KEEPING SPIRITS BRIGHT : Fire-affected Mountain Drive community holds on to hope for holidays

[Tea Fire]

MARCI WORMSER, NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
December 24, 2008 7:21 AM

Although many of the members of the tight-knit Mountain Drive community lost their homes in the Tea Fire last month, they say they are determined to not let the disaster dampen their holiday spirit.

About 90 percent of the 40 homes in lower and upper Hyde Roads were burned down in the fire, according to Hank Childs, 55, a resident of lower Hyde Road. Part of Mr. Childs' home, including a great deal of his possessions, burned in the fire.

Despite the catastrophe, the community still plans to hold its annual holiday celebration in January. Every year, the neighborhood holds a celebration to commemorate the 12th day of Christmas. This year, the location of the Mountain Drive Three Kings Day celebration is up in the air, as the site where the yearly event is normally held burnt down. But the party will go on as planned on Jan. 6.

"We'll have it somewhere, but we're not sure where yet," said Mr. Childs. "Christmas spirit is alive and well here. Everyone's lucky to be alive."

Prior to attending a Christmas party on Saturday evening, Mr. Childs spent hours preparing for expected rains by arranging sandbags near the cliffs by his home. Since the fire, he has spent much of his time filling out paperwork for his insurance company and cleaning up debris near his property. He's been so distracted dealing with the aftermath of the fire, he said, that he hasn't done much Christmas shopping.

"Our neighborhood is completely devastated," he said. "No one has any money now. The money's all gone. Everyone's under-insured."

Rebuilding and meeting the new building codes, he said, "will be a financial hardship."

Still, Mr. Childs says he feels fortunate compared to his neighbors who lost everything. He plans to invite some of them over for Christmas dinner.

"We still have our neighbors," he said, "even if we don't have our neighborhood."

Leslie White, 60, who lives on lower Hyde Road with her husband, Greg White, agrees with her neighbor's sentiment. Amid the rubble of her neighborhood, Mrs. White placed a holiday ribbon on a road sign near her street.

"I just had such a broken heart for all my neighbors," said Mrs. White. "I wanted them to drive down the street and see a little bit of Christmas."

The Whites' two-story garage, which contained a large amount of their possessions, and two classic cars were destroyed in the blaze. Despite this, they consider themselves fortunate, since their home remained standing.

"Every time we drive by our house, it's like we are so blessed. It's a miracle," said Mrs. White.

The Whites say that their home was probably saved because it's made out of fire-resistant materials. The homes in their neighborhood that were left standing are made of stucco and adobe; the wood homes burned.

"Our garage had everything in it," she said. "It was like a person's home being burned down, but our neighbors don't have a place to live."

Mr. White, a classic car aficionado, lost a 1969 Avanti and a rare 1950 Studebaker in the blaze. He also lost his tool collection. Mrs. White lost family heirlooms and a wide array of Christmas decorations, among other items.

But like Mr. Childs, the Whites say they still plan on celebrating the holidays, even if the celebration ends up being more scaled-down. Like every year, they will still go to their favorite Italian restaurant on Christmas Eve, and they will still have family over for a Christmas potluck supper, they said.

One thing that will be somewhat lacking this year is the large amount of presents that they normally place under their Christmas tree. This year, Mrs. White admits, "we just haven't been in the mood."

They also haven't had as much time to do Christmas shopping. Mrs. White said they have spent the better part of the past month filling out insurance forms and other paperwork.

Still, the Whites' home isn't lacking in Christmas cheer. Stockings are hung up in their living room, and their tables are decorated with Christmas figurines and a table-top Christmas tree.

Mrs. White said she purchased some of the decorations as replacements, while her family members have also contributed to help her replace lost Christmas decorations.

Mrs. White's sister bought her a nutcracker, an angel and a Santa Claus figurine so she can start to rebuild her Christmas figurine collection.

The items she won't have to replace, however, are her Nativity scene collection and some porcelain Christmas plates. A few of her holiday tea cups and saucers rolled down the hill near her home and were found unscathed.

Also found unscathed was Mrs. White's porcelain Nativity scene. A friend, who was helping the couple dig through the rubble after the Tea Fire, found a piece of the Nativity scene that the Whites assumed had burned. More digging revealed the entire collection, which was mostly intact -- minus a goat and a semi-charred wise man.

The Whites prominently display their saved Nativity scene -- complete with Jesus in the manger -- in the window sill of their home.

"My new motto is Jesus saves," said Mrs. White, with a laugh.

"Christmas spirit is alive and well here. Everyone's lucky to be alive. "

Hank Childs, who lost part of his home to the Tea Fire, but plans to invite neighbors who lost everything for Christmas dinner

"Christmas spirit is alive and well here. Everyone's lucky to be alive."