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BIG OAK VALLEY, California (KCRA) -- A Nevada County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team member is being forced to start over after a fire destroyed everything he had, leaving him with just the shirt on his back.
Eighty-three-year-old Alan Fowler said he was attending a Search & Rescue meeting when the fire broke out at his home on Big Oak Valley Drive.
"The meeting usually goes until 8 p.m. or so, and so I decided to lock up the cats inside and left. On the way home, I saw all these fire engines, and they turned left on my street, and I said, 'Oh, no, I don't like that,'" Fowler said.
Fowler followed the fire engines up his driveway when he saw his house engulfed in flames. Fire crews worked to put out the fire and were able to salvage the rest of the property, like his garage and fruit trees. But the entire house was destroyed. He also lost his four beloved cats.
"I lost everything. Except I had a T-shirt and a long shirt. Levi's and boots. That's all I had left when I got here," Fowler said.
Fowler couldn't turn to his insurance company as he looked to rebuild. He said the company canceled his policy a few weeks before the fire.
"It was all fine as long as I'm giving them money. But then they found out that I had an older place, and they decided not to insure it," Fowler said.
He said the insurance company also cited wildfire risk. It's an issue homeowners across California are dealing with.
Data analyzed by the San Francisco Chronicle shows that more than 100,000 people have lost their home insurance over the past five years.
More California homeowners struggle to get fire insurance "Profit is more important than people. Profit is what counts to the insurance people. And they don't care that it protects people and that it helps people get through this," Fowler said.
Despite what he's going through, Fowler told KCRA he's maintaining a positive outlook. He said multiple community members have stepped up and offered him donations and places to stay as he tries to rebuild.
The Sierra Wildfire Relief & Recovery group has also reached out to Fowler to assist in whatever he may need.
The organization works with homeowners who have lost fire coverage.
Fowler said he hopes his story enacts change for other homeowners who might have to deal with a tragedy like this.
"That's why I would like to see the state take over the fire insurance," Fowler said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Fowler is a Vietnam-disabled veteran and has dedicated a significant amount of time volunteering for Nevada County Search & Rescue since 2010. He's also assisted in operating the local water district.
