Jessica Orozco interview on the 2017 Tubbs Fire, April 13, 2023

Ok. Ok. Cool. Hi, Jessica. Um, hi, tell me, like a little bit of background. Uh, you said you were at, uh, Rosa Junior College? And then how old were you? Yeah. Um, so 2017. So I was, uh, I was 24. Actually, I had just turned 25.

Um, uh, I was at Santa Rosa Junior College. Um, I was taking two classes at the time. Um, that semester it was a fall 2017 and, um, they were both online classes. Um, it was a sociology class and a history class. Ok. And then did you,

uh, did you live, like, in the area or what area did you live in? Yeah. Um, I've lived in Windsor my whole life so I was in Windsor. Um, and, uh, yeah. Ok. Um, and then for the tubs fire, which happened October 8th. Uh, do you

remember what your timeline looked like for that day? Yeah. Um, so it was actually my birthday weekend. Um, it was actually my birthday on October 8th. Um, so that weekend, um, I went over to San Jose with, um, my boyfriend who, he was my boyfriend at

the time and now we're married. Um, so my boyfriend and my daughter, we went to San Jose, um, just for like a little getaway weekend. Um, and then I remember, um, on Saturday the seventh at night when we were at the hotel, there was some weird,

uh, dry lightning but this was in Santa Jose. Um, not here. Um, and then I remember like everything seemed really strange. Uh, you know, it was very windy over there as well. So it was like, we woke up to thunder, um, in the middle of the

night on it was Sunday morning. Now it was probably like 3 a.m. and then, um, it was really windy. So anyway, um, later on that day, uh, we had a breakfast and then we came back to Sonoma County. So I wanna say we got to Windsor

around 4 p.m. on Sunday the eighth. Um, and, uh, part of the reason why we, why we also kind of got home a little bit early is because I had homework due. Um Monday night. So, um, I remember I told him like, hey, we need to

get back because I have to do homework. So we came back. Um, I, I took a nap and then I woke up around 6 30 then I was in my room doing homework and my desk is right next to the window and I remember like, the

wind was very strong, like, just really, really strong. Something seemed weird, like it was like, hot but, like, dry. I don't know. I can't, uh, I don't know if I'm explaining it. Right. But, like, it was like, like I had the window open and it was

hot but it, it was, it was just really windy and my window, like, it was making like, all these sounds and I was like, that's weird. So I just kind of ignored it. I did my homework. Um, I was doing homework pretty late and I remember,

um, I would take breaks in between doing my homework. So by the time I finished it was like probably 10 30 or 11 pm. And I remember like, you know, um I was gonna go to sleep and I was putting my daughter to sleep first and

then I laid down, I was on my phone and then the entire time like just the windows, like the noise, it was really loud and I was like, wow, like the wind is really strong. Like, I've never heard anything like that before. So I don't know

how, like I just kind of fell asleep and then around, I wanna say it was, I think two in the morning when I got a phone call, I got two phone calls, one was from my boyfriend and the other one was from my aunt and they

were like, hey, like, you know, like there's a fire going on. Um, have you, uh, you know, have you heard anything like are you aware of it? And I was like a fire where, and both of them lived in Santa Rosa at the time I lived

in winter. So they, I think there was more noise where they were. So there was more like, you know, action and noises and sirens and stuff as compared to winter. So I think they were more like, oh my God. And I was like, no, like, I,

I haven't heard anything. So then I remember going on Facebook that night, like when I got the phone call, I went on Facebook because, uh, normally people are pretty good on Facebook about putting something when there's something going on. So I remember the first thing I

did was like, oh, let me check Facebook. And as soon as I go, like there's all these posts like, you know, starting like at 1 a.m. like, oh my God, like there's a big fire on my house like, oh my God. Like what's going on? Oh

my God. The traffic in 101 is insane. And I was like, what, like, what is going on? Like, it was just really weird. And then that's when I was like, oh my God. And then I remember, uh, where I live, I live over by the golf

course in Windsor. And I remember like, we were getting a lot of phone calls that night, so I got a few on my cell phone and then my parents got some as well. And I remember so we all just kind of, you know, we were awake

like at two in the morning. And, um, I remember looking outside of the window and, um, we live in winter and from here we were able to see, like the sky was very red. Like, that's when we were like, oh my God, like they're ok. That's,

