A Fire Story: A Graphic Memoir

By Brian Fies

The award-winning author and illustrator presents a personal account of the Northern California wildfires of 2017 in this moving graphic memoir.

On October 9th, 2017, wildfires burned through Northern California, resulting in forty-four fatalities and the destruction of thousands of homes. In A Fire Story, Brian Fies shares an unflinching account of this tragedy as he and his wife experienced it—including losing their house and every possession that didn’t fit in their car.

As the fires continued to burn through the area, Brian pulled together A Fire Story and posted it online. It immediately went viral. He later expanded the webcomic to include environmental insight and the fire stories of his neighbors. A Fire Story is a candid testimony of the wildfires that left homes destroyed, families broken, and a community determined to rebuild.

This updated and expanded edition includes thirty-two pages of all-new material, extending the story past the events of the hardcover edition to include updates on the rebuilding, wrestling with insurance, wrangling with contractors, the management of sometimes volatile emotions, and the threats of yet another wildfire.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Mar 5, 2019
• ISBN: 9781683354512

Book preview

Reviews for A Fire Story

[wunder-62679 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thousands of houses were destroyed in the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa and as many families were thrown into chaos. Brian Fies brings us into his story, but he's also a journalist, telling other people's stories.

The drawings and text are walking me through the story, then a page turn hits me, like 37 to 38, 67 to 68, or 126 to 127. I know those numbers mean nothing to you, so read the book. Find the page that hits you in the heart.

[librarianryan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As I write this review fires are one again burning in California. So this book, while a memoir of one group's experience, is once again being lived by hundreds if not thousands of people. This story is poignant. I love how the author tells not just his story, but that of neighbors, friends, and other people he knew, some of which didn’t live to see the current blazes. I think this was the perfect format to tell this story. The author mixed his visual medium with his storytelling in a way that was compelling and kept the pages turning. A modern masterpiece of graphic novels that I think will be read for years to come, and maybe even be on future lists of best of best.

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Fire Story by Brian Fies is a 2019 Harry N. Abrams publication. This graphic novel depicts Brian Fies’ personal experiences when he lost his home during the 2017 Northern California wildfires.His Webcomic and subsequent graphic novel has been a cathartic journey as he chronicles the various emotions he and his family felt, in the process of moving forward after such an incredibly difficult loss. He also adds others personal stories into the novel, adding even more poignancy to the devastation. The sense of community is also prevalent as people rose to the occasion to help their families, friends, and neighbors. Brian’s sense of displacement, his broken- heartedness, and shock, leaps from the pages as does his temerity and the admission that while the process is slow and hard, and the days ahead were long and arduous, he and his family are determined to move forward and rebuild their lives. My heart truly broke for Brian and the other families and people who shared their stories. Brian did a terrific job conveying his emotions and the way he and others around him dealt with the pain and what steps they had to take in order to move on with their lives. From a personal standpoint, I have never experienced such a devastating loss. However, while in high school, two good friends of mine lost their homes to fire. It is so hard to comprehend, unless you experience something like that in an up close and personal way, how truly devastating it is to lose every single thing you own. It’s not just the obvious loss of things and stuff, it’s the sentimental loss, and the feeling of disassociation. Rebuilding, even if you have good insurance, even with the promise of a fresh start, just doesn’t offer all that much comfort when all you want to do is go home. This is a very emotional and powerful story which started as a Webcomic, which is also included in this book. Because this is a graphic novel, and the visuals are of utmost importance within this format, I must admit I wasn’t bowled over by the artwork. The style may have been a statement, in part due to the gravity of the subject matter. The artwork is in black and white and maybe a little too simplistic, but again, but it does capture the essence of the situation, which is what counts at the end of the day. The timeline is also a bit choppy, but not hard to follow and is really a minor complaint. There are also real photos included driving home the reality of damage done by the raging fires. I recommend this book to everyone, even if graphic novels aren't really your thing. Once the impact hits you, you will most likely feel compelled to count your blessings and will feel grateful for having a roof over your head, a toothbrush, a change of clothes, your personal papers, and a hundred other small things we all take for granted every day. I was also inspired by Brian’s story, his bravery in sharing his raw emotions with us, and despite his depressing circumstances, his fortitude, his sense of humor, and compassion for others who shared in his loss. 4 stars

[pardamustang · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Fire Story by Brian Fries recounts the effects of the 2017 California wildfires from the perspective of a family that lived it. The Fries' lost everything. They fled with the fire knocking at their back door. Brian was among the handful who went back and valiantly tried to make a difference. Unfortunately, not even fire trucks made a difference. The description/ depiction of the aftermath was horrifying. Metal was twisted, plastics melted to puddles, and houses were vanished, leaving foundations and detritus to be shifted through. But only after the EPA deemed it safe. Thousands lost homes, and all documentation. They had to go through complicated processes to replace birth certificates, passports, SSN cards, etc., and fight to cancel gas/power/water services. That cartoon panel was hilarious with the facial expression changes. Reading about the fires, and seeing it via drawing, it was kinda hard. I'm terrified of fire. Where I live in CA we haven't had a wildfire. We're right on the coast. But they've been close enough that we can smell the smoke. And I work at an inn, so we housed fire victims who ended up staying weeks with us. ***Many thanks to Netgalley & Abrams for providing an ecopy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[readbybrit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

» I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.This was both heartbreaking and beautiful.I really loved the art style. Everything was told so simply.There was so much emotion with just small sentence and short descriptions. We see wildfires and the destruction they bring on the news, but if you're not experiencing it, it seems too far away from reality to be something that you think of on an individual level. This really displayed not only the raw truth of the authors personal experience with losing his home to a wildfire, but multiple stories interspersed within. I really enjoyed my time with this graphic novel. It was beautiful, emotional, and gave wonderful insight into what it's like to be affected by a disaster.

[susan.macura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This graphic novel describes what the author and his wife went through when their home was destroyed in a wildfire in California in 2017. This unfortunate event was shared by too many, so it is important that others can understand what they endured and how their lives changed forever. With global warming, such events are more and more likely to occur with increasing frequency and severity. This was a wonderful way to convey the horrors associated with such a loss.

[lostinalibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In October of 2017, wildfires swept through Northern California. One of the victims of these fires was Brian Fies, a comic writer and illustrator. He tells his story and that of others in the graphic novel, A Fire Story. He talks about what he and his wife grabbed on the way out the door and the heartbreak of what was lost, about 'things' - family pictures and mementos that can never be replaced - and the difficulties of starting over. In doing so, he gives a portrait of what it is like for survivors of such events that is both heart wrenching and surprisingly hopeful. Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Abrams Comic Art for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

[billiebook · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A heartbreaking, but also hopeful, memoir of losing all of your physical possessions and having to start over from literally nothing. Based on a short webcomic Fies did in the days immediately following the loss of his home in the wildfires that devastated Northern California in 2017 and interspersed with the stories of other victims, A Fire Story is a snapshot of a time, a place, a community but it is also a universal story of human fear, frustration and fortitude in the face of disaster.