Resources
The Book
Released June 18, 2019
Statistical Perspectives Over 100,000 people were forced to evacuate across the North Bay due to the Tubbs megafire. The smoke from the October 2017 wildfires caused “the worst air quality ever recorded for smoke in many parts of the Bay Area.” One year after twenty-two North Bay wildfires ravaged Santa Rosa, Napa Valley, and Mendocino County, the final loss tallies were reported as 44 people lost, 245,000 acres burned, and 8,900 homes destroyed. In Sonoma County, the Tubbs wildfire killed 24 people and destroyed 5,319 homes. More than half of the 3,100 homes lost in the City of Santa Rosa were located in the Fountaingrove neighborhood, some 1,586 structures. |
The Author
Rob Koslowsky . . .
. . . spent three decades in high technology with a focus on leading edge telecommunications and solar energy solutions. After graduating from the University of Manitoba (1981), Rob worked for Nortel Networks, startup Cerent Corp., and then Cisco Systems. He also consulted with startups PVI (later renamed Enphase Energy) and Cyan (later acquired by Ciena). Rob’s early writings were based on historical non-fiction research in the areas of science and technology. This work inspired his first book entitled A World Perspective through 21st Century Eyes (2004) and provided stimulating content for his monthly newsletter, A World Perspective, from Nov 2004 to Oct 2017. Rob has served as an officer of the Redwood branch of the California Writers Club and has written numerous short stories, song lyrics, and poems. In 2014, he published The Upstart Startup: How Cerent Transformed Cisco and in 2016, published Breach of Trust: A Laura Paige Mystery, his first novel. |
The Event
The aftermath of the Tubbs fire . . .
“It’s jaw-dropping to see it in person. No photos or even videos do it justice.” – Gavin Newsom, California Lieutenant-Governor, October 2017, referring to destroyed lots in Santa Rosa “A horror that no one could have imagined.” – California Governor Jerry Brown, October 21, 2017 “My first thought is the people who were here. My second is, boy oh boy, do we have our work cut out for us.” – Chris Coursey, Mayor of Santa Rosa, October 2017 “In a way, I feel really helpless. People keep asking me, ‘What is your job right now?’ It's just hugging my city.” – Chris Coursey, Mayor of Santa Rosa, October 2017 “An effort on the order of the Manhattan Project — responsible for crafting the first nuclear weapons — is needed to respond to this crisis.” – Shirlee Zane, Sonoma County Supervisor, 3rd District |
Synopsis
In The Tubbs Fire – A Story of Survival and Recovery, a survivor recounts his family’s harrowing escape from California’s most destructive wildfire through late 2018. The reader will be transported to October 9, 2017 during this family’s fateful early morning flight, as they navigate treacherous streets to safety.
Rob Koslowsky captures his family’s heart-stopping escape and their traumatic experiences on the road to recovery. Obstacles littered their path to personal redemption. Insurance company barriers, government coercion and over-eager debris removal contractors, obstructionist political leaders, and excessive rebuilding regulations played a major role in their heart-wrenching decision to abandon their beloved Santa Rosa homestead.
A tale of desperation and perseverance, The Tubbs Fire – A Story of Survival and Recovery, illuminates the setbacks and day-to-day triumphs on the Koslowsky family’s journey to recovery.
Why Did I Write this Book?
Encouragement. That’s the main reason I wrote this book. My compilation of daily writings about the wildfire that consumed a large portion of northeast Santa Rosa, California, were considered by many of my readers to be book-worthy.
Even as I contributed a couple of my stories to an anthology about Sonoma County wildfire victims, the urge to publish my personal experiences percolated in the back of my mind.
Positive encouragement from my wife and family members plus many of my readers pushed me to edit those early morning narratives. What follows are me and my family’s experiences about fleeing from and recovering from one of America’s largest firestorms in history, the so-called Tubbs megafire of October 2017.
Who Should Read this Book?
I’ll avoid the glib rejoinder, “Everybody!”
I encourage fellow fire victims of the North Bay wildfires of 2017 to read my narrative and then share their own experiences with me. Other candidates include first responders, political leaders who shape public safety policies, historians, and residents of Sonoma, Napa, Lake, and Mendocino counties.
Across America, some fifty million people live in the increasingly occupied Wildland-Urban Interfaces (WUIs). In California, 30 percent of the people reside in WUIs. These folks may consider becoming active in the development of their own Firewise Community and challenging their local and state fire-fighting officials over how their residence will be protected during a fire event. One critical query: How many fire resources are left to fight a fire after the priority to evacuate those in danger are removed from harm’s way?
One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire
Support your state and province's wildfire prevention programs. In California, be mindful of the Cal Fire programs and guidelines to prevent wildfires:
Rob Koslowsky captures his family’s heart-stopping escape and their traumatic experiences on the road to recovery. Obstacles littered their path to personal redemption. Insurance company barriers, government coercion and over-eager debris removal contractors, obstructionist political leaders, and excessive rebuilding regulations played a major role in their heart-wrenching decision to abandon their beloved Santa Rosa homestead.
A tale of desperation and perseverance, The Tubbs Fire – A Story of Survival and Recovery, illuminates the setbacks and day-to-day triumphs on the Koslowsky family’s journey to recovery.
Why Did I Write this Book?
Encouragement. That’s the main reason I wrote this book. My compilation of daily writings about the wildfire that consumed a large portion of northeast Santa Rosa, California, were considered by many of my readers to be book-worthy.
Even as I contributed a couple of my stories to an anthology about Sonoma County wildfire victims, the urge to publish my personal experiences percolated in the back of my mind.
Positive encouragement from my wife and family members plus many of my readers pushed me to edit those early morning narratives. What follows are me and my family’s experiences about fleeing from and recovering from one of America’s largest firestorms in history, the so-called Tubbs megafire of October 2017.
Who Should Read this Book?
I’ll avoid the glib rejoinder, “Everybody!”
I encourage fellow fire victims of the North Bay wildfires of 2017 to read my narrative and then share their own experiences with me. Other candidates include first responders, political leaders who shape public safety policies, historians, and residents of Sonoma, Napa, Lake, and Mendocino counties.
Across America, some fifty million people live in the increasingly occupied Wildland-Urban Interfaces (WUIs). In California, 30 percent of the people reside in WUIs. These folks may consider becoming active in the development of their own Firewise Community and challenging their local and state fire-fighting officials over how their residence will be protected during a fire event. One critical query: How many fire resources are left to fight a fire after the priority to evacuate those in danger are removed from harm’s way?
One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire
Support your state and province's wildfire prevention programs. In California, be mindful of the Cal Fire programs and guidelines to prevent wildfires:
T E S T I M O N I A L S
Readers
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