Mima Cataldo

The North Bay fires of Sonoma and Napa counties (CA) in 2017 introduced me to climate change in ways I had not previously known.

Over the course of two weeks the number of deaths rose daily, and I often wondered "what would I save if I only had five minutes to leave my home”. Once the fires were extinguished, I began to photograph what remained in the backyards of Coffey Park, a suburban community of some 2000 homes, most of which burned to the ground. What I saw told stories about the people who had lived there, so that outdoor furniture, a child’s playhouse, lawn chairs, and tomato cages became my subject matter.

I continued to document throughout Sonoma and Napa counties for several more weeks, but when I returned to Coffey Park in 2018, I found burned out trees co-existing with the rebuilding of new homes, an eerie reminder that, despite public outcry, the climate crisis we now face will become more commonplace no matter who you are or where you live.

All the buildings of the historic Stornetta Dairy and Farm along Route 12 were completely destroyed by the fires.

Glen Ellen, CA   2017

 Plastic newspaper racks simply melt in the fires.

Sonoma Valley Regional Park

Many wineries in Sonoma and Napa counties were saved by turning on their extensive irrigation systems as the hills surrounding them burned uncontrollably.

Message of thanks were abundant throughout Sonoma county.