Woman returns to beloved cabin destroyed by Airport Fire: ‘It’s heartbreaking’

By Leanne Suter

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CORONA, California (KABC) — The Airport Fire, which burned thousands of acres across Orange and Riverside counties, has been fully contained, but the damage left behind is taking an emotional toll on residents.

Johanna Browne lost her beloved home during the fire and recently returned to the property for the first time since the massive blaze. Her treasured, historic cabin tucked deep in Holy Jim Canyon in the Cleveland National Forest meant a lot to Browne.

She had planned to live out her retirement there, so seeing it in ashes was heartbreaking.

“I’m still feeling numb and confused,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking, it’s heart-wrenching.”

Browne is now left with only rubble and ash after the Airport Fire charred more than 23,000 acres. Her cabin, which she had owned since the ’70s, was one of more than half a dozen that burned in the blaze.

“I left on Sunday evening, or Sunday afternoon, to go swimming at the community pool, and stayed the night. The next day, I received phone calls from neighbors that the cabins were burning,” she recalled.

As Browne picked up the pieces, she found little treasures buried in the debris. But she’s still struggling to figure out what to do next.

Like many other cabin owners, she did not have insurance, and federal land use rules prohibit the rebuilding of the cabins, some of which date back to the early 1900s.

Friends have set up a GoFundMe to help Browne as she is required to clean up all the ash and debris.

As difficult as the loss is, she said she’s grateful she wasn’t home when the fire broke out and will forever treasure her time tucked away in the trees.

“I’m fine. I’m healthy, and I’m here. I’m grateful. This will just be a great memory, one of the greatest of my life,” she said.