2 weeks after they inherited a home, the Mountain fire happened

Two weeks in the past, Brittanie Bibby, husband Kenneth and their 15-month-old child moved from Arizona to Camarillo to dwell within the house she inherited from her father, maxing out their bank cards to show the dilapidated property right into a protected place to dwell.

On Wednesday, that protected place burned to the bottom, leaving the household with no house, no financial savings and no clue what comes subsequent.

The subsequent day, the shellshocked mother and father struggled to come back to grips with the monetary toll of the incident and the catastrophic sentimental loss.

“We misplaced every part,” mentioned Brittanie. “All of our household recollections, all of our possessions, Social Safety playing cards, demise certificates, beginning certificates, my husband’s father’s ashes, my father’s ashes and my mom’s ashes.”

Brittanie Bibby holds her child, Ken. Brittanie and her husband misplaced their Camarillo home to the Mountain fireplace two weeks after shifting in.

(Brittanie Bibby)

Their property was among the many 132 constructions destroyed by the fast-moving Mountain fire, which ignited Wednesday morning and scorched greater than 20,000 acres within the mountains of Ventura County by Thursday night.

The household began to collect donations on GoFundMe on Thursday and was in a position to get diapers and recent garments for child Ken. Brittanie deliberate to sleep within the evacuation shelter Thursday night time and take a recent stab at her mountain of duties Friday morning.

“Being a mother, I don’t actually have a option to panic or to not suppose by way of the steps, as a result of I’ve a tiny human that’s 100% depending on me,” she mentioned. “So whereas I really feel an entire bunch of issues, I’ve to attempt to hold a transparent thoughts in order that I’m giving him one of the best care.”

On the prime of her precedence record is looking for a pediatrician; Ken suffers from bronchial asthma and his well being is put in danger by the thick wildfire smoke.

“We’ve got been doing every part in our energy to maintain him in filtered air and clear air so he doesn’t get triggered by the ash,” she mentioned, “as a result of all of his remedy and inhaler burned up.”

When Brittanie obtained the evacuation alert round 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, she ran to the nursery to attempt to pack up the newborn’s necessities, corresponding to clothes and drugs. However, glancing out a window, she was met with a terrifying sight — large flames leaping from constructions only one road away because the wind swept smoke up the hill and towards her home.

There was no time to pack; the precedence now was getting everybody out alive.

The Mountain fireplace destroyed properties on each side of Outdated Coach Drive in Camarillo.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Instances)

She grabbed her child and helped her mother-in legislation, Denise Bibby, her grandmother-in-law, Huguette Doucette, and her two aged canine get out of the home.

As she sped away, flames from burning brush leaped up and lapped over the automotive. A darkish thought went by way of her head — “I’m not going to outlive.”

The Bibbys made it safely to a pal’s home. About three hours later, Brittanie felt herself going into shock.

“I went from being considerably comfy to completely freezing,” she mentioned. “Regardless that the home was like 75 levels, my fingers turned blue and I needed to be coated in blankets and sweaters.”

Child Ken has additionally been affected and is having difficulties sleeping in his complicated new environment.

“We’re very sleep-deprived, as a result of he spends a whole lot of the night time crying,” she mentioned.

His mother and father are additionally on edge as they face an unsure future.

They’re nonetheless awaiting info from their belief legal professional on whether or not the house was insured and are researching aid grants they could be eligible for.

On Sunday, Kenneth is planning on returning to work as a crew member at Dealer Joe’s. On Monday, Brittanie is scheduled to begin a full-time customer support job at Walmart.

After feeling so completely happy to lastly be settled into their new house, it’s exhausting for the couple to regulate to this post-fire actuality.

“It’s an enormous system shock, virtually such as you’re in a nasty dream,” mentioned Brittanie. “You simply wish to get up.”