Valley Fire victims are returning to their properties, trying to clean up and in some instances, start over. Among them is the Campos family in Jamul, who lost their home. Their business also suffered major damage, but insurance will likely not pay for any rebuilding costs.
During the initial hours of the Valley Fire on Sept. 5, Blake Campos tried to soak the hillside next to his home using a fire hose.
“The flames were just too big to try and fight. So we decided it would be best to leave. For all of to get out safely,” said Campos.
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Eventually, the flames reached Campos’ house and burned it to the ground. He lived in the home with his girlfriend Alexandra Hultman. She is still traumatized by the experience.
“As I’m processing, I’m realizing that I lost many valuables,” Hultman said as she began to cry.
“This is my safe place to come home to. I have my dog, I have my boyfriend, my whole family. And my roommate. We were a little family,” Hultman added.
The fire is also affecting Campos’ livelihood. His family bought the property to start a hemp farm.
“We got our hemp license in October of last year and since then we’ve been constantly building every single day to try and make it work,” said Campos.
His father and sister are also involved in the family business.
On top of all their other losses, the family is also facing the challenge of not having fire coverage on their home. Like many other homeowners in fire-prone areas, Campos has not been able to obtain full fire coverage.
Friends and family have set up a GoFundMe page to help Campos rebuild his home. Details can be found here.
