Homes destroyed along the River Fire’s path

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) At least six structures were destroyed, four structures damaged and 1,500 structures threatened as the River Fire continues to rage in the hills south of Salinas.

Our KION News crew could see the true power of the fire by all the damage 
that’s left behind here on Pine Canyon Road. Some neighbor's homes weren't burnt down, leaving only a few remnants of the original building.

We also found scorched cars, boats and properties.

“I can’t believe how much is gone,” said Brad Tarp whose property was damaged by the fire.

He lost a garage, a shed, and some of his father's belongings at his old family home. Some of his family members also live close to an area near Pine Canyon Road where some homes were severely damaged.

“We’re lucky we’ve kept all the houses. My house is down the road here, my brother’s is across the canyon," Tarp told KION. “The way it came through the brush yesterday. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Neighbors were in shock when a few returned Monday to find their backyards blackened.

Smoke and ashes were still billowing around the hillsides south of Salinas one day after the river fire sparked near Pine Canyon.

Some homes were left in ruins and others damaged on the outside. Tarp is thankful his family's home was spared.

"We grew up here. My folks built the home back here in '48," Tarp said.

Firefighters were mopping up to make sure the flames won’t reignite Monday afternoon. They sprayed down scorched brush and wood.

It’ll be a process to clean up all the rubble, but some of the homeowners in 
the fire’s path will have to wait. The area is still under a mandatory evacuation order and evacuation warnings.

Some neighbors are figuring out where they're going wait out the fire.

“They don’t really want us here in the house. We have no water. We have no power,” Tarp said.

Some small flames were still rising from another home on Pine Canyon Road Monday evening and other evacuees wonder if this is 
what they’ll return to.

“It’s pretty terrifying. We’ve had fires on this road before but nothing of 
this magnitude,” said Erica Ray who lives south of Pine Canyon near River Road.

Locals told KION neighbors are banding together to help save each others 
properties. They are doing anything they can to try to limit the destruction before they have to leave.

“We’ve been watering the property with sprinklers and just dousing 
everything we can,” Ray said.

But devastation left behind sends a clear message: the fire’s rage is 
powerful. Cal Fire is stressing that it’s important for residents to leave when asked to for their safety.

A Cal Fire spokesperson said that the area is still not safe for people to come back to, but they hope to have a timeline in the next 24 hours.