Following the devastating fire, there’s nothing left of Susie Richter’s home.

Despite this, Susie makes a daily journey to her burnt-out home to feed her three cats, who miraculously survived the catastrophe.

Unfortunately, she had to leave her feline friends behind, a decision that broke her heart. However, Susie had no intention of abandoning them forever; she was determined to return as soon as possible.

On her first return visit, she prepared herself for the worst, uncertain if she would find her cats where she had left them. Susie said:

“I felt in my heart that they were here, and I didn’t expect to find all of them, but I did. And of course, tears and just hugs.”

You might be wondering how she had the opportunity to go back. Well, the truth is that the main fire-damaged areas remained closed to residents. 

However, some parts of Susie’s neighborhood are still open, so she is allowed to enter through a checkpoint.

After losing everything she ever had, realizing her feline friends survived came to her as a blessing and renewed her hope.

Sadly, not everyone was as lucky enough as Susie and her beloved furry friend. The fire resulted in many dead and missing people, making it a catastrophe that the world hasn’t seen in a while. Susie said:

“The process is ongoing and so is the grief. But the little, little bits of joy – I’ll take any good news I can get.”

Another thing that gave Susie a glimpse of hope was part of a porcelain angel from a jewelry box that she found among the rubble of her home. Now, that piece of an angel reminds her how lucky she and her cats were to survive, saying:

“We made it out. Not everyone did.”