Climate Migration: California fire pushes family to Vermont

PROCTOR, Vt. — Weeks after surviving one of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history, the Holden family just wanted a new home. Even Idaho, Montana, everywhere they were having droughts.” James and Ellie Holden pose with one of their goats and a camping trailer brought when they left California, at their home, Thursday, May 12, 2022, in Proctor, Vt. ___ EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of an ongoing series exploring the lives of people around the world who have been forced to move because of rising seas, drought, searing temperatures and other things caused or exacerbated by climate change. Ellie Holden, center, examines a box of “fire treasures”, which are the burnt remains of their family’s California home, with son Jack, left, and husband James, Thursday, May 12, 2022, in Proctor, Vt. Ellie Holden prepares to open a box of "fire treasures", which are the burnt remains of their family's California home, Thursday, May 12, 2022, in Proctor, Vt. Ellie Holden holds burnt wedding silverware, which survived the fire of her family's California home, while looking at a box of "fire treasures", Thursday, May 12, 2022, in Proctor, Vt. We were happy.” Jack Holden waters flower plants with his mother Ellie, at their home, Thursday, May 12, 2022, in Proctor, Vt. Ellie Holden plants seedlings with her children Soraya, Jack and Isa, from left, in the garden and farmland of their home, Thursday, May 12, 2022, in Proctor, Vt. Isa Holden holds a seedling while planting gardens with her mother Ellie, at their home, Thursday, May 12, 2022, in Proctor, Vt. Soraya Holden plays with a goat named Tea Cup as her brother Jack watches, Thursday, May 12, 2022, in Proctor, Vt. Taking a “this fire is not going to destroy us” attitude, James Holden moved the trailer from the church parking lot back to the family’s two-thirds of an acre of charred land.