LAKESIDE (CBS 8) - Firefighters have once again been scrambling all around the county Monday battling brush fires that have broken out in this near record heat.
And while they're trying to keep pace, a family in Lakeside is picking up the pieces after a fire destroyed their mobile home Sunday.
The flames destroyed in seconds what Jesus Bernal spent years saving to buy.
"Everything is gone now... There's nothing left," he said.
The Barona Casino dealer was at work when it happened Sunday afternoon. But inside the Lakeside mobile home were his four kids and his wife, who came out just in time.
"She went around the house and saw the fire coming... So she got dressed real quick, put shoes on the kids, got out to bring them to the street... So when she came back, the house was already burning... It was on fire," he said.
It started alongside Old Highway 80, in this non-native vegetation called Arundo donax - or Spanish cane, which burns hot and fast.
"We saw smoke, we saw flames very quickly come up... Very high flames... very black smoke."
Susan Teague took two minutes to pack up her car and evacuate -- something she never expected to do this time of year when we typically deal with May gray not scorching hot record temperatures.
"Yesterday when we packed our car, it was all willy-nilly in there, whatever we can pack in, just threw it in... Things were everywhere and we think we'd plan a lot better next time," she said.
Susan says the experience taught her to make a list, now, with what she really needs if she has to evacuate again.
Because as Jesus' family learned, sometimes, you only have seconds.
"No time for nothing, it was everything happened so quick that there was nothing to do," he said.
Jesus is thankful that his wife and kids weren't hurt and a neighbor has graciously allowed his family of six to temporarily stay in their trailer.
He's playing the hand he's been dealt but this dealer is hoping his luck will quickly turn around.
"Try to find a spot for my family... A place where to stay... And work hard... Build up my... Somewhere... Start from somewhere."
