Family’s home nearly burned down by the Apple Fire
The Apple Fire has burned 26,450 acres in the Cherry Valley area. One home and two outbuildings have been destroyed by flames and thousands have been evacuated.
One family lives in an area surrounded by charred remains of brush and damaged homes, but miraculously, they were able to save their home from being burned down.
"There are 3 houses that we share property lines with and all 3 houses we share property lines with had fire damage but not ours," said the homeowners, who wished to remain unnamed.
One of the homeowners recalled the moment she first noticed the fire.
"My daughter-in-law saw something flying through the air and she said, 'What is that coming through the trees?' and I said 'I don't know, is that pollen?' As I got up and got closer we saw that it was ash the size of snowflakes," the homeowner said.
She described the chilling moments they realized they were in danger.
"We had no smell in our home, no warning of there being a fire," the homeowners said.
The homeowners had been celebrating the birth of their three-day old grandson.
"All I saw were my two sons and my husband run in as we walked out," one of the homeowners said. "We left everything behind, did not look back, and drove away with the baby and the momma and myself."
While grandma, daughter-in-law, and baby were in tow, one of her sons called with an alarming message-- that their home may have caught fire.
Despite believing their home burned down, it ended up being fully in tact. Her husband and their two sons did all they could to keep the flames from reaching what they thought had already been engulfed in flames.
"We pulled up. My sons and I and the local mountain bike coach and started fighting the flames. A good neighbor showed up. Members of the water district, other neighbors showed up with shovels and hoses," the homeowners said. "There were 20 people on the line, people in the house."
The whole community fought to save the home.
On the property line, about 100 feet away from the house another home was reduced to ash and rubble. Neighbors said it was being remodeled for a family who had just bought it.
The family said by the time they were able to start fighting the fire, it was too late to salvage the other home that the fire tore through.
The family has returned home and believes what transpired was nothing short of a miracle.
"The baby gets to come back home and see grandma and grandpa here," the homeowners said.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates on the Apple Fire.
