Stories of hope emerge from ashes of Valley Fire

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- The devastating [url HREF="http://abc7news.com/tag/valley-fire/" TARGET="" REL=""]Valley Fire[/url] that's swept through Lake, Sonoma, and Napa counties has burned 67,200 acres and 30 percent contained. So far it's destroyed 585 homes and still threatens 9,000 other structures.[br /][br /][b][url HREF="http://abc7news.com/news/donations-how-to-help-valley-fire-victims/982772/" TARGET="" REL=""]DONATIONS: How to help victims of the Valley Fire where you live[/url][/b][br /][br /]Even though some people were allowed or escorted in on Tuesday, many evacuees are still in the dark about what happened to their houses. On Tuesday, ABC7 News got to tour the town of Loch Lomond with Cal Fire.[br /][br /]Cal Fire gives us access for this reason -- to get people accurate information. Loch Lomond is an active firefighting area still. So they're not completely in the clear. But ABC7 News did have the opportunity to share great news with one family and perhaps inspire others during this terrible time.[br /][br /]"The last two nights in a row I've had dreams of things just burning down," said Lexi Wager.[br /][br /][b][url HREF="http://abc7news.com/news/photos-fire-crews-battle-10000-acre-valley-fire-in-lake-county/981528/" TARGET="" REL=""]PHOTOS: Fire crews battle massive Valley Fire[/url][/b][br /][post ID="981528" /][br /][br /]The mother of three will sleep easier after seeing a picture of her home still standing on Black Oak Drive in Loch Lomond.[br /][br /]"Thank you so much for that picture," she said. "That means so much to us."[br /][br /][photo ID="986471" /][br /]People who live there have been in the dark. Loch Lomond and Anderson Springs are still off limits for evacuees.[br /][br /]"It's been a lot of scanning social media, a lot of false rumors, a lot of broken hearts," said Wager.[br /][br /]Cal Fire escorted ABC7 News in, hoping to dispel the rumors. We found many homes that are fine, but there is damage to the east.[br /][br /]Along Loch Lomond Road there are lines down all over the place. There's a power transformer that fell off the pole because it is charred. Many of them are still smoldering and unstable, making it unsafe.[br /][br /]There's active fire to the north, hotspots in the hills, and Cal Fire says dead trees are too unsafe for the public.[br /][br /]"These can fall at any time until they are mitigated and taken care of," said Cal Fire PIO Karl Kolodzik.[br /][br /][twitter ID="643870853139140608" /][br /]Wager is waiting it out with extended family[br /][br /]"It's nice to be all together," she said.[br /][br /]While Shane Barnett, who lost his home in Cobb, is determined to help firefighters and friends. He's inspired by a surprise message.[br /][br /]"The whole damn house is burned down and I find one thing blowing around in the hills," he said.[br /][br /]That one thing was a page from his late grandmother's bible. And not just any page, but one about the story of David and Goliath overcoming great odds.[br /][br /]"Of all the things you can find you could find this will light a fire under your a** literally to keep going, you know," he said. "Pretty cool. Makes me smile."[br /][br /][twitter ID="643912781595439104" /][br /]Loch Lomond Road is very busy. Cal Fire is staging there, it's one of their access points to the front line and another reason why they can't have evacuees in the area.[br /][br /]And there's more good news from a Valley Fire evacuee. ABC7 News was at the Twin Pine Casino & Hotel in Middletown on Saturday when Joyce Reim and her husband arrived, moments after escaping from their home in Cobb.[br /][br /]The couple barely had enough time to grab their dogs and get away from the fire. They were most concerned about the animals they had to leave behind.[br /][br /]"I just had to let the horses go and the chickens, couldn't find the cats," said Joyce. "There was just fire everywhere. And our houses, our neighbors' houses, friends' houses, everybody's houses are burning up. It's awful. But we're here and we're safe. Our pets are out. There's a spring not too far up our house and I'm just praying to God our animals went up there."[br /][br /]The Reims contacted ABC7 News to let us know that their cats, chickens, and horses are all okay.[br /][br /]And even though the Valley Fire completely consumed their garage and destroyed their truck that was still parked in the driveway, their house was spared.[br /][br /][b][url HREF="http://abc7news.com/tag/valley-fire/" TARGET="" REL=""]Click here[/url] for full coverage on the Valley Fire.[/b][br /][br /][b]If you see news where you live, tag your photos and videos on [url HREF="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abc7now" TARGET="" REL=""]Twitter[/url], [url HREF="https://instagram.com/explore/tags/abc7now/" TARGET="" REL=""]Instagram[/url], or [url HREF="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/abc7now" TARGET="" REL=""]Facebook[/url] with #abc7now.[/b][br /][Ads /][br /][br /][br /][br /][b][url HREF="http://abc7news.com/news/photos-abc7-news-at-the-valley-fire/984430/" TARGET="" REL=""]PHOTOS: ABC7 News at the Valley Fire[/url][/b][br /][post ID="984430" /][br /][br /][twitter ID="643945740251762688" /][br /][twitter ID="643936909362753536" /][br /][twitter ID="643921576539254784" /][br /][twitter ID="643919431815462912" /][br /][twitter ID="643910441878450177" /][br /][twitter ID="643928546574909440" /][br /][twitter ID="643883068973973504" /][br /][twitter ID="643760869818503168" /][br /][twitter ID="643773111645564928" /][br /][twitter ID="643562361337548800" /][br /][twitter ID="643549949544689664" /][br /][twitter ID="643545508137426944" /][br /][twitter ID="643543774472314880" /][br /][twitter ID="643507809632559104" /][br /][twitter ID="643506599571664896" /][br /][twitter ID="643531564832432128" /][br /][twitter ID="643426554681253888" /][br /][twitter ID="643427601248182273" /][br /][twitter ID="643417839685099521" /][br /][twitter ID="643424983474028545" /][br /][twitter ID="643424430954164225" /][br /][twitter ID="643249942136406016" /][br /][twitter ID="643241696403193856" /][br /][twitter ID="643236536092356608" /][br /][twitter ID="643210976783925252" /][br /][twitter ID="643225592637210625" /][br /][twitter ID="643220769724469248" /][br /][twitter ID="643217593231237120" /][br /][twitter ID="643184645991874561" /][br /][twitter ID="643205041076072449" /][br /][twitter ID="643044675901763588" /][br /][twitter ID="642931283677437952" /][br /][twitter ID="642961682524827648" /][br /][twitter ID="643130974696443904" /][br /][twitter ID="642951360539856896" /][br /][twitter ID="643044265904336897" /][br /][twitter ID="642972420131807232" /][br /][twitter ID="642953522527408130" /][br /][twitter ID="642936729494667264" /][br /][twitter ID="642868554295963648" /][br /][twitter ID="642876172401905664" /][br /][twitter ID="642915625870856192" /][br /][twitter ID="643091579142430720" /][br /][twitter ID="643090423955623936" /][br /][twitter ID="643109421892022272" /][br /][twitter ID="643123183462158336" /][br /][twitter ID="642888700360269824" /][br /][twitter ID="642863145959096320" /][br /][twitter ID="642886346277720064" /]tagboard ID="abc7now/243287" /]