‘We’ve Lost Everything’: California Wildfire Takes The Home Of A Veteran Firefighter

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Sarah Hawkins and Andy Pestana lost their home, farm and several of their animals in the LNU Lightning Complex fire.

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Andy Pestana

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Sarah Hawkins breeds Nigerian Dwarf goats. «I know all of them. I know all of their names,» she says. Several goats died in the fire.

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Andy Pestana

Sarah Hawkins breeds Nigerian Dwarf goats. «I know all of them. I know all of their names,» she says. Several goats died in the fire.

Andy Pestana

«I’ve worked really hard on my breeding program, and every year we have babies and I bottle feed all of them,» she says. «And I know all of them. I know all of their names; I delivered all of them.»

Pestana and Hawkins are staying with a friend for now. But they know they can’t stay there forever.

Pestana is taking some time off from the fire department while he sorts out plans. «But yes, I will be going back to work soon enough and will be there for the public,» he says.

As of Tuesday, the LNU Lightning Complex fire was 27% contained and had destroyed more than 900 structures.