KEARNY, Ariz. — Franklin Rutherford tried to grab everything he could — pictures off the walls, among other things. There was a lot more that was left behind: Antiques destroyed, papers that were burned, medications lost.
“It looks like it's all gone," Rutherford said.
Rutherford, 84, is one of multiple people in Kearny who lost his house in the Simmons Fire. When the evacuation order was lifted, Rutherford didn't have a home to go back to.
"Well, I used to have a lot of happy times here," Rutherford said. "I lost my wife about four or five years ago to cancer. Me and my dog, we lived here.”
The fire seemed to pick and choose what it would burn. It destroyed a house here, and another one on the other side of a small ravine, but left everything else untouched, including a house in the fire's path.
Even though the Simmons Fire is 51 percent contained as of Friday evening and the fire was only 350 acres, it was large enough to leave a scar. Julie Clark, fire information officer, said many people called to see if they could get back to their houses, anxious to see the damage done.
“People have called about their chickens, where the automatic water shut off," Clark said. "There (were) elderly people that you know just really felt displaced and really wanted and were anxious to get back into their home and get all their belongings.”
Even though he is starting over at age 84, Rutherford's grandson reminded him his things weren't most important.
"'Grandpa,' he said, 'We can replace all that stuff. Can't replace a life,'" Rutherford said.
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