87-year-old man escapes Eaton Fire, moves in with family in the Central Valley

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The framework of 2 classical cars and a chimney is each that's near astatine Arnold Williams Sr.'s Altadena home.

The 87-year-old has lived successful this location for 51 years earlier the devastating Eaton Fire tore done the Southern California community.

"I watched TV for a portion erstwhile the presumption went blank. So, I laic down and took a nap. My son-in-law called and said I had to permission close distant truthful I got up and got dressed and I near with the apparel connected my back," said Williams Sr.

Williams' Sr. said successful the 51 years of surviving successful Altadena, he's ne'er experienced thing similar that before.

"There's thing is impossible. You tin spell location 1 time and thing is there," said Williams Sr.

Williams' Senior said his gramps clock, aged household pictures, apparel and those classical cars are each gone arsenic good arsenic 51 years' worthy of memories.

"I've been to galore fires and seen a batch of houses and places burn, but not thing similar this," said Arnold Williams Jr.

Williams Jr. is simply a retired firefighter with Fresno County Cal Fire.

Williams Jr. said his sister asked him to travel prime up their begetter aft the Eaton Fire tore done aggregate household members' homes. These photos amusement the fume Williams Jr. saw connected the thrust to prime up his dad. He says his aged vicinity looks similar a warfare zone.

"It's heartbreaking, you'll ne'er spot it again. It takes a colony to support 1 location lasting and the colony wasn't there, everybody had to leave," said Williams Jr.

Williams Jr. took his begetter to spot the remnants of his location earlier they drove northbound to Fresno.

As the household tried to locomotion done the rubble, Williams Jr.'s wife, Ebony Hailey-Williams, recovered melted car rims from Williams Senior's aged classical Bentley.

Melted rims that she hopes to crook into art, truthful they ne'er hide the conflict and nonaccomplishment they experienced aft the fire.

"I started loading up pieces origin I privation to bash thing with it to memorialize this moment," said Hailey-Williams

Both Williams' men accidental it's going to beryllium an uphill conflict to effort and portion unneurotic security claims, and different support. They are unsure if they volition rebuild.

They person acceptable up a donation page to assistance with this unimaginable loss.

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