The night of Monday, Jan. 6, Whistler’s Lily Chandra landed in Los Angeles, preparing to get her skincare brand in front of some of the biggest names in the beauty industry. By Tuesday morning, wildfires had broken out across the metropolitan region, and by the following day, she was rushing to catch a flight to escape the blazes that have so far forced 200,000 people to evacuate and killed 25 others.
“I could see the fire from my hotel room. I was on the 12th floor and I could see the fire blazing, the water bombers going down and I could see the water being sprayed from the planes. It was so close I could almost touch it,” said Chandra, who was staying at a hotel on Sunset Boulevard. “It was a really surreal, really scary experience. I didn’t know what to do. I don’t know anyone in L.A. Your brain just doesn’t work in those moments.”
The founder of Brahmi Skincare Whistler, Chandra was in L.A. for a brand activation at the Santa Monica headquarters of actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s global lifestyle and wellness company, Goop. She eventually called hotel reception to let them know she planned to cut her stay short, only to learn an evacuation order was already in place for the region.
While she said the evacuation process went smoothly, Chandra couldn’t help but be struck by the collective mood at the Los Angeles International Airport as she awaited her flight back to Vancouver.
“Everyone was in shock. People were very confused and traumatized,” she said. “It was a really traumatic experience for me and I felt very lucky to have a home to come back to. I’ve never been happier to be in Vancouver in my life.”
The fires that have so far burned more than 16,000 hectares and damaged more than 12,000 structures also had Chandra thinking about the risk of wildfire closer to home.
“People always say if there’s a natural disaster in Whistler, we would be taken care of, but would we really be taken care of?” she asked, pointing to the logistics of evacuating the entire community with only one major roadway, Highway 99, leading out of town.
It’s a scenario that hasn’t escaped emergency planners at municipal hall. The Resort Municipality of Whistler’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan guides how the municipality would handle a major emergency or disaster. The associated Sea to Sky Multimodal Evacuation Plan outlines the process and resources required for the complete evacuation of either Whistler or Squamish, to the north or south, using the highway, and other modes of transportation, including rail, ferry, and air.
Inspired to support the firefighters working on the frontlines, Chandra is planning a fundraiser at Stinky’s on the Stroll on Wednesday, Jan. 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. Brahmi skincare products will be available to purchase for up to 75 per cent off regular pricing, and Brahmi Tea cocktails will also be on offer, with proceeds going to the Los Angeles Fire Department and supplies for those affected. Chandra will also donate proceeds from her online store, which can be found at brahmiskincarewhistler.com.
