After the Wildfire: The True Story of a Phoenix Rising from the Ashes

Disasters happen everyday. We see them on the news, and if it's a big enough disaster, it may be the topic of discussion for several days. But what happens after the dust settles and the news vans move on to the next story? What happens in the weeks, months and even years following the disaster? Some choose the path of victim while others choose the path of survivor. Whatever path is chosen, for the people affected, the story is just beginning. This is the story of one such beginning.

In November 2007, a wildfire started by a few ignorant young men having an illegal party in a Malibu canyon cave changed the lives of several hundred people, leaving many of these people sad, scared and homeless. What would you do if you lost everything? For Jeff Donovan, this fire turned out to be a cleansing, a liberation of sorts. Suddenly, life had changed and Jeff decided to change with it. He quit his job, spent several months in Hawaii, and then traveled the western United States with his dog Wendel. He expected by the time his travels were finished, his landlord Dave would have everything in place to start rebuilding their homes. He expected to have a new sales job waiting for him when he returned. He expected life to get back to normal and go smoothly. Things don't always go as expected, do they?