‘We lost everything.’ River Fire leaves 2 Paso Robles families homeless but grateful
Kathe Rovenstine sat in her car on Paso Robles Street on the way back from the store Monday, watching as the River Fire consumed a home she later found out was her own.
“I couldn’t get up there, and I didn’t know if it was our home, it was in the vicinity,” she said.
The fire started around 1:55 p.m. Monday in the Salinas Riverbed and quickly spread, leading to large-scale evacuations and several road closures in the Capitol Hill area.
The 15-acre fire destroyed two houses — one on Almond Street and another on Creston Road — and damaged nine others, according to Paso Robles firefighters. On Friday, the city said weed abatement along a path near the riverbed likely caused the fire.
“Preliminary findings indicate the cause of the fire is likely related to weed abatement operations being conducted along the Navajo pathway,” city officials stated in a news release.
The fire was fully contained and all evacuation orders were lifted by 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Since Monday, community members have rallied together to help raise funds for the Wilson-Rovenstine and Rendon families, who both lost their homes to the fast-moving fire.
Rovenstine lived at the house on Almond Street with her husband Marty Rovenstine, ex-husband Mark Wilson, and four of their children, two of whom have special needs, she said.
They were in the process of helping their eldest daughter and grandson move into their guest house — which was also lost to the fire.
The family was not home when a friend let Rovenstine know she heard there was a fire in her neighborhood.
Her brother-in-law, who was in the area, called shortly after, letting them know they had lost the home, and moments later, she said, they saw photos of their burned house on the news.
“We lost everything, 38 years of memories. There’s nothing. There’s not a piece of metal that didn’t melt,” Rovenstine said. “You couldn’t even tell that there was furniture in this home.”
Wednesday was the first day they could return to their home and see the damage for themselves. She said it was devastating to see nothing but ash where their belongings had once been.
“When you have kids with special needs, it makes it harder because they don’t understand,” Rovenstine said. “It’s hard enough for us to understand as adults. I tried to explain to the children where are their toys, where is their bed, where’s life. It’s hard.”
Rovenstine said she and her family have been staying at a hotel and have had to split up.
Through the devastation, she said she has been incredibly grateful for community members who have helped them over the past few days.
A GoFundMe campaign set up for Wilson and his children reached its goal and raised more than $5,000 from more than 50 donors as of Thursday afternoon. The campaign is still accepting donations.
Wilson’s two dogs were rescued in the fire and no one was injured, according to the page. However, Rovenstine said her son’s 4H rabbit had died.
“As if 2020 hasn’t been hard enough, my brother Mark Wilson lost everything in the devastating fire in Paso Robles,” the campaign description reads.
Rovenstine said community members have sent them gift cards and other donations so they get by until they find a more permanent living situation.
“The community has been a true blessing. It’s humbling to have the prayers and have the people who have come out to help with the generosity of clothing,” Rovenstine said.
“You don’t even think of the things until you lose them, that you have to replace,” she added.
Two sons grabbed the dogs and ran
The Rendon family, a household of five, also lost their home Monday.
Sergio Rendon, his wife Nidia Rendon and their daughter were all at work when the fire began, but their two sons were home, according to Rendon’s daughter Linda Zavala, who did not live at the Creston Road home.
She said her brothers heard sirens and were told by firefighters to evacuate immediately. They had no time to pack their belongings, but they escaped unharmed with their three dogs.
Zavala said since the fire, her parents and siblings have been staying at her apartment and are searching for a rental home.
“It’s hard for them, starting over again,” Zavala said.
Cassandra Joslyn and her husband own the home that the Rendons’ rented. She said she has known the family for years and is devastated for their loss.
Joslyn said, while she and her husband lost some of the belongings they kept on their property, it did not amount to the loss the Rendon family has faced. So, she created a GoFundMe campaign to help them.
“Anything they did not take to work that morning is gone. Lodging, cars, clothes, memorabilia, medicine, furniture, pet food, appliances, toothbrush, EVERYTHING! ... Let’s show them our Paso, and SLO County love and help out this wonderful family,” the page reads.
As of Thursday, more than 100 donors have raised $13,217 toward a $100,000 goal for the family. The Rendon family was not covered by renter’s insurance, according to the page.
“First of all, I’d like to thank Cassandra for starting the GoFundMe page, and also James Founder for lending us a hand and everyone who donated and shared the page, we are very thankful, may God bless you all,” Sergio Rendon said in a statement translated from Spanish by Zavala.
Following the fire, city officials and representatives signed a letter demanding the city be allowed to use mechanized equipment to clear vegetation around the riverbed where the fire began.
Update: This story was updated with information on the cause of the River Fire.
This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 6:40 PM.