there's something going on and then, um, finally, uh, one of my dad's friends, he called and he was like, hey, like I'm getting evacuated. Like, like we, we don't know where to go. And my dad was like, oh, I'll come get you and he left, he

went to go get him and he called me. He's like, oh my God, Jessica, like the freeway is insane. He's like, there's so much traffic and I was like, to me it was so unreal. I was like, what, like traffic at two in the morning like

that. It's never been like that. Right? And then finally, you know, my friends, like, you know, eventually we, I started texting other friends and uh cousins and family and everybody was like, oh my God, I like sending pictures, like look at the gas station, like there's

a lot of people and look at the freeway and look at this and look at that. And I was like, oh my God, like it's, it's really happening like there's a fire here. And um, yeah, so that's kind of how, um, how it started and that

it led up to me, like finding out about the fires, uh, that night. Oh, really crazy night. Yeah. And then, um, since you were living somewhat far, did you get impacted with your living sit situation? Did you get evacuated? Were you just thinking I should just

go in case anything happens or? Um, yeah, so, uh, we did not end up getting evacuated. Um, but we kind of thought that we were so we just kind of started getting things ready just in case because a lot of our family members and friends, they

were evacuating. And so we were like, oh my God, like if they leave, like we might have to leave too, you know, and just like, like finding out about the freeway being like overwhelmingly like busy like we were like, oh my God, like we need to

be ready just in case so that we can have things ready to go. Um But no, we didn't end up evacuating. We were here the whole time. Ok. And then uh I know it affected a lot of schools. So how did that affect your school? And

then as well as your academics, like in just your homework and all that? Yeah. Um so I remember um the next day on Monday um I got an email um from both of my professors um at the time and they were like, hey, you know, like,

you know that we know that, you know, there's a fire, like, you know, school has been canceled until further notice. Um, and then, um, I remember, like, I was a little like, oh, I don't know if upset is the right word but maybe disappointed only because,

like, like, I, like, you know, it was a very chaotic time and I believe one of my professors lost, I think she lost her home as well. Um, And, you know, the whole city was really busy, like they were helping other family members and friends and

right. Um, and I remember like, they, like, they kind of like, stopped like homework that week and they were like, hey, like, if you can get it in, that's fine. But if you can't, that's fine too, you know, only because they understood that, you know, it

was like a, a difficult time for everyone and they didn't know everybody's living situation or whatever. So they just kind of, you know, made it a fair across, you know, everyone. And uh I remember, um, the week after, um uh my history teacher, he, he gave

us an assignment and I mean, it was, it was doable like we had a reading and then we had to do a response. But, um, I felt like I didn't really learn so much for those weeks only because it, like, I think we were so focused

because that, like that the fires like everything. Like it, it kind of prolonged, like there was so many days where, like, it was so foggy outside and smoky and ashes everywhere. And I think everybody was trying to figure out what was gonna happen. And, um, even

like a week later, like, you know, and, and the losses were huge. So I remember everything was just kind of like, you know, a lot, a lot of people were kind of like in Graef and, um, you know, uh but I remember like we had a

few assignments and, and then after I, I think where it affected me the most was when we had to do finals because for example, in my sociology class, some of the material that we were supposed to learn during the fire time, um she made the assignment

optional. But when we did the final, she included that material on the final exam. So a lot of us including myself. Uh you know, we were pretty upset because we were like, wait, like you made that like that week's module, you made it optional, but now

you're gonna include it in the final. So I think a lot of us including myself, I don't think like, see, like I didn't feel like really prepared for it. So it kind of impacted my grade a little bit. Um So instead of getting like an like

an A or A B I ended up getting a B minus which was fine, like I was OK with it, but I was a little upset because I was like, well, if I would have known this was going to be on the test, I would have

done the assignment. Right. Like, or I, I would have just at least read about it and not do the assignment but read about it. So, in some ways, like, yes, it did affect me. Um and then for my history class, um he was a little bit

bit, he was a little bit more like, cool about it. But, but I feel like with history, I feel like I didn't really learn the material because he was more like, like, oh, it's ok, like, you know, we're all gonna get through this, like we're gonna

do this, like little assignment and this. So he kind of like, cut out a lot of stuff that we were supposed to learn, but we didn't learn and this class was actually a political science class, which I am not it, that subject. I'm not really, it's

