美国国家公共电台 NPR For Some California Residents, Latest Wildfires Are A Tipping Point（在线收听）

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Wildfires in northern and southern California have driven tens of thousands of people from their homes. Some have endured wildfires, smoke, floods, blackouts and evacuations many times before. And while California's population is predicted to top 40 million this year, a few people are wondering, might it be time to flee for good? Lesley McClurg from member station KQED explains.

LESLEY MCCLURG, BYLINE: Just a few weeks ago, Philip Van Gelder's biggest chore was clearing crusty mud and debris from his property.

PHILIP VAN GELDER: We've been through several flood situations there. This was the worst we've seen in 40 years.

MCCLURG: In February, record-breaking downpours drenched the vineyards surrounding Geyserville. The idyllic town a few hours north of San Francisco turned into an island. Water crept toward the front porch of Van Gelder's green, wooden cottage.

VAN GELDER: And, you know, we watched it coming up step by step during the day.

MCCLURG: Finally, the top step disappeared. The 74-year-old guitarist lost fruit orchards, a woodshop, an art studio.

VAN GELDER: We'll be cleaning up from that flood for the rest of our lives.

MCCLURG: The property was just starting to look normal. When Van Gelder jolted out of bed last Thursday...

VAN GELDER: The fires were raging through the hills.

MCCLURG: Firefighters warned his family flames could level the town. His neighborhood was under a mandatory evacuation order.

VAN GELDER: And I said, I understand that. I said, I will remain vigilant.

MCCLURG: He and his wife refused to leave the land they'd nurtured for decades. They weathered a few smoky days without electricity or gas. Then ferocious winds picked up again over the weekend.

VAN GELDER: And the hills exploded in flames, and the house was surrounded with soot and ash blowing everywhere.

MCCLURG: Van Gelder and his wife snapped into action.

VAN GELDER: I wasn't panicky or even as emotional as I am now trying to recall this.

MCCLURG: Sheltered at his daughter's house in Oakland, he lowers the bill of his camouflage baseball cap and stares at the floor. He says he can't relax. He questions his future in California.

VAN GELDER: I think the climate is definitely becoming extreme.

MCCLURG: Any ideas of where you might go?

VAN GELDER: No, not really. (Laughter) Well, there's lots of pipe dreams, you might say.

DANIELLE BRYANT: And it's right at the forefront. Where do we go?

MCCLURG: Danielle Bryant lost her house in the Santa Rosa fires two years ago.

BRYANT: We were victims to one of the most terrible events in history.

MCCLURG: Flames decimated her neighborhood and killed 44 people. The next year, a couple hours away, more than 80 people died in the Camp Fire.

BRYANT: It feels very scary. I just don't know where home is right now.

MCCLURG: Last weekend at dawn, Bryant and her husband fled again. They raced out of their temporary apartment. It's less than a mile from their old house.

BRYANT: It was like hitting a fog bank of smoke. It looked like we were driving through hell.

MCCLURG: They landed safely at a friend's house, yet Bryant felt frozen. She's lost her appetite. Bad dreams keep her up at night.

BRYANT: Is this the way it's going to be every year? - apocalypse.

MCCLURG: She and her husband are talking about selling the house they're rebuilding. Construction is way behind schedule.

BRYANT: I just don't know how much more I can take.

MCCLURG: Leaving isn't simple. Bryant grew up here. Her aging mother lives nearby, yet stress and trauma have taxed her marriage, her work and her health. Every day she thinks about relocating. At the same time, she wonders if it's possible to outrun climate change.

For NPR News, I'm Lesley McClurg in Santa Rosa.

(SOUNDBITE OF TOUMANI DIABATE SONG, "CANTELOWES")