In 2017, the Tubbs Fire burned uncontrolled through swathes of Northern California. It burned over 36,000 acres and destroyed over 5,000 structures, including Brian Fies' family home. A Fire Story is not just Brian's experience but also a warning for others who live in high-fire areas. Join us for this timely conversation on wildfires, trauma, and paths forward.

About Brian: 

Brian Fies has a Physics major, an English minor, one wife, two kids and a dog. He's been a journalist, an environmental chemist, a freelance journalist, a science writer and, beginning early in the 21st century, a cartoonist. His first graphic novel, "Mom's Cancer," a true story about his mother's diagnosis and treatment, won an Eisner Award, a German Youth Literature Prize, and other recognition. His second graphic novel, "Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow," looks at the Space Age through a Pop Culture lens to wonder how we went from optimism to pessimism; from utopianism to dystopianism. Both it and his follow-up webcomic, "The Last Mechanical Monster," were nominated for Eisner and other awards.

In October 2017, Brian and his wife Karen lost their home in what was at that time the largest wildfire in California history. The day after, he went to the store to buy shoes, a shirt, and art supplies. The webcomic he made, "A Fire Story," gave a first-hand account from ground zero of a major disaster. An animated version from PBS station KQED won a regional Emmy Award in 2018. In 2019, Brian expanded his webcomic into a full-length print version of "A Fire Story." He and Karen rebuilt their house on its former site, and are now working to make it a home.