'Like a fire tornado': Coeur d'Alene family loses California home in Eaton Canyon blaze

COEUR d’ALENE — When the first flames of what would become southern California’s Eaton Canyon Fire sparked Tuesday night, Kim Budge couldn’t have guessed that her home would be destroyed.

“We started packing as soon as we saw the fire,” Budge said. “We knew what was happening in the Palisades, and the possibility of embers being thrown around ... but I was still thinking in the back of my mind how fires have never really come off the hills before.”

The Budge family splits time between Pasadena and Coeur d’Alene. They are no strangers to the Santa Ana winds that have fueled the historic wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area.

Even so, it was unimaginable that the flames could actually reach their neighborhood, Budge said.

She said Eaton Canyon last burned 30 years ago, just two years after the Budges moved into their home about six blocks from the eastern side of the canyon. 

Budge began receiving texts about the fast-moving flames from neighbors around 6:20 p.m. Tuesday. By 9:30 p.m., police were ordering residents to evacuate immediately.

“I thought, ‘This is real.’ The winds were whipping like you wouldn’t believe,” Budge said.

The massive flames and strong winds were only part of the scene Budge witnessed as she evacuated with her family. Exploding transformers and falling powerlines added to the chaos.

“It was almost like a fire tornado,” Budge said.

The family’s video doorbell camera went offline at 11:23 p.m., Budge said.

The last available footage showed police cars on the street and the entire front yard of the home ablaze.

On Wednesday morning, the youngest of Budge’s three sons confirmed the house “was a complete loss.”

The Eaton Canyon Fire has destroyed over 100 structures and claimed at least two lives as it burned over 10,000 acres, according to major news outlets.

Budge and her family are still reeling from the loss of their home.

“It’s a real mix of emotions,” Budge said. “We went back to the house today and saw our neighbor, and as soon as we met, we hugged them and we cried.”

Despite the immense loss, the family was able to make it out with some mementos, including Eagle Scout portraits of all three boys.

Budge was also able to save her grandmother’s music box, some photos and documents stored in a fireproof safe.

The home also had fire insurance, and rebuilding is a possibility.

As the family looks toward the future, they’re focusing on the small moments of joy that have emerged from their tragic loss.

Somehow, the Big Green Egg smoker that the Budges used to smoke their Thanksgiving turkey survived the fire almost unscathed, as did the lemons on their neighbor's lemon tree.

“We had to laugh because the lemons on her tree hadn’t burned. The whole tree is burnt but the lemons are still there,” Budge said.

There are other reasons to be joyful, as well. Their oldest son, who lives in Coeur d’Alene year-round, is set to get married in September.

“The important thing is that somehow out of this, you find hope and resilience, and you continue to move on,” Budge said.  

    The Budge family home was "a total loss" when the youngest son returned to check on the property Wednesday morning.
  

    The Budge family's pool was filled with ash and debris after their home burnt down in the Eaton Canyon fire near Pasadena, Calif. Tuesday night.