Behind the fire lines

UPDATE 7/28/2016 8:15 PM:

Cal Fire officials said the Soberanes Fire made an aggressive run toward the Palo Colorado community once again on Wednesday, but some of the containment lines held up. When KION visited the area on Monday, the area was green and lush. It was a different story just days later.

Many of the homes destroyed in the Soberanes Fire were located on Palo Colorado Road. The neighborhood is still under a mandatory evacuation because of the fire. However, some people are deciding to stay behind and protect their homes.

The heavy smoke, falling tree limbs and erratic fire conditions make the area dangerous, which is why the area was evacuated. Folks who leave, cannot come back. Homeowner Dan Patrick said he wasn’t leaving his home of 30 years.

“When it hits a dry tree, it’ll flare up like a Roman candle,” Patrick said. “It’ll shoot up, but other than that it really creeps around the ground really slow.”

On Wednesday night, he and Cal Fire crews worked through the night digging a containment line around his home. Fire retardant was dropped near his house. While it worked and his home was spared, it’ something Cal Fire advises people not to do.

“They are running the risk of being trapped at their property and having firefighters and other personnel going back there to help,” Cal Fire Public Information Officer Rigoberto Herrera said.

ORIGINAL POST:

Coming up tonight: KION’s Mariana Hicks goes behind the fire lines, into the evacuation area, where she will show you just how far one man is going to protect his home.

Watch her live report tonight at 5 and 6 p.m..