The author was born and raised in California but moved away to Indiana in 2017 because of the smoke and wildfires.
Photo courtesy of Michelle Mastro
- The author is a California native who grew up witnessing reoccurring wildfires.
- She moved to Indiana due to rampant West Coast wildfires and climate change concerns.
- She's urged her friends and family to leave California as well and doesn't plan on returning.
When I graduated from high school in 2004, there were over 8,000 wildfires across California.