In August 2020, a dry lightning storm kicked off an unprecedented siege of wildfires. These firestorms lasted for months, destroyed 9,000 structures and killed 31 people. Millions of residents throughout the region breathed in toxic smoke as the sky turned orange and the pandemic raged on.

As we mark five years since the sky turned orange, we’re bringing you stories from people who lived through the 2020 fires, in their own words.

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