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LORITO Gomez sifted through knee-deep, still-smoking rubble this morning where his house used to stand and discovered a treasure that survived the fire.
He found a charred photo album with pictures of his two children buried in the heaps of blackened clothes and furniture. The photos, which were mostly intact, showed his daughter Ashley, 14, and son Ian, 11, from when they were babies.
"Other places have worst disasters and they make it through," said Gomez, 58, who credits his faith as a Jehovah's Witness with giving him strength to cope with the loss of his home. "I'm happy no one was injured."
Gomez and his family were attending a church meeting last night when the blaze swept through their home at 1250 Maunawili Road at about 9 p.m.
"The home was completely destroyed," said Fire Capt. Richard Soo. "It was burned to the ground."
Gomez's wife, Evelyn, wiped away tears while staring at the house, but was determined not to look back.
"Things like this happen, so we just pick up and move on," Evelyn said. "I can't find my cat, that's what concerns me the most."The family cat "Z," a black Persian, was still missing this morning.
The home is located in a rural, lush forest on property owned by the Pan Pacific Development Co., which owns the nearby Luana Hills Country Club.
Having no hydrant nearby is a concern that neighbors and the Gomez family had for years.
"I was always afraid something like this was going to happen," said Evelyn, 47, who grew up in the three-bedroom home.
Fire crews had trouble getting water to the home. Three fire engines had to be linked to relay water from a fire hydrant three-quarters of a mile away.
The blaze was under control at 9:33 p.m. and extinguished at 12:30 a.m.
But fire crews didn't leave the scene until 2:30 a.m. because they were wrapping the hundreds of yards of hose needed to fight the blaze, Soo said.
A fire hazardous-materials team was also called when some small explosions were heard from a 5-foot long propane tank fronting the home. The fire was so intense the tank was venting and becoming unstable, Soo said.
The cause of the fire has not been determined as of early this morning.
Damage was estimated at $130,000.
Besides the photo album, the family managed to salvage some clothes that were hanging on a line outside.
The American Red Cross is assisting the family and is accepting donations for them.
The family is staying at the home of a fellow church member for now.
Their children stayed away this morning and didn't want to return to the house, Evelyn said.
"They wanted to remember it like when it was standing," she said.
