Should you pack several bags, collect your valuables and move into a shelter or not? If so, for how long? Do you need coats, boots and sweaters? Where will the animals go? Just considering these questions is enough to upset many people's balance. In fact, dealing with possible evacuation and the loss of one's home is considered an "extreme trauma," said psychotherapist Martin Novell, of West Los Angeles.
The way one deals with it "really has to do with the individual," he said. "Nature has a way ordering things and all of sudden that becomes something we can no longer deal with. People can carry around anger and hostility about lost time and property."
Novell, who specializes in anxiety among other things, said it's important for people to talk about their issues and fears with family and friends.
"You can start loosing trust when you internalize the feelings and bottle them up. If you can get rid of the isolation, it becomes a communal experience. You think in immediate terms. (Fear) closes down time. It's not useful to see too far in the future. You may not be ready. It can help you survive these moments of trauma by focusing on the present."
Bodywork can also be extremely helpful in the coping process.
At the River Run Base Camp, Mark Cook of Symbiotic Systems Relexology and Wade Port of Café of Life Chiropractic, organized various kinds of free physical therapy to be offered nightly from 6 to 10 p.m. for firefighters.
"I called as many body work people as I knew and then we went over and offered our services. We started that night with (chiropractor) Tom West, Wade and myself. We work on about 100 firefighters a night. We don't get out to almost 11 p.m. each night. It's unprecedented for a community to do this. It's been very rewarding."
Physical therapist Mary Kay Foley volunteered her services. "A lot of it is back, neck and shoulder stuff," she said. "We felt good to be doing something."
In Ketchum, Dr. Maria Maricich of Quantum Healing Arts and Light Touch Chiropractic is also offering free holistic health care to anyone experiencing symptoms such as back or neck pain, allergies, breathing problems and emotional distress due to the fire. Call 726-6010.
As well, Ketchum-based dentist Robert Cunningham is offering free dental care for firefighters while they're here. Call 726-3457.
Staying out of the smoke is extremely important, especially for those with heart and lung issues. There is a lot of variance of air quality in the valley and at certain times of the day. At 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, the air quality, measured in micrograms per cubic meter of air, had dropped to a moderate level. Sensitive people should not be outdoors for long.
Other ideas include simply getting away from it all. At the Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch north of Ketchum, there have been more visitors from the valley than usual for the past 12 days, said manager Sandra Beckwith.
"Prior to the evacuations on Saturday, people were coming up to get away from the stress of it all," she said. "Our heart goes out to everyone. We've been able to provide a respite for people in the valley. We were evacuee central."
Smoke continues to fill valley and can add to stress levels already felt by residents and firefighters. Photo by Jason Kauffman
