SONOMA, Calif. — Maia and Mia Bravo stepped outside their house on a bright summer day and sensed danger.
A hint of smoke from burning wood wafted through their dirt-and-grass yard anchored by native trees. Maia, 17, searched for the source as Mia, 14, reached for the garden hose, then turned on the spigot and doused the perimeter of the property with water.
The smoky smell sent the sisters back to one gusty October evening in 2017 when wildfire came for their previous home. From the back of the family’s minivan that night, the girls watched flames surround their trailer in Glen Ellen, a village in Northern California’s wine country. They abandoned their belongings, including Mia’s favorite doll, and left without their cat, Misi, who was spooked by the fire. The only thing the family saved was the 3-month-old’s baby blanket.
