Neighborhoods charred by Boles Fire leaving residents homeless

Weed, Calif. — Dozens of Weed residents are left without homes as the Boles Fire ripped through neighborhoods Monday afternoon.

Now, the tight-knit community is left picking up the pieces.

Resident Paul Huckabay said it all happened so fast.

“It came up over the hill and within 20, 30 minutes it was down into some of those houses,” he said.

The fire damaged or destroyed 150 structures. Huckabay’s house was just one of many that burned to the ground. Fire officials said 1,000 homes still remained threatened.

“I raised my family there. It had a lot of sentimental value to me, things I can’t replace,” he said.

Huckabay also doesn’t know what will become of his job at the Roseburg Forest Products Mill. Some of their buildings burned, along with two churches. The elementary and high schools were also damaged.

Some homes in the area are now painted pink by flame retardant. Other homes are just ash. Neighbor Kristine Michelon called it surreal.

“I’ve never seen anything like this. It was like a war zone yesterday. It was crazy,” Michelon said.

She said she’s counting her blessings. Her family is safe and her home was spared.

But as Michelon and her family walked through the rubble, she said she was shocked there are still any homes standing at all.

“I thought yesterday this whole neighborhood was going to be gone,” she said.

Without power or clean water Michelon and her family are moving in with her mother. While Huckabay finds comfort in his own family and begins plans to rebuild.