A tranquil street is left a wasteland overnight
SANTA ROSA, Calif._When she'd gone to bed Sunday night, the fires ravaging Northern California had seemed miles away from Santa Rosa, but something woke Julie Pilacelli around 1 a.m. and told her to slip on her robe and go outside.
As she stood in the middle of Hemlock Street, where she had lived for 21 years, she smelled smoke and felt a breeze and a sinking feeling.
"Something told me," she said. "Death. Go. Leave now."
Within an hour, the L-shaped street lined with more than 40 ranch-style homes was overwhelmed by wildfire. In the sky, fireballs exploded
