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I'm Reagan Jorgenson and I'll be interviewing Torrence Coleman who was in high school during the 2017 tubs fires. So, what grade level in age were you during the time of the fire? Uh, I was, it was my sophomore year of high school and I was 15

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years old. And what school did you go to? I went to Cardinal Newman. And what did your living situation look like before the fire? Um, before the fire? I mean, it was, like, pretty normal, I think, like, I don't think I was affected so much. So

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where I'd be like, uh, like, oh, I don't have a house anymore. Like it, it was like, pretty much the same. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and how did you learn about the fire? Um, well, my school was really affected by it. So my school burned down. So

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I learned about the fire. My friend texted me and sent me a photo of, like, our school, like, basically just like half of it burned down. I was like, oh my gosh, Torrance, like the fire hit our school and stuff. So, like, that's how I was

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like, oh, that happened, you know, what I mean? So like stuff like that. And is that how you, like you first learned about the fire? Yeah, that was like how I first learned about it. I didn't know it was like happening really? Um until then like

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obviously like the skies and stuff is like, really smoky and like whatever. But yeah. Um and what were your feelings or emotions like during the alerts or like texts you sent from or you received from your friend? Like um honestly, I was like more concerned about

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like, ok, does this mean like are we gonna have school and stuff? Like I'm fortunate enough to where I was like, not, you know, afraid that I was gonna lose my house. I was concerned about my friends because they lived near the school and unfortunately some

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of them did lose their homes and stuff. So I was kind of like, worried about them and like how they were gonna get all situated and stuff because obviously like the school wasn't just gonna stop like it was gonna start again eventually. So I think my

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main concern was just like, how is that gonna work? Like how are the schools and stuff gonna, you know, get everything situated? How are they gonna handle all the students that like lost their houses and stuff? Yeah, like what are we gonna get back on track

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basically? Yeah. But uh yeah, that was kind of my main concerns really. And what kind of student. Were you, like before the fires? Like, with your sleep schedule and academics and grades? Uh, I've always been like, a really good student. I was always on top of

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it, I think was the question after the fires? Like, how did it affect me before the fire? Oh, before the fire? Ok. Yeah. No, I was always, like, on top of it I had a pretty decent sleep schedule. Um, you know, so, yeah, I, I think

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I was like a pretty good student before the virus. Yeah. Yeah. And what was it like to go back to class after the fires? And what was your school, like afterward? It was honestly, like, probably the most memorable part of high school for me because since

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my school did burn down, uh, each grade level had to transfer to a, uh, temporary campus which was like a church. So, like, my sophomore class we got located to, I think it was like, our Lady of Guadalupe church. And so, like, I think all the

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teachers kind of understood that a lot of students lost their homes and, like, couldn't really jump back into, like, the learning process. So they were all, like, really chill about it and it was just like, this might sound a little like cheesy but the sense of

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community, like being in a remote location with just your grade level and, like, no one else and then, like, sort of having to support each other but also the teachers really being there and being like super understanding and not like putting a bunch of work, it

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just like, felt more fulfilling, I guess and less stressful. It was like very like in the moment learning. Yeah. Yeah, I'd say that. Um and what was if you remember, what was your initial reaction like going back to school for the first time after the fire?

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Um like going back to the offsite campus. I was just kind of confused. Um I think Newman was one of the classes or like high schools to like officially start classes again after the fires happened. And I was kind of frustrated about that because I was

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like, I think like a good portion of Newman students were affected by it so much so that a lot of um students ended up leaving Newman and like going to other high schools. Yeah. So I was like, why are you like making your students go back

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to school first? It didn't really make a lot of sense to me. Um The class was again, it was really low key so it wasn't super hard to like, get back into, but it was just like a little weird and like, not very mapped out super

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well. Like, I think it was like a really easy because of our situation and like, yeah, like, I think that's, it really, it wasn't super stressful or anything but it was just different. Yeah. And how did your academic engagement suffer if it did at all? And

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like your sleep or emotional and mental health, I think in the long term it might have affected things. Um I think everyone again, like, since it was very low key, they weren't really hard on us. I feel like maybe it affected how I was going to,

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like, be in school. Like, when we did eventually go back on campus and like, they took things more seriously. I'm not saying, like, I'm severely behind, like, my academics or anything but I think it did kind of stump me in some aspects, like, especially math, you

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know. Yeah. Um, when II, I mean, the sleep thing, I don't know. I don't think I, like, suffered too much. I think I was pretty, like, stable or, um, consistent with it. I don't think I let it bother me that much. I think, like, not being

