What a Long Strange Trip its Been -- 3 Years After the Fire

[don_w]

Today (10-22-10) is the 3-year anniversary of the SoCal wildfires that destroyed 1000's of homes, including ours. This video compilation of photos were taken from a consistent vantage point over a 2+ year period. It took 23 months to rebuild, and now a year later... it feels like home... Home Sweet Home.

Speakers on and full screen recommended...




Original thread HERE...

 

[rford426]

Daayum I remember that thread craaaazy shit! Gladd all that is over with for you!

 

[HOLYWD]

Me too

Crazy shit

I lived in Cali at te time !

 

[andyman]

welcome home!

 

[US-1]

That is pretty moving, Don. I'm very glad you and Donna have finally gotten the house to the way you wanted it to be. Nothing quite like being "home." Congratulations!

 

[usafimj]

Beautiful home you have there. Now its time to throw a stang party there...haha

 

[gmantheman]

That was an impressive and touching video. The new house looks beautiful.

 

[95ragtop]

Awesome man, I bet it feels great being back home. You know where Highland Valley Rd is? My brother (he was one of the twelve hurt in the desert race a few months back) lives up there. He some how got ahold of a fire hose and was running around up there trying to save homes when all of that was going on.

 

[VTXFrank]

My wife and family know how you feel brother. On March 1, 2007, we had an F4 tornado come through our town. It demolished the high school killing eight students, kids, and one 80-something year old woman in her home. My son and I were in our house when that F4 hit us. The house was a complete loss as were 12-14 other houses on my street alone. Over 1,000 homes were lost/damaged. Not quite the number of homes lost in ya'll's wild fires, but the end result is the same.

I live off of Dixie drive.

We lost everything.

And I spent months in the hospital due to my injuries. But I saved my son and helped out a lot of neighbors. My daughter was in the high school about 30' away from where the students died. Radio reports of over 100 students dead/injured and we couldn't find our daughter for four or five hours.

It sucks, but it sure as hell made us stronger for the experience.

Congrats to you brother!! Rebuilding being completed and kicking up your feet for that first time....man what a feeling!!

 

[Hysteria]

Nice vid Don! It's cool that you took all the shots at the same time of the month, also neat seeing the houses around you and the one at the top of the hill spring up. The house next to your popped up pretty quick from September 2009 to March of 2010.

Congrats on getting your house and your life back to some normalcy!

 

[TorchRedS197]

I am new to this forum and didn't know this had happened to you, I'm sorry for your loss. The new house looks great, time to start taking new photo's and start new memories.

 

[charlie123]

Glad to see that you are now home. So what did the forum help you get? Hope the forum help build the garage.

 

[LAK3RS]

I'm really glad everything turned out for you and your family Don! It was really sweet to see the forum pull together in a time of need for someone's family and help them through whatever means possible.

 

[whyask]

Was down there in 2007 & 2008 fighting the fire with some of the worlds finest firefighters, Civilian and Army alike, My heart went out to the familys THEN and sill do NOW... Dont really realize how much we take for granted until you see a home engulfed in flames.... Don congrats , it takes amazing perservernce and determiniation to move on with everything and rebuild ! May you life only get better brotha !

 

[retfr8flyr]

Congrats Don!!! I remember the outpouring of support, both financial and vocal, from the members and sponsors of this forum. I still think it is one of the more influential things that made this place such a large family group.


Earl

 

[Redfire_WNL]

Damn just spent over two hours reading that thread and WOW this forum is awesome. Congrats Don for the new home and new memories.

 

[FalconGTHO]

Cool vid, Don. Did you take a pic every day? If so, it would be cool to see those in one take but sped up in time lapse.

Still awaiting the "S197 Housewarming Bash".

 

[TexasKyle]

Hard to believe it's been three years already. Glad you and your family were able to recover.

 

[VistaStang]

Wow Don, glad to hear you guys are settled in. Very nice home you have. I was in San Diego for the fires in 2003, I think it was. It was the Cedar Fire and a couple others, absolutely unbelievable.

 

[RedFire07GT]

Thats such a gorgous house man! Good to see everything came back together!






Brandon