DULZURA, Calif. (KGTV) — A Dulzura woman who lost her century-old home to the Border 32 Fire says she’s grateful for the surprise she discovered near the ashes.
Not much remains of Kim Grice’s 4-bedroom home off Barrett Lake Road.
Last Wednesday afternoon, Grice, her husband and three children, ages 7, 10 and 12, were at home, when they saw a smoke plume about a mile away.
A half hour later, with flames on a nearby ridge, they packed some to-go bags and left. On their way out, they saw flames on the roadside. The fire was close.
RELATED: Border 32 Fire scorches 4,400 acres in the East County
“So you kind of get punched in the gut a little bit. It’s really hard to see the kids come to the realization. They start crying,” said Grice.
They stayed in the area, and hours later, fire crews escorted Grice back in to feed and water her chickens and sheep.
On her way to the pen, she saw her home, on fire.
“It’s really hard. All the possessions that you have in there. So many memories, and you just see the flames eating everything inside the house,” said Grice.
The house was rich with history.
“The house dates back a century. There’s an old stagecoach route that goes through,” said Grice.
Grice says over that century, family members worked on the home, adding on and putting in their own touches.
Family members say the house, which is owned by Grice's in-laws, was underinsured. It's unclear it they will be able to rebuild.
As for the Grice family, they lost nearly everything. But amid all the loss, something remarkable happened.
Next to the home during the fire were dozens of animals, including the chickens and sheep, in pens.
The back of the sheep pen was scorched with burn marks.
Yet, when the family returned home, they found all those animals, alive and well.
“Completely amazed. Very happy they were okay … Certain amount of blessings, even with all this destruction, that you can still take away,” said Grice.
A Gofundme campaign has been set up to help the family with living expenses.
