Santa Rosa man loses home, saves treasured family photos

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KTVU) - One Santa Rosa resident living in a senior living community has battled fires for 38 years but has never experienced the flames creeping up to his own doorstep like this before. 

KTVU's Alex Savidge spoke with the man, who goes by the name of Pat, as he looked at the devastation in his neighborhood at the Journey's End Mobile Home Park.

Pat who had been a firefighter for Daly City was able to grab his most prized possessions from his home before it went up in flames. He held one charred framed photo saying it was an image of his grandmother at Ocean Beach in 1911.

He saved other photos of his family's history included images of his grandpa and dad. He said he had about 20 minutes to grab the cherished photos before the fire overtook the neighborhood.

Pat describes the fire as jumping from one house to the next. "One house would go and then another one and the embers and the wind was the difference. 

Pat says he thought he got adequate warning from police to get out safely. 

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