A Fire Story

Early morning on Monday, October 9, 2017, wildfires burned through Northern California, resulting in 44 fatalities. In addition, 6,200 homes and 8,900 structures and were destroyed. Author Brian Fies's firsthand account of this tragic event is an honest, unflinching depiction of his personal experiences, including losing his house and every possession he and his wife had that didn't fit into the back of their car. In the days that followed, as the fires continued to burn through the area, Brian hastily pulled together A Fire Story and posted it online-it immediately went viral. He is now expanding his original webcomic to include environmental insight and the fire stories of his neighbors and others in his community. A Fire Story is an honest account of the wildfires that left homes destroyed, families broken, and a community determined to rebuild. "Drawings, words, and a few photos combine to convey the depth of a tragedy that would leave most people dumbstruck.", Kirkus "Vibrant coloring and fascinating secondary stories create a gripping read that will attract graphic memoir fans and anyone seeking firsthand accounts of surviving a natural disaster.", Library Journal online "Sometimes incorporating photographs and often communicating emotion with color, he affectingly relates the grief, rage, and powerlessness of losing one's home and possessions; each time he remembers another thing he's lost - home videos he'd been meaning to digitize, for instance - the pain feels brand-new again. Inviting, empathy-driven, and ultimately hopeful in the face of hardship.", Booklist "A true story of wildfire devastation and starting over makes Brian Fies' graphic memoir a must-read" The A.V. Club "'A Fire Story' utilizes the techniques typically practiced by those working in the comics medium - sequential art, word balloons - to present a rich newsworthy story. . . ‘A Fire Story' is a victim's testimony as well as a journalistic endeavor.", The Los Angeles Times "'On Monday, my house disappeared,' begins this quietly devastating graphic memoir. . .Without pleading or preaching, this affecting record guides readers through the experience of enormous loss, then out through the other side." , Publishers Weekly "If you want to learn more about how climate change is affecting people now, this is a good place to start.", EcoWatch