As a broadcast journalist in the poker community, Tiffany Michelle’s body of work has been unparalleled over the last 19 years.
Tiffany’s effervescent personality has graced the channels of many of the industry’s leading media platforms, including most recently as a welcome addition to the PokerOrg live team.
As a long-time Los Angeles resident, Tiffany has experienced several precautionary evacuations due to the encroachment of numerous fires in the adjacent Malibu/Topanga regions, especially when the Santa Ana winds befall the city.
On the morning of Tuesday, January 7, the peril was up close and personal as massive fires swept across the Palisades, razing the beautiful house Tiffany and fiancé Danny have called home for the past seven years.
Watch our interview with Tiffany above, as she shares her harrowing story.
Finding the silver lining in all the sadness and loss
The Palisades/Eaton fires in Los Angeles have caused 27 deaths and the destruction of 12,000 structures to date and are ranked as the second most destructive fires in California’s history.
It’s been a nightmare that most would find daunting to recover from, much less maintain a positive attitude; in defiance of the loss and sadness, Tiffany has chosen to let her heart and fortitude shine brightest.
Proof in point: when Eric Hollreiser, the CEO and founder of PokerOrg, asked if she needed anything, Tiffany simply replied, “It was just stuff. We were lucky.”
Trying to save the house
Tiffany shares her story:
I was sitting at my desk working on the computer. My fiancé Danny said, ‘Have you looked outside?’ I stepped out, looked around the corner, and went, ‘Oh sh*t’. I could see flames near our house down the back hill.
I wasn't worried about escaping the danger because I believed the fire trucks would keep the neighborhood safe. It was then that a notification to evacuate immediately appeared on my Watch Duty app. We had to leave now.
The couple packed a car with a few valuables, their two dogs, and passports. Danny planned to hang back, lock down the house, and meet Tiffany near the highway.
Danny told me he could walk out of the neighborhood. Then my Ring Cam notifications start popping up. I see him standing in front of our house, hosing it down with water. At the corner of the screen, clouds and smoke were dangerously close.
That's when it got all too real for me. I pulled over and told Danny, ‘You cannot save the house. Please leave.’ I waited for him near the Pacific Coast Highway. He walked out and got in the car. I told him it was going to be okay. We don't know what's going to happen. Let's get to safety and be smart.
The immediate danger wasn’t over for the harried couple, not by a long shot. What happened next could have easily been yanked from an apocalyptic Hollywood screenplay.
Within twenty-four hours, the couple would again flee the windblown rising flames near a friend’s home in the Hollywood Hills and seek safety elsewhere.
Tiffany confessed that even though she is very optimistic about the future, there are still moments when the massive loss and grief hit hard.
When those feelings threaten to overwhelm her, the years of experience doing battle on the felt kick in and offer a sense of grounding and solace.
My poker mindset and fortitude, in many ways, have subtly contributed to how I'm handling this crisis. Every day, there's a little more surrender and acceptance. I know what I’m grateful for and count my blessings.
The outpouring of kindness from everyone has been overwhelming. It’s lifted my spirits and carried me through this tragedy. It’s given me a sense of empowerment and unity from so many people.
And I feel excited for the day that I will feel like playing poker again. Because it means I am feeling more normal or whole. I love the game. I’ll be curious when that feeling returns to me.
Donate to victims of the LA fires
Tiffany doesn’t ask for any direct donations for herself but would like to put forth two organizations she has worked with that are in need if anyone would like to be of assistance.
The Hit Living Foundation is the grassroots dog rescue organization that Tiffany is personally involved with as a friend of the founder. They have teams on the ground aiding the rescue, rehabilitation, and rehousing of displaced animals (cats, birds, too, not just dogs).
Mosaic is actively working to provide relief to families and communities impacted by the LA wildfires. Your generosity can help us make a greater impact.
Photos provided by Tiffany Michelle
