POTRERO, Calif. (KGTV) — Monday, San Diego County set up an assistance center at the Potrero Library Branch for families recovering from the Border 32 Fire.
"Sometimes survivors don't know what they need. It's a very, very stressful time," said Jeff Toney, the Emergency Services Director of San Diego County.
Toney said the wildfire destroyed nearly 20 structures, including homes, RVs, and cars in East County.
The assistance center provided a one-stop-shop for disaster relief services, such as American Red Cross, National Crisis Response Canines, and Housing and Community Development services.
"They could live on a property that's prone to debris and mudflow, so we offer erosion control assistance. It could be mental health resources," Toney said.
"I'm used to wildfires, but I've never seen anything this drastic coming as fast as it was," Rachel Quintanilla said.
Quintanilla stopped by the center to ask about grocery assistance after losing food due to power outages caused by the fire.
"We'd just gone grocery shopping and lost almost $300 worth of food," she said.
Meanwhile, Allen Andrus came to get help clearing debris from ruined structures and fences on his property.
Andrus said it's the second time he's had to go through this process.
"In 2007, the Harris Fire that started up here in Potrero and went down, it destroyed quite a bit, and a lot of assistance came out of that," Andrus said.
While neighbors here say wildfires will always be a threat, they say it's nice to have help picking up the pieces when a disaster strikes.
"It really helps that there's so many resources that came up here today and that they're able to just even talk to us and help us out," Quintanilla said.
Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors will also vote to waive fees for Border 32 Fire victims, which will help rebuild their homes and obtain vital documents such as birth certificates or deeds lost in the fire.
