Santa Barbara area, south to Los Angeles, and into Mexico, as a result of the specific combination of strong Santa Ana winds (hot winds from the desert, blowing towards the ocean) and years of drought in Southern California, a region that had not fully recovered from the devastating wildfires of 2003. The winds were so severe that for the first 24 hours, fire-fighting helicopters could not fly and firefighters were virtually helpless in fighting the multiple fires raging throughout the counties. This desperate situation prompted Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to proclaim a national disaster in seven counties on October 21: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that the following 2007 wildfires in Southern California were some of the most destructive in the history of the state: (2) Witch Fire, San Diego County, 197,990 acres burned, 1,650 structures destroyed Harris Fire, San Diego County, 90,440 acres burned, 548 structures destroyed Slide Fire, San Bernardino County, 12,759 acres burned, 272 structures destroyed Rice Fire, San Diego County, 9,472 acres burned, 248 structures destroyed. As a result of these fires, during both October and November more than half a million acres of land were burned. (3) In San Diego County alone, more than half a million people were evacuated. Many students and their families were evacu ated from their homes in the middle of the night and saw fires surrounding them as they drove out of their neighborhoods. Some students stayed in community shelters supported by the Red Cross and the City of San Diego. All 43 school districts in San Diego County were closed from Tuesday through Friday, with several remaining closed well into the following week. Never had all school districts closed at the same time for a natural disaster. Smoke encircled many communities, and residents of the county saw gray ash descend on their homes. Some homes had ash inches deep that had to be cleaned like snow in Minnesota and New York. The Role of Schools Schools have traditionally been considered centers of neighborhoods. They are not only buildings where students learn, but also include teachers and administrators who are trusted leaders in the community. (4) School personnel are respected and relied upon by parents to care for their children. In many areas touched by wildfires, high schools became evacuation centers and shelters. Throughout the wildfires, many students and their families found themselves evacuated to high schools as community refugees. These evacuation centers not only housed displaced families, but also took in their cats, dogs, and even livestock, in some situations. During this time, calls went out through the media for educators to work with children at evacuation centers. Teachers demonstrated a strong sense of community and generosity volunteered at evacuation centers; they engaged students in various lessons providing a sense of normalcy and care. When the evacuation was lifted and families returned home, children returned to school anxious to speak with their classmates and teachers. …