By Wednesday morning the flames had burned up over 1,000 acres, including Schaffer's house that she shared with her wife Linda Kennedy and two daughters -- now left in a pile of ashes.

inorganic substance we call ashes. So what I might call “Mom” is actually a pile of inert minerals indistinguishable from any other person’s remains. Put the stuff in the ground, and plants ...

What is it about the ashes that speaks so powerfully to us whatever the condition of our faith or the state of our life? If we saw a pile of ashes at home we’d probably move quickly to clean ...

"Because the fire was rabid. Right away it came, all of a sudden. All of a sudden I didn't see my storage anymore. I couldn't see my house anymore,” Maria Hernandez said.