not really my best subject or I'm not really familiarized with it. So it's one of the subjects that I really wish I would have learned of like, oh, you know, only because we deal with politics so much. Right. Yeah. Um But yeah, I was a little

upset because with that class specifically, I feel like I didn't really learn, I passed the class. So that wasn't a problem. But I didn't really feel like I learned the material if that makes sense. Yeah. Um, so I know you mentioned that you kind of felt

like a lack of motivation when it came to doing assignments, especially with the fires. Would you say, like, your mental health was affected in other ways as well? Maybe like being anxious or anything? Yeah. Um, I think I was a little more anxious about, like, like

knowing that my family, like, had to evacuate and that many of them, like had to go far away to get a hotel. Um, and in, in that aspect, I guess, yeah, like I was a little anxious and then also finding out that like my favorite Mexican

restaurant at the time was, uh, Puerto Vallarta, which was over by Trader Joe's, um, on uh Mendocino Avenue and, and then like Kmart, like, you know, all those stores that burned down, like it was just still like unreal to me and I grew up going to

those places, like with my parents. So I guess in some ways, like, I guess I could say, yeah, like it did affect me, um, mentally a little bit just knowing like, oh my God, like that's no longer there. Um, and then like, you know, uh just

worried about my family members. Um, but thankfully thankfully none of their homes burned down. So, um, that was fine. But, but yeah, I did feel anxious and then also I guess I wanna add, um, my daughter at the time. He was six years old at the

time and she was in kindergarten and she, like, they missed a lot of school, they missed classes for like, two weeks. So that also made me anxious because I was like, oh my God, like, you know, she's in kindergarten, like, you know, like she, you know,

like, like she's experiencing, like, watching all of this, like, you know, like, and she's little and I just, like, it's something that I've never experienced when I was a child. So, I don't know, I just, I, I wanted to make sure that she was ok too

because she was listening to the conversations at home and she looked a little bit worried and I was like, oh, no, like, I don't want her to feel like, like she has to be worried or something, you know. Um But yeah, so, yeah. Yeah. And then,

uh, were you working at the time as well as being a student? Uh Yeah. Um, I was working at the time. Um, I was working at River Rock Casino at the time. Ok. So was the, um, the fires, did they affect your employment? Um They didn't

affect, like, we, we didn't, um, they didn't close it down. Um However, a lot of employees lost their homes. So because of that, we didn't have sufficient staff to be able to run the casino. And a lot of the team members that lost their homes were

cashiers and without the cashier, the casino can't function because that's like the, that's, it's like the heart of the casino. I guess. You can say it that way. Like if there's no cashier, it can't function because they have, you know, all the money, all the chips,

all the poker chips and stuff like that. So, unfortunately, um, yeah, like we have to close down for a few days until, you know, we can get everybody back, all the employees back up here and get the place running again. Ok. And then, um, for campus

life, would you say that you felt a change in campus life during the fire and then after the fire as well? Um, personally, I don't think so. Only because my classes were online, they were fully online. So I don't, I didn't really feel like, like, um,

uh, you know, um, no, I don't think so. But, but what I liked is that both of my profess, both of my professors were very understanding. I think everybody as a community was very, um, understanding and everybody was very like, um, how do I say it?

Like a nice, um, understanding. Um, but no, I don't think so because my classes were fully online. Ok. Um, then I think my last question would be, is there any changes that have happened in your life from the fire? Anything, um, any changes? Um, I guess,

yeah, I would say that the tubs fire, um, led us or my family and I to be more prepared in the future. Um, for example, um, we have like canned food now, um, in a bag ready to go, we have a radio with batteries. Uh, we

have flashlights, we have phone chargers in a bag, a lot of water bottles. Um, and we tend to look, uh, inside those bags like once a year just to make sure that everything is not, you know, that nothing's expired. Um, but yeah, it definitely led us

to prepare a lot, um, in case of a, another fire in the future. Um, and then we also, we also made like a checklist of all the important things that we should take with us in case we have to leave like, like passports. Um, you know,

I DS and stuff like that. Wow. Well, that was like really good insight into the fire and your experience and I really appreciate you taking your time to interview. Yeah, of course, of course. Yeah. Ok. I'm gonna, um, yeah, of course. Really?