LOWER LAKE (KRON) — It has been a week-and-a-half since the Clayton Fire destroyed close to 4,000 acres in Lake County.
On Wednesday, air restrictions were lifted, so KRON took Quadcopter4 to one of the worst-hit areas of Lake County–Lower Lake.
Quadcopter4 shows that the damage is extensive. Thousands of acres destroyed, hundreds of houses gone, and many are left without a place to call home.
Total destruction is what can be seen from Quadcopter4 in parts of Lake County more than one week after the Clayton Fire.
Flames tore through a neighborhood on Winchester.
“You hear people say, ‘did you get all your valuables?’ Titles and….we had it all by the door and left it all. It was that quick,” resident Wes Baker said.
Baker is still amazed by those who helped his family after his home was destroyed.
“They were coming out feeding our animals, keeping us up to date,” Baker said. “They rescued our horse. They got our ducks and geese.”
During the Clayton Fire, more than 300 structures were destroyed, many of them homes.
But there are signs of hope. Walking down one street, you can see that one homeowner has put up a tarp and an American flag on the property where his house once stood.
KRON asked Baker how he feels about the suspected arsonist, the man believed to be responsible for all of this damage.
“They don’t belong in our…a guy like that…look what he did to the planet…look what he did with us…look what he did to our earth….All the animes that he killed. You know, we lost ducks, geese, we got cats that are still missing. We lost our chickens. The guy is just heartless, and a guy like that don’t belong in our society. He really don’t,” Baker said.
This was one of the many very sad stories from Lower Lake.