A Chester County native is speaking out about her experience with the California wildfires, writes Madeleine Wright for CBS News Philadelphia.
Christina Sheller was born in West Chester but moved out to Granada Hills in the San Fernando Valley; now calling California home. She recently experienced the horrible terror of being near four wildfires that were burning aggressively out of control this week.
“Things feel a little bit surreal,” Sheller said. “I feel a little jolted. I’m from Philadelphia. I’m not used to wildfires. I think we’ve kind of mentally prepared ourselves for earthquakes, but not wildfires.”
Although Sheller lives outside of the evacuation zone, she has her bags packed in case the conditions worsen, the flames start to close in, and she needs to leave abruptly.
“We’re seeing gusts of up to 100 miles an hour at times,” she said. “The house is shaking, you know, so we’re physically feeling it in the house. Things are flying everywhere, and there’s clearly lots of smoke in the air.”
She also expressed concern about the hard-working firefighters who have been fighting the fires round the clock, trying to control the flames.
Sheller and her husband are prepared to leave their house behind at a moment’s notice, taking their two French bulldogs with them.
Read more about Christina Sheller and the California wildfires at CBS News Philadelphia.
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