On December 27th my brother Alex, his wife Signe, and their 4-year-old son Ra lost their RV and all of their possessions in a horrible fire while on their way to Baja. The RV was basically their home and they had poured their hearts and souls into making it a safe and comfortable vehicle for their seasonal drive to La Ventana. All of their clothing, personal belongings, documents, work computers, and Ra's Christmas presents were in the van, and they were so looking forward to making it back to Mexico. They are emotionally exhausted, traumatized, and devastated, with a lot of decisions needing to be made in the next few days. I'm hoping we can raise some funds to help them restore some holiday spirit and get through the next few months while they decide what their lives will look like now.

They had left Santa Cruz on the evening of the 26th, hoping to avoid traffic. Alex was driving while Signe, Ra, and their three dogs were asleep in the back when around 3 am the engine suddenly died. While Alex pulled to the side of the highway flames started shooting out from under the hood. Alex used two fire extinguishers and a fire blanket to try to get the flames under control, but nothing worked. Alex ran back into the RV to get the family out when the flames started engulfing the front of the van, leaving the only forward exit door unusable. Alex kicked out the rear window so Signe and Ra could escape, and the dogs were able to jump out with help. The smallest dog, Shazdeh, was so confused and scared, she got loose and ran back into the burning RV, forcing Alex to run in after her and get her out again. Luckily, while he was back in the RV Alex was able to disconnect the solar panel's lithium-ion battery and throw it out of the van so it couldn't cause an explosion or worsen the fire. Fire crews arrived, but the fire quickly turned the RV to ashes. The family sat on the side of the highway watching their lives go up in flames. Signe and Ra were left with just their underwear on and a blanket to wrap up in. Sweet little Ra was devastated to have just lost all his Christmas presents and toys, but they are so thankful to have escaped with their lives. Thankfully one kind soul pulled over and allowed them and the dogs to shelter in his car while the fire crews worked.

They were finally able to get an Uber to the only hotel in Burbank that would accept them, the Airport Marriott in Burbank which stepped forward hearing of the family's plight, and they are now staying there, deciding what to do next.

My brother is one of the most positive spirits you could ever meet, always the life of the party. His spirit is still strong, but the trauma of this has shaken him quite deeply. Signe and Ra are being such troopers, but feeling very lost as to what to do next. Little Ra would just like to have some of his Pokemon back.