On the night of October 8th there was a terrible forest fire. This wasn’t uncommon, seeing as in the fall of 2017 both Northern and Southern California were hit by numerous wild fires, making them the worst in the state’s history. This particular forest fire had broken out in three points across Evan’s county.
The wind was gusting enough in the Lake Berryessa area to cause to fires to spread like crazy. They were spreading so fast that Evan was concerned they would reach his home. Something needed to be done to stop this, and it needed to be done fast.
Growing Interest
At first, Evan didn’t realize how rare what he captured was. It didn’t take long for other people in the area to notice the same thing. The word about the hole in Lake Berryessa was spreading like wildfire. People were flooding the area after Evan’s YouTube video had people in awe.
There were tons of people and drones flying around trying to capture this rare sighting. This wouldn’t be the only time he stumbled upon something amazing.
Northern California News Headlines
Roughly half a year later after Evan discovered the “glory hole” in Lake Berryessa, Napa County was hit with something that would lodge him straight back into the news headlines. Evan was fast asleep on the night of October 8th. Around 11:30 PM he was awakened by many frantic and concerned text messages from people who were checking on him to see how he was.
He was so confused by the text messages that he had to see what was going on. When he got the news about what had happened, he knew that he needed to get there fast.
Napa Is In Danger
The fires were so bad that the local residents surrounding Lake Berryessa were encouraged to pack their belongings and move to a safe area. Napa County’s wildfires were about to make history, if they hadn’t already. Evan Kilkus’ father thought that the fires were dangerous enough to reach his home as well, so he also joined the other local residents who decided to flee their homes over the first couple days of the wildfires.
Although everyone was leaving the area for safety at a shelter nearby, Evan was staying. But why? What could he possibly think he was going to do?
Safety First
People all around the area had fled and left most of their cherished belongings and homes behind. However, Evan Kilkus understood and felt that he needed to stick around for the sake of his community. He knew that he had a responsibility that not many other people had. In addition to working at the rental shop at Lake Berryessa, he was also a member of the local fire safety council for that area. As with most things in his life, he took this role very seriously.
In an effort to warn everyone in the area of the terrible conditions, he sent out mass text messages and posted on the internet that an evacuation was a must. The wind patterns at the time were showing that they were about to head directly in the direction of the residents and their homes. Then, Evan did the unimaginable.