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Crest, CA

There were three fires in San Diego County burning at the same time. The fire that destroyed our house was the Cedar Fire, started when a hunter fired a flare after becoming lost.

Steve Breen - SD Tribune

This is a shot of the framed house that was being built behind and above ours. This was taken as the fire was approaching.

A shot taken from the video of the fire after the house caught on fire.

Later in the evening after the houses have burned to the ground.

Some interesting photo comparisons. The photos above were taken by a neighbor that lives above us. Below is his view during the day after the fire.

Video of our house - and the houses around us - burning. The flames were being fueled by the Santa Ana winds.

Click below for stories and pictures of the fire & rebuild

The links below are related to the fire and our recovery and rebuilding. Family holiday and birthday photos are still in the "Photo Albums" area. 

Firestorm 2003 Start

 

Page 1 The fire and aftermath	Page 2 Starting over, sifting through remains	Page 3 New trailer - property cleanup	Page 4 Demo - moving back
Page 5 Adding storage - getting green	Page 6 Christmas - start rebuilding	Page 7 Foundation Prep & Playground	Page 8 Foundation
Page 9 Framing - First Story	Page 10 Framing - Second Story	Page 11 Framing - Second Story, Roof	Page 12 Framing - Second Story, Roof
Page 13 Roof & Windows	Page 14 Wiring, plumbing and insulation	Page 15 Sheetrock, scratchcoat, browncoat	Page 16 Tape, texture, paint, doors, tile

09/01/04: The house is finished. Thanks to all that helped us out!

The second story added some much-needed square footage. It also triggered a reassessment by San Diego County... I thought it would go up a little but with the hot real estate market at that time it tripled the property taxes!

September 2004 - we ended up selling the house and moving to a rental until the end of the school year. With job offers in Lassen County we moved back to Susanville.

Jeremy gets camera-shy when we meet Maria Shriver at the Harbison Canyon relief center.

From LDS News: Houses, not homes, lost in fires

       Teens typically dread that first Monday back to school after an extended time off. Not Jeanette Fleckenstein. Yes, she's always been a good student and enjoyed school. But on Monday, Nov. 3, Jeanette was simply eager to return to the comforting routine of homework, school lunch and perhaps fifth-period geometry.
      No wonder. The past several days had dealt Jeanette a life's worth of change and uncertainty.
      Like scores of other LDS Californians, Jeanette Fleckenstein, 14, is homeless. Her family's house east of El Cajon in the Crest community of San Diego County was reduced to ashy ruin Oct. 26 — a casualty of one of the most devastating fire seasons in state history. The wildfires of 2003 delivered a powerful hook to the collective chin of Golden State residents. More than 60 LDS families will be forced to rebuild or relocate after fire ravaged their houses.

(Click here for the blessing given to the fire victims by Boyd K Packer (pictured above) during a meeting while visiting the area.)