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After the Tubbs Fire in 2017, Anabel Garcia felt on edge every time an ambulance siren blared outside her home in Santa Rosa, California. Sirens reminded her of evacuating during, which killed 22 and destroyed 5,000 homes. Flames reached as close as 5 miles from her family鈥檚 house.

鈥淚t terrified us,鈥� Garcia said in Spanish. 鈥淏ut it was scarier having to go through it all a second time.鈥�

She means the Kincade Fire, which blazed through Sonoma County this past fall. Garcia recalled the roads being blocked for hours, preventing her, her husband, and their two teenage children from evacuating.

At that point, Garcia, 46, considered moving from California to avoid living through yet another major wildfire. 鈥淚t was traumatic, psychologically and emotionally,鈥� she said.

To cope, she attended a convivencia, or community gathering, hosted by. Wildfire survivors gathered in a local park to discuss their experiences with a bilingual therapist over hot chocolate, coffee, and bread. The therapist walked through deep-breathing exercises, stretches, and relaxation techniques in Spanish. After attending these free group sessions for several weeks, Garcia felt better. She realized she wasn鈥檛 alone.

Gathering community together

Convivencia means 鈥渃oexistence鈥濃�攐r colloquially, 鈥済athering.鈥� Formally speaking, they are therapeutic support groups. Except they aren鈥檛 marketed that way. Upon first glance, convivencias can easily be mistaken for a family picnic or potluck.

By putting the focus on socializing and sharing personal stories, said Ana Maria Martinez, programs manager at Humanidad, the cultural stigma of mental-health treatment can gradually fade.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not used to having this type of help,鈥� Garcia explained when she spoke of her initial hesitation to attend a convivencia. 鈥淎s Latinos, you know, we have this assumption that going to see a therapist means you鈥檙e crazy.鈥�

Disasters are stressful for everyone, and these events are worsening as the climate warms. The latest example came last week: People in parts of Northern and Central California, Sonoma County included, were ordered to evacuate as multiple fires spread amid a punishing heat wave. The Center for Public Integrity, Columbia Journalism Investigations, and newsrooms across the country, including California Health Report, asked people affected by wildfires, hurricanes, and floods to.

Nearly 200 survivors responded to the online survey, almost a quarter from California. Nationally, more than 60% reported multiple symptoms that they linked to the disaster, such as frequent worrying and trouble sleeping, and some are still experiencing emotional challenges years after the fact. But most of the survivors鈥�70%鈥攕aid they didn鈥檛 get mental-health care. Some couldn鈥檛 afford it, some thought they didn鈥檛 need it, and some were worried what others would think.

Disasters are stressful for everyone, and these events are worsening as the climate warms.

Those national barriers are common in Sonoma County, too. But on top of that, language access and concern about getting help from government agencies can further isolate those who need help. About a quarter of Sonoma County residents are Latinx, according to census data. About the same share of residents speak a language other than English at home. Thousands are.

鈥淔or a lot of our Latino immigrant population, there are a lot of issues that come up surrounding wildfires and disasters,鈥� said Emilio Licea, a psychologist at in Sonoma County. 鈥淪o even though there might be resources, they鈥檙e often reluctant to engage because they don鈥檛 fully trust the system.鈥�

After major disasters, states can tap federal funding to offer free crisis counseling for survivors. But Christy Lubin, executive director of the Graton Day Labor Center, said Sonoma County鈥檚 undocumented residents find it difficult to access government aid of any kind. 鈥淚n the first week after the Tubbs Fire, there was nothing in Spanish, and those who did know about the evacuation centers did not want to go because of the fear of ICE,鈥� she said, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region said in a statement that staff at emergency shelters do not ask for citizenship information. 鈥淚f a shelter resident chooses to reveal that information or a shelter worker somehow acquires that information, Red Cross staff will protect the person鈥檚 confidentiality,鈥� the statement said.

Shelter use is improving as advocates get the word out. But economic inequality still exacerbates mental-health disparities. The Latinx community is less likely to be enrolled in health insurance compared with other Californians, according to a study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Lack of coverage through an employer and immigration status restrictions are common roadblocks.

Garcia is originally from Mexico. She has lived in Santa Rosa for 20 years, working a variety of jobs鈥攈er latest was to harvest grapes. She鈥檚 undocumented and doesn鈥檛 have health insurance. Traditional therapy in a hospital or doctor鈥檚 office is out of the question.

Wildfires are a key topic as climate change increases dry conditions that amp up risk.

Instead, she and others in the community rely on local nonprofit organizations such as Humanidad and West County Health Centers. Licea, who is Latino himself, said these organizations consistently work to be a part of local communities and build trust. When mental-health providers attend local churches, participate in holiday events, and call people directly to offer services, that can go a long way, Licea said.

Humanidad, a low-cost mental health provider in Santa Rosa, has specialized in treating the Spanish-speaking community in Sonoma County since its founding in 2012. Since COVID-19 hit, its convivencias have all been held virtually.

The common thread of convivencias can vary. Some have focused on domestic violence, some on decreasing stigma of mental-health care. A recent meeting was for recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, a program that allows people brought to the country without documentation as children to attend school and work. The Trump administration wants to eliminate it and has a Supreme Court decision to restore it.

But wildfires are a key topic as climate change increases dry conditions that amp up risk. California had more than. The country鈥檚 10 have all been here鈥攁nd six happened in the past three years.

Garcia said she decided not to leave Santa Rosa after attending convivencias. She said they helped her see wildfires as another aspect of life to contend with, something to prepare for.

It wasn鈥檛 something she needed to think about before 2017. Now it鈥檚 inescapable.

鈥淓very May when the weather heats up again, I wonder: When is there going to be another fire?鈥� Garcia said.

California Health Report journalist Claudia Boyd-Barrett contributed to this article.

This story was originally published by and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.