California’s Carr Fire, one of the worst in the state’s history, has been burning for almost four weeks and has claimed at least eight lives. Police said it was accidentally started by a trailer that was being towed and got a flat tire – and when the rim of the tire scratched the street, sparks flew into nearby underbrush.

The trailer was allegedly towed by a couple who is now despondent and blame themselves for the massive devastation that ensued, according to people who say they have information about the couple but are protecting their identity.

“She has been crying day and night on her couch,” Redding resident Rachel Pilli posted on a private Facebook page for moms. Pilli’s information came from a local firefighter friend of hers who knows the couple because they live next to his mother, she told The Washington Post.

With permission, Pilli’s friend Hope Seth reposted the message on the Facebook page Carr Fire Stories, which was set up as a forum on which residents could share stories of both loss and rebuilding from the fire.

The blaze is so intense that it initially unleashed a vortex of winds that caused a “fire tornado” and has scorched more than 200,000 acres and 1,000 homes.

Despite the extensive damage, Seth and Pilli did not want the disconsolate couple to feel the weight of the devastation alone.

“Do you think we can show some grace and extend kindness (and even forgiveness) for the shame and despair that she is experiencing?” Seth wrote Monday, adding:

“We understand this was tragic for many and emotions may be varied and it be ‘too soon’ for some. But please only message us if you have something gracious to say, perhaps as though it was your own grandma and grandpa. This may be one of our finest moments, Redding!”

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