Buck Fire burns, family affected

One long stretch of winding road and twenty minutes later, we put picture to the words Manuel Galvan used to describe his land after the Buck Fire hit it.

“It looks like you’re on the moon, and just my house is sitting there and that’s it,” Galvan said.

The Galvans saw the Buck Fire way too close, about 50 feet away when they evacuated.

“In my car, you can see all my valuables. We started getting all our valuables. Then it got to the point where we needed to get out of there,” Galvan said.

The Galvans waited hoping they didn’t have to leave, knowing what leaving meant. Though their home went untouched, three cars were destroyed.

Before he and his family left, Galvan took care of one last priority – his animals. He let his pigs, two dogs, and horse run free, giving them a chance to save themselves. The dogs and pigs returned safely.

As for their horse, the Riverside County Animal Services has it safely in its care, the lone animal they are caring for in San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus.

From being scared senseless to feeling the shock of the aftermath, the Galvans felt it all.

“Bittersweet. Everything burned, but the sweetness is that my family is ok,” Galvan’s daughter said.