LAKE ISABELLA, Calif. —
The Tragic event in the Kern River Valley following Tuesday’s fires that destroyed three residences near Lake Isabella, displacing at least four people and killing sixteen animals, including puppies and kittens.
The ‘Reeder Incident,’ a fire that broke out, severely damaged not just the house in question but also surrounding residences. Eyewitness News met with fire victims.
A survivor of the fire who went by the name “Jesse” expressed his gratitude to those who are attempting to lend a hand to those in need.
He expressed gratitude that his daughter and granddaughter were unharmed in the house fire. His daughter Racheal, however, expressed her father’s profound loss.
“In there, everything is in ruins. “Well, they only had three dogs, but three of them had died,” Racheal remarked. We recently laid one to rest in my yard. My dad and his wife are both disabled, and they were unable to remove her wheelchair.
Unfortunately for Racheal, her stepmom’s infirmity prevents her from taking her dad and his wife to live with her. They only lived a few houses away.
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“At this point in time, all they really need to do is find a place to live,” Racheal stated.
“I am working on their buildings all around the neighborhood,” Jesus stated. So, they are now assisting me.
This fire season, heavy grass crops have been a major cause. The grass crop that the tenants claim extended all the way to the back of their land was present at the site of the fire.
Another woman who lost her house in a fire was Claire Hartley. She was at work when she received two calls from her neighbors. But when Hartley got there, she claimed the flames were in the field beyond the houses and hadn’t even reached her house.
It was hazy, but the fire was in the field, Hartley said, standing back here. “That spot did not belong to me.”
The owner of the parcel that allegedly ignited the fire lived in the area, according to another neighbor.
According to the Kern County Fire Department, the fire was originally thought to be a vegetation fire rather than a structural fire. Watch the video below to hear from Bradley Rice, who was worried about a fire breaking out in the field behind his house, as reported by Eyewitness News.
As Hartley, the Arroyos, and others seek assistance in picking up the pieces, Donna Canino of Grab and Bag Boutique offers a helping hand. Donations for the individuals and animals who were lost are being collected by her.
The fire killed 13 of Hartley’s cats, and she may have to take time off from her job advocating for the spaying and neutering of cats. I am a canine who is eager to lend a hand.
Grab & Bag Boutique owner Donna Canino expressed her current emotional state by saying, “I want to focus right now on the people who have lost everything.”
The victims of the fire have several places to turn for assistance; Grab & Bag Boutique is just one of them.