Rafael Gomez says that he lost his home to fire last year is now desperate to protect his son's home near the Badger Fire.
Evacuations or fire growth because of our push alerts.peopd northern california are very familiar with wildfire -- some even too familiar.
Today newswatch 12's alicia rubin spoke with a local hawkinsville man who is facing the flames in his backyard for the second time in the past two years.
This evening the badger fire looks a lot different than last night - just 24 hours ago this mountain behind me was red with fire.
Now it stands gray with ash -- a familiar sight for one man that i spoke to today.
Rafael says: just the smell of the fire kind of i guess triggers kind of like ptsd that smokey smell is all too familiar -- just one year ago on may 24th a transformer blew on a powerpole near rafeal's house.
Rafael says:i could only fill the water bucket so much so i ran around and followed it until i couldn't fight it anymore he lost everything.
Rafael says: 60,000 records that were my dad's record collection my grandfathers 12 string 1963 martin i mean we lost everything following that fire, he moved into a home on his son's property ... in hawkinsville.
Rafael says: "there still a lot of fire is scary idoesn't discriminate--butted--it just eats everything" but this time, the fire wasn't coming just for his home.
Rafael says: "the new stuff really isn't that important it was more my son and his girlfriend and not wanting them to lose everything" rafael says that he did not evacuate and doesn't plan to.
Rafael says: "it felt kind of personal" he says if the badger fire comes his way -- he's going to fight it.
Rafael says: "real hard to leave and just let the fire take everything again" rafeal tells me that he's been staying up all night the past two nights to watch the flames, making sure it doesn't get too
Despite evacuation orders and warnings northwest of Yreka, at least some residents prefer to stay and protect their homes.