April Dembosky, KQED

Seeking A Peaceful Death Amid The Flames

During Northern California’s recent wildfires, dozens of hospice patients who had hoped to spend their last days in the comfort of their homes had to be relocated to evacuation shelters, assisted living facilities and relatives’ homes instead.

Tending To Patients As Her New Home Burns

ICU nurse Julayne Smithson had only a few minutes to grab some things from her recently purchased home a block from the Santa Rosa hospital. Then she rushed back to help evacuate patients and has scarcely stopped working since.