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displaced from, it really helped. But, um, shifting back to like, an actual school moment instead of, like, being on the offsite campus, it was kind of harder to, like, be, like, ok, now we have to take this seriously. It's not like, you know, they were kind

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of like, ok, everybody kind of had their fire moment. So it was like, a little bit hard. Yeah. And how were your peer relationships affected if they were affected at all? And what were some of your friends experiences? Uh, well, like I said, a couple of

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my friends did lose their homes. So I don't know why, like, they were super resilient about it. I don't know if that's just like, a generational thing or what, but they, they weren't, like, bothered by it surprisingly. Like, I feel like if I lost all my

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possessions I'd be, like, really sad. But they carried themselves, like, pretty well. Um, and if anything, I think my relationships during the fires, like, improved a lot because, uh, in high school I was, like, hanging out with, like, the seniors and stuff because my brother was

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a senior when I was a sophomore. So I didn't really have a whole lot of friends, like, in my grade level. And so being put on, like, or in a remote location, like, on a remote campus and having to engage with the sophomore class, it, like,

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it actually, like, I got friends, like, in my grade level. And, um, yeah. No, I think, I think that's pretty much it. Yeah. My friends, like I said, you know, they lost their homes, some of them lost their, their homes. But, um, other than that, like,

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we were all ok. Yeah. Um, and do you feel like your daily routine changed at all after the fire? Um, no, I don't think so. I think it again, like, it's been pretty consistent. I don't think I, I got affected too much. And did you have,

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like, any fears or paranoia about the fire? Coming back. No, I don't think I, it wasn't really a fear or paranoia. It was just more of a possibility of the fires coming back. Like, because before I was like, oh, we'd never have like, a fire in,

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like, our area ever, or, like, I would never dream of my school burning down. Um, so I think it just, like, put that idea in my head that, like, ok, this is a possibility and it could be like a reoccurring thing that could happen in the

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future and if anything, it just made me more prepared for it. So, like any time it's like fire season, I think now everybody kind of has like a set plan of like, what to do, what to gather if like, something happens, you know, stuff like that.

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Yeah. But, yeah. And do you feel like your family was affected financially at all during that time? Um, I don't think so. I don't think we were financially affected. Um, I never really asked, like, my parents if we were, I was kind of like, in my

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own little world, like, dealing with high school and stuff. So, not that I noticed or anything. So, yeah. Um, and then I know you kind of talked about it a little bit but after the fire, do you feel like you had more of like a disaster

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or safety plan in place if there were a fire were to happen again? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Like a safety plan. Definitely a list of things to do and things to look out for, you know, definitely paying attention more to, like, the temperature outside being like,

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ok, you know, it's a possibility that, you know, if it's gonna be over 100 just to be safe, like, charge your electronics, you know, anything like that just to be prepared for the fires. Yeah. And what was the hardest part about the fire for you? And

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why? Um, I think the hardest part about the fire for me was probably just, like, not being able to go outside. Like, you know, I'm someone who, like, goes on walks a lot and like, that was part of my routine is like going on a walk

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and you obviously, like, if there's a bunch of ash in the air there's a bunch of smoke, you shouldn't be going outside also. Um, I think for a bit like, you know, grocery stores being kind of closed down and stuff. Um, that was kind of hard

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also just having like energy wifi, you know, anything like that, like electricity, just like very basic household stuff, things like being taken away. Yeah. Uh, yeah. Um, and if you had to relive the fire, if you were to do anything differently, would you? And what would

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you do differently? Um, I think what I would do differently is, um, like, just be more prepared, I think when it happened, like, I just was sleeping. I didn't charge anything which was super inconvenient. I didn't know like how hotspots worked or anything like that until

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like the very end of it, if that makes sense. You know. So I think just like being more aware and like having, you know, water, food snacks or just like a kit or anything to, like, prepare you for, for something like that is, that's what I

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would do differently. And then, um, if you learned anything after the fire, what did you learn? Um, I learned that, like, anything in, in, in, like, the least cheesy way possible, like, anything is possible. You know what I mean? Like, just because, like, something burning down

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near you sounds impractical or like, oh, that would never happen to me. It could happen to you. So, even, like, with earthquakes, like, I think that being more cautious of natural disasters or things like that is, like, really important and I think, like, learning how to,

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uh, be prepared for something like that is, like, really important and also just, like, remembering to stay calm during, like, mass panic or anything like that. Yeah. So, yeah. Well, thank you. Yeah, of course.